Becoming a safety, health, environment, and quality (SHEQ) officer in South Africa can be a daunting process but you will play a critical role in improving environmental performance. This included the safety of all personnel including visitors within the organisation and workplace. SHEQ is an interdisciplinary specialty that encompasses local legislation and ISO international standards.
The key role of a SHEQ officer is to minimise the organisations environmental impact and protect the well-being of employees and visitors, reduce or eliminate potential hazards which poses risks that may cause accidents in the workplace and on-site.
What are the responsibilities of a SHEQ officer?
As a SHEQ officer, your main responsibility will be to implement and maintain health and safety (including environmental) policies and procedures in the workplace aligned with the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHS Act) and National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). This involves regular toolbox talks, inspections, audits, providing training, guidance to employees and investigating accidents and incidents.
A quick overview of the processes you will be responsible for:
- Accident prevention and investigation
- Review of environmental aspects and impacts
- In-depth risk assessments
- Safety inspections
- Safety compliance in the workplace
- Policy development
- Enforcing safety processes and procedures
- Rectifying unsafe practices and conditions
- Coordinating during emergency procedures
- Staying up to date with all the latest health and safety regulations and standards.
More than just health and safety on-site
When most people hear SHEQ they immediately think of hard hats and dangerous working sites. But it encompasses so much more than that, health is much more than just physical, and as an officer, you could also implement mental and emotional well-being practices into the organisation. This includes stress management, mindfulness, and employee assistance programs. You will also be able to spearhead a quality-focused mindset and processes within the organisation.
All of this is possible because of the building blocks of SHEQ which is a combined management system of not one but three different standards.
ISO standards included in SHEQ
SHEQ functions as an integrated health and safety management system that includes not one but three different ISO standards including:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management System
ISO 9001:2015 provides requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS) that includes various processes and procedures.
Having a working QMS means preventing defects, recalls, and complaints and working towards improving the organisation’s reputation and improving customer satisfaction. The standard participates in the planning, assurance, control, and improvements of goods and services.
ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management System
ISO 14001:2018 is the international standard for establishing an Environment Management System (EMS).
An EMS system ensures that the organisation meets all environmental regulatory compliances. The standard also includes external environmental risk management and decreasing negative impacts while decreasing pollution.
ISO 45001:2018 – Health and Safety Management System
ISO 45001:2018 is the international standard for a Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS).
The standard provides requirements for a framework that primarily deals with minimising risk to employees, contractors, and site visitors. The management system also ensures mechanisms are in place to evaluate legal compliance with regional and international regulations and demonstrate diligence and assurance.
SHEQ training with WWISE
Are you ready to embrace your new career as a SHEQ officer? At WWISE, we provide both in-person and online eLearning courses on health and safety, SHEQ as a whole and the ISO standards included in SHEQ.
Our in-person training includes:
We offer the same courses on our eLearning platform as well:
Do you have any questions about our training or if SHEQ is for you? Contact one of our consultants on 021 525 9159 or email us at admin@wwise.co.za and our experts will reach out to you within 24 hours.