Hse Advisor in Ferryhill

Location: Near Darlington, County Durham

Salary: £45,000 – £50,000 depending on experience and qualifications

Hours: 40 hours per week

Package: Company vehicle with personal use, fuel card, overtime, 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, pension and Simplyhealth healthcare benefits

The Opportunity

An established and growing specialist contractor operating within the highways, infrastructure, electrical and associated civil engineering sectors is looking to appoint a Health, Safety & Quality Advisor to support its Northern operations. This is a predominantly site-based role working across a varied portfolio of live highways and infrastructure projects. You will support operational teams and management in maintaining high standards of health, safety and quality across multiple sites, while acting as a practical source of advice to the wider business.

Reporting to the Head of HSEQ, you will undertake site inspections, support incident investigations, assist with risk management, monitor quality and compliance, and help ensure that company procedures and legislative requirements are properly implemented. The position would particularly suit an HSEQ professional who enjoys being out on live projects and working closely with operational teams rather than spending the majority of their week behind a desk.

The Employer

You will be joining an established specialist highways contractor with a nationwide presence and a substantial operation across the North of England. The business employs approximately 200 people and has grown to a turnover of around £44 million, having developed from a specialist street lighting and traffic signage contractor into a broader highways infrastructure business.

Its work includes:

• Street lighting installation, replacement and upgrade programmes, together with traffic signs, electronic signage and associated highway infrastructure
• Traffic signals, roadside technology, CCTV and communications infrastructure
• Fibre networks, ducting, EV charging infrastructure and independent electrical connections
• Associated civil engineering works including excavation, reinstatement, chambers, bases and foundations
• Highway maintenance, improvement schemes and associated infrastructure packages

The business works extensively within National Highways, local authority and Tier 1 contractor environments, delivering work through major highways frameworks as well as individual project packages. Projects typically range in value from approximately £50,000 to £5 million, with durations varying from short-term works lasting a matter of weeks through to major programmes running for two to three years. The organisation continues to grow and offers an environment where HSEQ is closely integrated with operational delivery rather than operating as a purely compliance-led function.

Geographical Coverage

The operational base is near Darlington, although this is a regional travelling role rather than a position attached to one particular site. The geographical patch can extend from approximately Derby and Lincoln northwards through Yorkshire, the North East and up to the northernmost parts of England, with the business currently delivering significant work as far north as Berwick-upon-Tweed. Travel is generally planned within the normal working day. For example, a typical day involving a more distant project could consist of:

• Two hours travelling to site
• Four hours undertaking site activities
• Two hours travelling home

There may occasionally be a requirement to work beyond the standard eight-hour day where necessary to complete inspections or other activities. Overnight stays are expected to be relatively uncommon. Where staying away is required, the company will provide and pay for accommodation together with a £30 meal allowance per night.

Working Pattern

The contractual working week is 40 hours. The role is expected to be approximately 80% site based, involving project visits, inspections, investigations, audits and support to operational teams, with the remaining 20% spent completing reports, statistics, investigations, documentation and other HSEQ administration from the regional office or, where appropriate, from home. Due to the nature of highways operations, candidates must be comfortable undertaking night work. Many projects require work to take place overnight because of traffic management and highway restrictions. Typically this could involve around one or two night shifts per week, depending on the projects being supported. The company aims to keep these duties within the employee’s normal shift wherever possible, generally around eight hours and ordinarily no more than approximately ten hours where additional time is required.

Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing practical health, safety and quality advice to managers, supervisors and site teams, while promoting a positive health, safety and quality culture throughout the business
• Undertaking regular site inspections, audits and compliance reviews, identifying any required actions and ensuring these are followed through to completion
• Investigating accidents, incidents and near misses, establishing root causes and developing appropriate corrective and preventative action plans
• Assisting with the preparation, review and implementation of risk assessments and safe systems of work, identifying hazards and recommending practical measures to eliminate or reduce risk
• Monitoring compliance with company HSEQ policies, procedures and relevant legislation, while keeping abreast of changes to legislation and industry best practice
• Maintaining accurate records relating to incidents, accidents and near misses, compiling HSEQ statistics, management information and professional reports
• Investigating health-related concerns and cases of occupational ill health, checking that equipment and working practices are being implemented safely, and liaising with relevant external health and safety bodies where required
• Delivering safety briefings, meetings and training, supporting wider HSEQ improvement initiatives, assessing and recording the quality of completed works and helping operational teams maintain high standards while allowing projects to progress safely and efficiently

Candidate Profile

Applications are welcomed from Health & Safety or HSEQ professionals who can demonstrate a practical and commercially aware approach to safety management. You should ideally possess:

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification in a safety-related discipline and/or NEBOSH Certificate
• Previous health and safety experience within construction, highways, civil engineering, infrastructure, utilities or another operational environment, with experience of site inspections, audits and risk assessments
• An understanding of accident and incident investigation, root-cause analysis and relevant UK health and safety legislation
• Strong written communication and report-writing skills, together with the confidence to communicate effectively with operatives, supervisors, managers and senior management
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills, strong attention to detail, competence using Microsoft Office and the ability to manage your own diary across multiple projects and locations
• A practical, approachable and solutions-focused attitude, willingness to undertake further professional development and training, and a full UK driving licence

Previous experience within highways, traffic management, street lighting, infrastructure or associated civil engineering would be particularly advantageous.

Salary & Benefits

The successful candidate will receive:

• £45,000 – £50,000 basic salary depending on experience and qualifications, based on a 40-hour contractual working week
• Company vehicle fitted with appropriate Chapter 8 markings, chevrons and beacon, available for both business and personal use
• Company fuel card
• Paid overtime where additional hours are required, with the option on occasions to take additional hours back as time off where appropriate
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, with up to seven days reserved for the Christmas shutdown
• Company pension scheme and Simplyhealth healthcare benefit, including the ability to reclaim eligible costs such as dental treatment
• Company-funded accommodation and a £30 meal allowance per night when working away, together with flexibility to undertake appropriate administrative duties from home, structured performance reviews, ongoing professional development and training, and a six-month probationary period

Interested?

If interested in learning more about this opportunity please contact David Fletcher at Fulcrum Recruitment Limited.