A supervisor or manager in health, safety, and environmental (HSE) assists a company or other organization in improving operating activities while ensuring compliance with government regulations. An associate’s degree and several years of experience in the health, safety, and environmental services field are required for most HSE supervisor positions. Regulatory compliance and reporting, as well as incident investigation, are important aspects of this job. Some supervisors may be assigned to other departments, such as transportation, manufacturing, or employee drug and alcohol testing. Some employers also require formal safety and risk management training or certification.
One of the most important aspects of this job is documenting and reporting HSE incidents. An HSE supervisor must keep accurate records of all accidents, violations, and other incidents, and keep these records up to date and available for inspection by internal management or government officials at any time. The HSE supervisor is also in charge of reporting near misses and potential hazards. These investigations and reports provide information that can be used to prevent future occurrences or violations. The information gathered from these reports is used to develop and determine future safety procedures, as well as compile operations manuals.
The HSE supervisor’s job also includes investigating HSE incidents within a company or organization. When something goes wrong with a process or procedure that affects the safety or health of employees or has an environmental impact, a supervisor must investigate and report the incident to the appropriate company or government authority. These responsibilities also include proper reporting, analysis of any investigation results, and the development of corrective action plans, as well as the successful completion and follow-up of all corrective action plans. The supervisor may also conduct regular inspections of a company’s facilities to ensure compliance with government and company HSE standards.
If a company uses vehicles in its daily operations, the HSE supervisor may be required to review driver files, conduct random vehicle inspections, ensure that vehicles are properly maintained on a regular basis, audit various logs, and ensure that the company complies with hazardous materials handling and shipping regulations. Spill response, permit renewals, and hazardous waste management are all aspects of environmental regulatory requirements that must be met. A supervisor’s other responsibilities include drug and alcohol testing, obtaining state and local permits for various types of equipment, and processing workman’s compensation insurance claims. An HSE supervisor can develop and implement HSE policies and guidelines across a company’s or organization’s entire operation.