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Eddie O Gorman  
#1 Posted : 20 January 2020 21:17:59(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Eddie O Gorman

Hi, I was hoping someone could give me a little advice on how to start, I have just finished a certificate course on Occupational Health and Safety with UCD, I have reams of info to do with the course but very little info on what a Health and safety officer does day to day, are there common templates that everyone uses as their safety checks, a list of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly projects, any and all help would be gratefully recieved.                By the way, I am a retained firefighter who also has his own small landscaping business, I worked in a hardware store and, at one stage, used to own my own store, am on carers leave at the moment with my daughter but that finishes in about 6 months and I want to change career to health and safety, am from Clare in Ireland, many thanks

peter gotch  
#2 Posted : 21 January 2020 10:23:03(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
peter gotch

Morning Eddie

That is a huge question!!

However, there are things you need to do for your landscaping business and in your role as a carer to manage numerous types of risk. May be you don't write down all your assessments of the risks, nor what you do to mitigate these, but that would be a starting point.

Then suggest you join IOSH and do some networking at your local Branch and/or District.

+ keep asking QQ here.

Good luck.

Clark34486  
#3 Posted : 21 January 2020 12:09:15(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Clark34486

My first piece of advice would be don't consider being a safety 'officer', in my opinion the term officer is a sure way to put people off you from the start. Practitioners are not police officers

Kim Hedges  
#4 Posted : 21 January 2020 22:41:51(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kim Hedges

One suggestion that might help you in the long term is simply being aware of other peoples incidents and the easiest way yet is to get onto the HSE's website and subscribe to the notices they forward frequently, I particulary like the almost weekly bulletins concerning prosecutions.  You can learn a lot about other peoples mistakes, it's a bit gruesome at times especially if you like me are empathic. 

I won't give you career advise, as nothing has worked for me over the 10 years i've been qualified, 

I am currently a contract crane slinger, the lowest of the low in cranes, one up from a site labourer (go figure). 

Most definately attend your local branch meetings, depending on the branch, you may get a legal update, my branch in Bristol and the south west, just had our legal update and it was packed with statistics - lovely stuff.  There should be some kind soul who every month presents a lecture about something, sometimes you learn to suck eggs, but that's life. 

Promote the idea of safety, being a retained fire officer, you are already aware, but how often have you seen or heard about some silly plonker, when just a word in their direction could assist, maybe save a life.  Often it is those aware who end up informing the HSE, don't think you are alone, it's just so many people give up along the way to reporting unsafe acts - and the HSE or Councils don't make it that easy either. 

Have fun.    

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