Getting Started - H&S Generalist Job Family
It is not unusual for people to enter the H&S generalist profession at one of these roles, and to decide that they want to stay here. Being hands-on, interacting with people, and making a difference to the day-to-day work life of colleagues is one of the many great things about a career in H&S, and sometimes where people feel they add the most value.
Possible role titles include:
H&S Graduate or H&S Coordinator
What could you be doing in this role?
- You may be the first point of contact for initial H&S advice.
- You will understand how processes can and should be used in practice and you will provide support to front-line workers and supervisors.
- Coaching and mentoring a variety of stakeholders to understand what “good looks like” and contributing to problem-solving that improves the workplace H&S environment and culture.
- Instrumental in, or part of the team, creating and delivering basic in-house H&S awareness training.
- May be custodian of H&S systems, such as documentation, reporting database etc.
Qualification
At this level, while desirable, qualification is not required. It is recommended that you are working towards NZQA level 4, and are a NZISM Affiliate, and/or a NZSC Student.
For information about accreditation and professional membership you can explore the resources below:
- Health and Safety Association of New Zealand (HASANZ): https://www.hasanz.org.nz/(external link)
- New Zealand Institute of Safety Management (NZISM): https://www.nzism.org/(external link)
- NZISM Pathways to Professional Accreditation: Pathways to Professional Accreditation(external link)
- New Zealand Safety Council (NZSC): https://www.safetycouncil.nz/(external link)
- The INSHPO Occupational Health and Safety Professional Capability Framework: INSHPO_2017_Capability_Framework_Final.pdf(external link)