Is the safety officer a safety specialist?
The safety officer must be differentiated from the safety specialist.
On the other hand, there is the safety officer, who is appointed directly from the staff and supports the implementation and execution of occupational health and safety measures.
To become a safety specialist, you need an engineering qualification with at least two years’ experience in the field of safety technology. The tasks include safety inspections, investigating the causes of accidents, informing all employees in the company about hazards and measures, and more.
On the other hand, there is the safety officer, who is appointed directly from the staff and supports the implementation and execution of occupational health and safety measures.
Occupational health and safety is becoming more and more important in everyday working life. The existing hazards result from the risk assessment, which is carried out in accordance with §5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The difference in a nutshell:
The safety specialist develops the measures and the safety officer ensures that they are implemented in the company.
Tasks of the safety officer
Occupational health and safety measures serve to ensure the safety of employees during ongoing operations, further information on the subject of occupational health and safety can be found at here.
As already mentioned, these measures are often developed in collaboration with a safety specialist and employees are instructed in them. Compliance with these measures is fundamental to safety at the workplace, so the safety officer plays an important role. Their main tasks are
- Indication: of possible health hazards
- Inform: about potential hazards
- Suggestion: Improvement of occupational health and safety
- Participation: in occupational health and safety committees
In all these tasks, the safety employee acts on an equal footing with their colleagues. They should not walk through the company with a “raised index finger”, but rather recognize and encourage weak points and improvements in occupational safety measures. A lively exchange with colleagues can only benefit all employees.
How do you become a safety officer?
The first criterion is the identification of a potential hazard at the workplace. This is followed by the number of employees in the company. In principle, it can be said that at least one safety officer is required from a number of employees of 21 (§22, SGB VII). Consequently, a larger number of officers is advisable as the number of employees increases. Through their voluntary commitment, they support the employer in the implementation of occupational health and safety. In principle, any employee can become a safety officer, but three “proximity principles” apply:
- Physical proximity: The safety officer must work in the same work area in which the employees work
- Temporal proximity: He must be present during the same working hours (shift)
- Professional proximity: He must have the appropriate skills, including knowledge of the employee structure and work processes, as well as the materials used
Basically, any employee can take on this position. The basic requirement is a willingness to volunteer and a neutral view of the work processes. Knowledge of the operational processes and acceptance among colleagues are beneficial.
If this is the case, the employee undergoes training (usually 1-3 days) and is instructed in the basics of occupational health and safety and accident prevention.
How can the GSA help?
GSA is a strong partner in the field of occupational health and safety. On the one hand, the GSA offers measuring devices that can be used to check protective measures. On the other hand, GSA advises on how to optimize the protection concept and thus make the workplace safer. You can contact us personally here.
Sources:
[1]: Image source: ©Sira Jantararungsan/123RF.com
[2]: https://www.bghm.de/arbeitsschuetzer/gesetze-und-vorschriften/vorschriften/dguv-vorschrift-1-grundsaetze-der-praevention/organisation-des-arbeitsschutzes/20-bestellung-und-aufgaben-von-sicherheitsbeauftragten/
[3]: https://www.dguv.de/fb-org/sachgebiete/sicherheitsbeauftragte/aufgaben/index.jsp
[4]: https://publikationen.dguv.de/dguv/pdf/10002/211-042.pdf
[5]: https://www.bgw-online.de/DE/Leistungen-Beitrag/Praevention/Sicherheitsbeauftragte/Sicherheitsbeauftragte_node.html
[6]: https://www.bghm.de/arbeitsschuetzer/gesetze-und-vorschriften/vorschriften/dguv-vorschrift-1-grundsaetze-der-praevention/organisation-des-arbeitsschutzes/20-bestellung-und-aufgaben-von-sicherheitsbeauftragten/erlaeuterungen-20/
[7]: https://www.bgw-online.de/DE/Leistungen-Beitrag/Praevention/Sicherheitsbeauftragte/Zahl/Zahl_SIB_node.html;j