Health and Safety, and Fire Safety Officer

Hermitage Clinic

Job Title: Health and Safety, and Fire Safety Officer

Reporting relationship and responsible to: Chief Operations Officer.

Job Description for Health and Safety, and Fire Safety Officer

Introduction. The Hermitage Clinic is an acute care hospital with 110 inpatient beds, seven operating theatres, a 7 bed ICU, an Emergency Department, many outpatient services, and a wide range of modern technically complex medical diagnostic and treatment facilities, providing high quality patient care.

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Objectives of the role. The primary objective of the role is to provide Health and Safety and Fire Safety services required to meet the safety needs of staff to prevent and /or reduce the risk of accidents, and to meet all of the regulatory compliance requirements associated with Health and Safety and Fire Safety on behalf of the hospital.

Role requirements is in two parts. Part A refers to Health and Safety, and Part B refers to Fire Safety.

A. Health and Safety

1. To manage all of the Health and Safety and Fire Safety requirements as directed by the COO.

2. To develop and maintain Safety Statements with specific risk assessments for each department. The Safety Statements to be fully compliant with HSA requirements, and to stand up to external audit scrutiny.

3. The Safety Statements to be reviewed with each Head of Department at a frequency not greater than 2 years, and more frequently if required.

4. Maintain the Safety Statements according as the needs of the hospital changes.

5. Develop a strong Safety Culture in the Hermitage Clinic.

6. Develop and maintain robust systems for:

(a) Incident reporting;

(b) Measuring performance;

(c) H&S and Fire Safety KPI's;

(d) Risk Assessments;

(e) Chemical inventory - make sure it is up to date and current;

(f) Chemical Risk Assessments;

(g) Ergonomic risk assessments;

(h) H&S and Fire Safety Auditing.

7. Carry out accident and near miss investigations, compile reports on these investigations, develop and make recommendations to prevent reoccurrences, and implement the recommendations in so far as is possible.

8. Work in collaboration with other roles that impact closely on Health and Safety such as Medical Physics, Occupational Health Nurse, Engineering Manager and Engineering staff, Quality Manager and Quality staff, and with HR (particularly with keeping accurate track of training records), and with Infection Prevention and Control personnel.

9. Review and develop policies and procedures to maintain and improve Health and Safety as required.

10. Consult with Hermitage Clinic employees regarding Health, Safety and Welfare at Work, and provide information to them with regard to Health and Safety, including the results of risk assessments.

11. Consult and engage with safety representatives in a productive manner.

12. Prepare reports on aspects of Health and Safety performance as required.

13. Work with managers and staff in the Hermitage on new and existing equipment / processes / systems of work and advise on how Health and Safety can best be addressed to make sure that staff have a safe place to work.

14. Develop a Health and Safety Audit programme and obtain Department Heads cooperation with the implementation of this audit programme. Monitor and analyse the results of this audit programme, and carry out random audit checks to validate that the audits are being done correctly, and if non-conformances are found, correct these with the appropriate person.

15. Carry out a full and comprehensive Health and Safety Audit of the whole building at least once per year.

16. Manage the mandatory Health and Safety training requirements.

17. Review the mandatory Health and Safety training, and audit such training as necessary to make sure that it is fit for purpose, and make adjustments to the training conten t if necessary.

18. Establish, support and implement behavioural safety programmes for injury prevention.

19. Do quarterly and annual reports on Health and Safety performance and KPI's, to include, but not limited to, breakdown of accidents / near misses into categories, compliance with mandatory training, issues that are proving to be challenging, achievements against goals, with the annual report also including goals for the forthcoming year.

20. Prepare a Health and Safety budget on an annual basis.

21. Control and monitor the Health and Safety budget.

22. Chair and organise the Health and Safety Committee.

23. Prepare and circulate minutes and agenda for the Health and Safety Committee.

24. On a maximum of a three year cycle, review the membership of the Health and Safety Committee, and make recommendations for any changes to improve the effectiveness of this committee.

25. Review existing Permit to Work systems and develop new ones as necessary - always keeping in mind that any such systems need to be practical and sustainable, as well as compliant.

26.  Carry out risk assessments for all new equipment, hazardous substances, and systems of work, prior to their introduction.

27.  Advise and implement established Safety Practices for all Hazardous substances and Biological Agents which are present in the hospital.

28. Give a Health and Safety and Fire Safety effective presentation at the regular induction training days.

29. Manage the Health and Safety requirements as established in current legislation and keep the hospital in compliance with new legislation as such comes into effect.

30. Keep up to date with developments in Health and Safety in industry, with particular emphasis on the Healthcare industry.

31. Keep up to date with new Health and Safety legislation.

32. Maintain continuous professional development appropriate to the role in Health and Safety knowledge.

33. Maintain compliance on behalf of the hospital with the Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor requirements.

