Occupational Hygienist

To ensure occupational health, safety, ergonomics, and human factors are built into the design of a project from the start. The goal is to remove or reduce health risks at the source and help prevent long-term health issues or occupational disease.

Key Responsibilities
1. Provide Occupational Hygiene Input Across All Design Stages

• Support concept, preliminary, detailed design, and handover phases.
• Ensure health risks are considered early and addressed effectively.

2. Identify and Assess Health Risks in the Design

Focus on recognising and managing risks such as:

• Noise exposure
• Vibration (hand-arm and whole-body)
• Carcinogens and cancer-causing agents
• Respiratory hazards (dust, fumes, vapours, gases)
• Skin irritation and dermatitis
• Musculoskeletal disorders (from poor ergonomics, manual handling, or repetitive tasks)
• Hazardous substances (including COSHH-regulated materials)
• Mental health risks (stress, cognitive load, isolation, psychosocial hazards)
• Fatigue risks (shift patterns, workload, duration of tasks)

3. Assess Exposure and Recommend Controls

• Review how people may be exposed to noise, vibration, airborne contaminants, and hazardous substances.
• Evaluate engineering controls such as substitution, enclosure, isolation, and ventilation.
• Aim to reduce or eliminate reliance on administrative controls and PPE.
• Provide recommendations aligned with the hierarchy of control.

4. Ensure Compliance with Relevant Standards

• Check design compliance with occupational health and safety legislation.
• Ensure alignment with regulations and guidance relating to:
  • Occupational exposure limits
  • COSHH / hazardous substance management
  • Noise and vibration
  • Manual handling and ergonomics
  • Health surveillance requirements
• Identify non-compliances and suggest corrective actions.

5. Collaborate and Integrate Health Requirements into the Design

• Work with clients, designers, engineers, and stakeholders.
• Take part in design risk workshops (e.g., HAZID, HAZOP, task-based assessments).
• Attend design and coordination meetings as required.
• Embed occupational health considerations into safety-in-design processes.

Deliverables

The Occupational Hygienist will provide:

• Occupational health design review reports at key design stages
• Noise, vibration, and hazardous substance assessment inputs
• Ergonomics and human factors assessments
• Contributions to the design risk register
• Recommendations for eliminating or reducing risks through design
• Inputs to safety-in-design and health-in-design documentation
• A final report outlining how key health considerations have been addressed
• On-site occupational hygiene assurance and clinical assessment support
• Development and implementation of exposure monitoring and audit plans

Qualifications and Experience
Essential

• Qualifications in occupational health and safety, ergonomics, human factors, or a related field
• Experience managing health risks such as noise, respiratory hazards, vibration, hazardous substances, MSDs, and mental health risks
• Strong understanding of occupational health legislation and best practice
• Experience working collaboratively within multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience conducting exposure monitoring and developing audit schedules

Desirable

• Experience in the construction and/or rail sectors
• Experience producing detailed occupational health reports
• SEQOHS accreditation

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