Job Description

Overview
The Health and Safety department primary function is to ensure there is a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, customers and visitors. This involves identifying potential hazards, implementing control measures to mitigate risks, providing training, and ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety legislation. The team also plays a crucial role in investigating accidents, promoting a positive safety culture, and developing and maintaining health and safety policies and procedures.
This is achieved by working closes with key stake holders throughout the business, including heads of departments, the people team and facilities, development and new stores teams.
Training educating and supporting our colleagues at Dunelm is key to promoting a positive safety culture within our business.
The primary objective of the Health & Safety department is to ensure a positive Health and Safety culture through the organisation fostering a safe working environment for all employees, customers and visitors. The department also ensures organisational compliance with current UK statutory regulation and liaison with regulatory authorities.
This is achieved through working closely with stakeholders at all levels across all functions of the organisation. The department helps to deliver training, perform audits, write and review documentation, host regular safety meetings, report statistics, investigate incidents and manage aspects of H&S through a Health and Safety Management System (HSG65). The department is high functioning supporting all areas of the organisation including peer to peer support within. The department will also help nurture personal development within the institute of occupational safety and health and you will be encouraged to complete relevant Health and Safety qualifications to support the department.
What you'll be doing
To support the Head of Health & Safety, Risk and Insurance Manager to ensure the organisation complies with the latest and current Health and Safety legislation, statutory regulation and organisational policies. You will be required to minimise risk so far as reasonably practicable applying the hierarchy of control measures in order to successfully manage risk within and omitted by the organisation.
You will be required to effectively manage Health and Safety for the organisation but you will be allocated areas which you will be the responsible person for (within retail, warehousing/ logistics and transport, manufacturing or other). You will be required to audit the sites under your responsibility and encourage the leadership to take corrective action.
You will be required to coach and develop a strong Health & Safety culture across all sites in the business running training courses for new leadership colleagues and support with innovations in organisational safety training.
You will be required to work with the department and legal to mitigate claims for personal injury and aim to improve our corporate defence.
You will assist the organisation in achieving its sustainability goals and help the department improve waste and recycling performance targets.

• Be the first point of contact for sites to assist with queries and to support with accident investigations.
• Carry out risk assessments and consider how risks could be reduced
• Outline safe operational procedures which identify and take into account all relevant hazards.
• Carry out regular audits and inspections to check policies and procedures are being properly implemented and adhered to.
• Ensure working practices are safe and comply with legislation.
• Help to prepare health and safety strategies and develop internal policy.
• Lead in-house training with managers and employees about health and safety issues and risks.
• Keep up to date with new legislation and maintain a working knowledge of all Health and Safety Executive (HSE) legislation and any developments that affect the employer's industry.
• Attend Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) seminars and read professional journals.
• Ensure equipment is installed safely and is fit for purpose.
• Devise and implement new processes and procedures to continually reduce the number of accidents that occur across all sites.
• Assist stores to defend any personal injury claims, including attending court where required.
• Research and select the best training provision on the basis of cost vs. needs.
• Whenever possible produce in house training documentation.
• Control insurance payouts now we have increased the excess to 10,000 per claim.
• Manage waste and recycling activities throughout all sites to ensure we are generating income from as much of our recyclable waste as possible i.e. cardboard and plastic. Limit the amount of waste going to landfill.
• Maintain a good working relationship with all supplier's / training companies, hold / attend annual review meetings.
• Coach and develop good relationships with Senior managers to encourage a strong health & safety culture in across sites.
• Ensure key personnel within the business are aware of the current Health & Safety performance by producing timely and accurate reports.

What we'll look for in you

• Full UK Driving Licence
• A good understanding of UK Health & Safety and Fire legislation - NEBOSH National General Certificate or equivalent
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Good English and Maths skills
• Ability to lead and influence others at all levels
• Self-Confident resilient and self-motivated
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Strong IT skills (Microsoft Office Suite etc)
• Ability to work under pressure
• Continuous professional development - willingness to learn and develop personal skills to help maintain competence
• Ability to conduct themselves professionally in all scenarios and adhere to IOSH Code of Practice.

Skills Required