Health and Safety Generalist Pathway

The Health and Safety Generalist Career Pathway is a ground-breaking piece of work and is the first cross industry guide to clearly outline the role of a H&S generalist. It has been developed to support the industries growing need. In 2019 Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ) estimated that an additional 2,100 H&S professionals will need to be recruited in New Zealand over the following ten years. Therefore, this guidance aims to:

  • Provide a helicopter view on what a H&S Generalist does, and what options are available along their career path.
  • Clarify what good looks like across the different roles in the H&S Generalist Career Pathway.
  • Provide a reference for current or future H&S Generalists, hiring managers and recruitment agents to understand what technical and non-technical skills are required to succeed in the industry.

For more information on the background of these guides click here.

 

How can this career pathway guide help me?

This guidance is intended to be used by anyone who is interested in the Health and Safety profession and highlights the importance the role health and safety generalists play in any organisation. The guide will provide you an overview on the following:

  • What a career in Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HS&W) could look like.
  • H&S Disciplines at glance v H&S Generalist
  • The work that a Health and Safety (H&S) Generalist does.
  • What options are available to you if you choose a H&S career.
  • What a ‘good H&S professional look like’ across the different roles in the pathway for career advancement.
  • Common routes into the H&S profession.
  • Professional Membership Bodies and Accreditation.

The guides are also to help promote a change in conversation about health and safety roles, attract more qualified professionals into the industry to fill capacity gaps currently we have in the industry, and provide a clear career pathway for health and safety generalists today and for the future. 

 

What is a H&S Generalist?

Wheel diagram of each group in the job family, getting started, advisory, senior, and lead.

The scope of a H&S Generalist role is often broad and may depend upon the industry sector and the size of the H&S team or resource in an organisation. An attractive feature of working in a H&S role is the ability to balance technical knowledge and interaction with people. H&S professionals use both of these skillsets to understand and influence attitudes and behaviours within their organisation. They also provide advice and planning for organisations and their leaders to create healthy and safe places of work. H&S Generalists are not the same as H&S Specialists.

 

H&S Generalists are involved in providing a range of practices and services, which include:

  • assessing, influencing, and supporting the development of collaborative organisational cultures;
  • using a range of theoretical and practical methods to identify, assess and manage workplace H&S risks;
  • coaching, mentoring, and providing training in the use of H&S tools and processes to increase the capability of others;
  • providing advice and guidance on the application of the H&S legislative frameworks;
  • using and developing or adapting fit for purpose H&S documentation and information management systems;
  • analysing data and information to help prepare, and often deliver robust performance reporting to management; and
  • identifying when an organisation may require other types of H&S specialists (such as a Hazardous Substance Professional, Occupational Hygienist, Human Factors Professional/Ergonomist or Occupational Health Nurse or Physician).

The H&S Generalist Job Family outlines what different roles might look like.

 

Who can be a H&S Generalist?

The pipeline into the H&S profession is wide and varied. Many people come into the H&S profession from other careers and professions with previous qualifications and experience. Read the Career Pathway – Individuals or Recruiters and Managers guide for some career personas.

For information about accreditation and professional membership you can explore the resources below:

The Guides

The pathway has resulted in three main guidance documents:

  • Overview of the pathway
    This is an overview of the pathway, and supports people looking to start out, transfer to or expand an existing career in health and safety.
  • The individual guide
    This is to support and clarify what a health and safety generalist does, and the core skills and attributes needed for individuals to be successful. It also clarifies what good looks like across different roles.
  • Employer guide
    This supports line managers and hr professionals with health and safety responsibilities, or health and safety teams; as well as those responsible for recruiting health and safety roles into an organisation.