COMPLETE OUTLINE
RESPONSIBILITIES
Note: Responsibilities and activities are listed under the Branch objective which they support
(a) Healthy staff, physically and mentally capable of performing their duties:
- Provide consultation and advice for staff regarding health and safety issuesrelated to their work;
- Provide advice and support to staff from other functional units who deal with administration of health and safety.
(b) A working environment in which risks are actively managed, and in which there is prompt and effective response to incidents, accidents, or illness:
- Assist in conducting regular inspections of OPCW premises, health and safety equipment / procedures and report results to Head HSB through the Senior Safety Officer (SSO);
- Assist with the implementation of the health and safety program guided by the results of health and safety inspections, aimed at control of identified hazards to acceptable levels of risk;
- Assess and respond to concerns raised by staff concerning health and safety aspects of their workplaces;
- Assist with implementation of accident prevention initiatives;
- Contribute to the investigation of all accidents / incidents and make recommendations to prevent recurrence.
(c) Staff who have the knowledge, skills, and equipment needed to effectively mitigate risks to themselves and their colleagues:
- Contribute to induction and refresher training for all OPCW staff, ensuring the achievement of minimum health and safety proficiency standards relevant to their work;
- Assist in developing and conducting specialised training and practical exercises (e.g. onprotection, detection, monitoring and decontamination) for staff with dedicated health and safety functions;
- Provide safety support for Organisational training activities and training provided by external sources for OPCW staff;
- Incorporate the principles of risk management into all applicable OPCW training activities.
(d) Efficient and effective operation of the health and safety branch:
- Advise the SSO regarding requirements for skills maintenance, professional development, and continuing education of safety section staff members;
- Contribute to the policy and procedural documentation to guide implementation of the OPCW’s health and safety program, ensuring ready availability of current documentation for all staff;
- Advise on the acquisition and maintenance of suitable equipment and administrative resources to support the Safety section’s functions.
(e) Availability of a defined health, safety, and medical component in the OPCW’s International Co-operation and Assistance and other outreach programs:
- Maintain a library and database of information relevant to the needs of OPCW Member States, regarding the health, safety, and medical aspects of chemical defence and disarmament;
- Collate and provide health and safety information on request in response to external requests;
- Contribute to the health and safety elements of training courses coordinated by the International Cooperation and Assistance Division.
(f) Inspection activities accomplished with minimal risk, in accordance with the OPCW’s health, safety and medical requirements
- Contribute to the risk assessment, management and administration of OPCW inspections;
- Support training activities of inspectors.
(g) Perform other duties as required
NOTE: This position is included on the list of Headquarters staff designated as Augmentee Inspectors.
RECRUITING PROFILE:
Education (Qualifications):
Essential:
An advanced level University degree or equivalent in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g. occupational health and safety, occupational hygiene). A first level university degree in combination with relevant qualifying experience (minimum 7 years) may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university or certified relevant training together with extensive relevant technical background and a minimum of 11 years’ experience may also be considered.
Desirable:
- Extensive technical background in Occupational Health and Safety and Industrial Safety or NBC Defence ;
- Professional qualification in Health and Safety is an advantage.
Skills and Abilities (key competencies):
Familiarity with the practical implementation of regulations, guidelines, standards, and norms concerning occupational health and safety.
Other Skills:
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – the ability the be factual and concise in the communication;
- High standards of quality and accuracy;
- Ability to plan and organise, and a strong focus to deliver results on time;
- Problem solving skills;
- Personal qualities should include tact, discretion, accuracy and the ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural environment;
- Computer literacy.
Required Certification (if applicable): NA
Experience:
Essential:
A minimum of 5 years of recent practical experience as an occupational health and safety officer, or 7 years with a first level degree or 11 years with certified relevant training.
- Experience in developing and conducting occupational health and safety training;
- Experience in applying the methodology of risk assessment and risk management in occupational health and safety.
Desirable:
- Strong knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety regulations and guidelines would be highly desirable;
- Previous experience within an international organisation would be an asset;
- Experience with CW verification regimes and inspection regimes would be an advantage.
Language Requirements: Professional fluency in English, including excellent written and oral communication skills is essential and a good working knowledge of one of the other official languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish) is desirable.
