Health and safety inspector
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Other denominations
Intermediate occupational risk prevention technician
Description
Health and safety inspectors collaborate with and support senior occupational risk prevention technicians. This role may be performed at small or medium-sized companies. The aim of occupational risk prevention is to prevent work-related risks that affect the health and safety of workers. The regulations on occupational risk prevention and auditing thereof are set forth in Law 31/1995, of 8 November, on occupational risk prevention, and Royal Degree 39/1997, of 31 January, which sets out the Regulations for prevention services. The Regulations on Prevention Services define the qualifications required by and duties of the professionals who wish to work in occupational risk prevention.
Tasks
The Regulations for Prevention Services set forth the main functions of intermediate prevention specialists: Thus, these:
- Promote the prevention of occupational risks across the board at the company, so that the policy of prevention is integrated into the organisation and everyone incorporates this concept into their position, from the operator and middle manager to the directors. Occupational risk prevention groups together all of the actions performed at a company in order to eliminate or minimise work-related risks.
- Undertake the assessment of occupational risks at the company. Occupational risk assessments estimate the magnitude of the risks that exist at the company, depending on the likelihood of a hazard occurring and the severity of the potential consequences (minor, major or severe). Risk assessments take into account working conditions and workers' characteristics. These are basic asessments, since the more complex ones are performed by senior technicians.
- Propose measures to control and reduce the risks or request the intervention of a senior specialist. Once the occupational risk assessment has been completed, technicians propose measures to eliminate or reduce the occupational risks identified. For example:
Applying preventive measures at the source of the risk. If they find that there is a risk of getting something caught in a machine, they fit a guard to eliminate this risk.
Applying organisational measures, such as establishing rotating shifts so that a single person does not have to repeatedly perform the same movements with a machine.
Applying collective protection measures. When the risk affects a group of workers, they apply collective measures, such as confining the use of chemical products to special, restricted rooms.
They apply individual protective measures, particularly where it is not possible to apply collective protective measures, and take action that affects specific workers. - Performing control actions. Periodically check the working and organisational conditions to identify any substantial changes that may entail a health risk for workers (such as checking that the concentration levels of a chemical product do not exceed the set limits).
- Ensure compliance with the occupational risk control and reduction programme set out following the risk assessment and perform control and reduction tasks by planning the prevention work defined by the company.
- Undertake information and basic training activities for workers. Companies have the obligation to offer information about the risks that exist in each position and the overall risks at the company, and must take measures to do so. Additionally, they must also train workers on occupational risk prevention for their position. Intermediate technicians are responsible for this training and for providing general information.
- Helping to plan preventive action. The aim of preventive action is to eliminate, reduce and control occupational risks. Once the risk assessment has been completed, technicians are involved in planning the preventive measures to be applied, on the basis of the most severe risks, those which are most likely to occur, and the ones that affect the most workers.
- Participate in the actions performed in relation to emergencies and first aid. Companies must have a self-protection plan that sets out what type of emergencies might occur, what measures should be adopted in each case, and how the company should be organised in the case of an emergency. Technicians are involved in drawing up and applying self-protection plans.
- Carry out auxiliary or support roles, or collaborate with senior technicians. Intermediate technicians perform tasks requested by the senior technician.