34. When the hospital embarks on construction projects, advise on Health and Safety requirements as required, review and update Construction Safety Plans, and provide Safety induction training to contractors staff when necessary.

35.  Review RAMS as required.

36.  When necessary, develop RAMS.

37. Carry out other duties not listed in this document pertaining to Health and Safety and Fire Safety as required.

38. Liaise with the Health and Safety Authority, and other statutory bodies concerning Health and Safety issues in the hospital as necessary.

39. Develop relationships with other Health and Safety and Fire Safety Professionals in the public and private healthcare systems, as well as those who provide specialist services in this area.

B. Fire Safety

1. The role of Fire Safety Officer is primarily to manage Fire Safety in the hospital, and to act as a focus for all Fire Safety matters in the hospital.

2. To develop, maintain and manage the Fire Safety Management system in the hospital.

3. To develop the Fire Safety policy and protocols, and put systems in place so that all staff will be familiar with the Fire Safety Policy.

4. Obtain expert advice on aspects of Fire Safety Management from an appropriate and qualified expert which is necessary for developing / improving Fire Safety Management arrangements / policy in the hospital.

5. To be responsible for the day to day implementation of the Fire Safety Policy.

6. Develop and learn 'best in class' understanding of how to interpret and apply Fire Safety legislation and guidance particular for acute hospital's.

7. Become familiar with 'best in class' Fire Safety standards and guidance documents applicable for application in acute care hospitals.

8. Develop plans to implement best practice Fire Safety protocols and policies and explain to senior managers how to be compliant with such Fire Safety standards for acute care hospitals.

9. Review all Fire Safety training on a cycle of not greater than every two years, and make adjustments if necessary to keep the Fire Training appropriate and compliant with both statutory and practical requirements.

10. Raise awareness of all Fire Safety features and their purpose with all staff in the hospital.

11. Ensure that Fire Risk Assessments are undertaken, recorded and suitable action plans are devised and implemented.

12. Ensure that risks identified in the Fire Risk Assessments are included in the hospitals Risk Register as appropriate

13. Develop, implement and review the Hospitals Fire Emergency Action plan.

14. Ensure that requirements related to Fire Procedures for less-able staff, patients and visitors are in place.

15. The development, delivery and audit of an effective Fire Safety Training programme suitable for an acute care hospital.

16. The reporting for Fire Incidents in accordance with the Hospital's policy,

17. Monitor, report and initiate measures to reduce false Fire Alarms if these occur.

18. Liaise with external enforcing authorities regarding Fire Safety in the hospital.

19. Monitor the inspection and maintenance of Fire Safety systems to make sure it is carried out to the appropriate standard.

20. Make sure that suitable Fire Safety Audits are carried out on a frequency not to exceed six months by an experienced independent Fire Safety practiconer - and more frequently if deemed necessary due to the existence of particular problems. These audits to be formally recorded and an action plan developed to fix any non-conformances.

21. Ensure that Fire Safety is always a main agenda item on the Health and Safety Committee Agenda - every time this committee meets.

22. Review the Fire Response Team, and make sure that there is an appropriate level of senior management available.

23. Carry out Fire Risk Assessments at intervals not exceeding 2 years, or more frequently as circumstances require. Obtain professional advice if necessary to properly complete this task.

24. Organise Fire Evacuation Drills for both patient care areas and non-patient care areas twice per year - or more frequently if there is a requirement for more frequent drills. Ensure that an independent Fire Safety practicioner is present for each drill, and that they produce a report on the performance of the drills. If corrective actions are required as a result of a poor performance of such a drill, a plan must be put in place to address the deficiencies noted.

25. Liaise with managers and staff with regard to Fire Safety issues.

26. Update Fire Knowledge pertinent to acute care hospitals on an ongoing basis.

General requirements for the Health and Safety, and Fire Safety Officer role:

(1) People Management: Good people management skills, with capability of being able to understand concerns of staff and management with ease.

(2) Communication skills: Ability to communicate technical aspects of work requirements in an effective and understandable manner.

(3) Resource Management: Ability to operate within a budget.

(4) Team work: Ability to work as part of a team in an effective and cooperative manner while keeping a focus on the primary role.

Qualifications & Experience required (proposed)

For Hermitage & Galway: Minimum of a Higher Diploma or BSc in Occupational Health and Safety.

5 years experience in a direct Occupational Health and Safety role. Membership of IOSH would be a distinct advantage,

Why work at the Hermitage Clinic

The Hermitage Clinic are passionate about our people and believe in their development and growth. As a member of the Hermitage Clinic team you can benefit from: 

An Education Support Programme

Development opportunities

Opportunities for career progression

Access to a Pension Scheme

Subsidised Restaurant

Free staff car parking

Employee Assistance Programme

Life Assurance

The Hermitage Clinic is an Equal Opportunities Employer with a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and equality at all levels of the organisation. If you require assistance due to a disability during the recruitment process, please email