H&S is primarily about people: how they do their work, how they are informed about risk, the measures they need to take to remain safe from harm, how this is all managed and requires excellent communications. H&S may reasonably be expected to be integral to any post-incident activities such as investigations and remedial measures arising from those processes. For may organisations this can only be achieved with a very close working relationship with the other people functions, i.e. HR. Facilities/Estates is only occasionally the best place for H&S and in some instances may be a poor choice for the reasons you have posted. Sadly, both functions are often outsourced so little to choose between them in terms of job security, unless you have privileged knowledge. Good luck.

I have worked in both sections and to be honest preferred the estates team as I found it easier to get things done there rather than in HR which tended to waffle on about things and not actually do anything. But that just be our HR department! There is no natural fit for SHE; in some places that are combined with QA and security! it depends on the people who you are working with and ironically now I get on better with HR then I used to when I was part of them!

The best fit would be for HSSE to be an independant reporting line! This has been the case for the few orgs I've worked for. I shuddered at the thought of working within a HR dept or a Facilities dept!!! OP, maybe you can make a reasoned argument for a 3rd proposal - indpedant!

I maintain that H&S is primarily about people. It is people who get things done, whether it is fixing a broken guard, ensuring LEV is working or maintaining a structure in a safe condition. People forget or choose to disregard safe working procedures and people get hurt. H&S role is to persuade (and advise, lead, manage, instruct, inform etc etc) the relevant people to do the correct stuff and not to do the wrong stuff. That is why my personal preference for a home for H&S is alongside HR but I absolutely accept that there are good, valid reasons for locating within other business streams.

In my last job (over 9 years) I had: an independent reporting line direct to the CEO then to a newly appointed Business Manager then back to independent but this time to the Deputy CEO then to HR then to Facilities Management and finally to Maintenance Manager finally I had had enough and changed jobs. I now do a bit in the 3rd sector and report to a Director of Support Services who is responsible for Facilities, HR and Finance. You can certainly get around in this business and I have no preference as to who I report to. Rich