About the job

Job summary

At the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), we believe everyone has the right to come home safe and well from their job. That is why our mission is protecting people and places with the vision of helping everyone lead safer healthier lives. [Protecting people and places: HSE strategy 2022 to 2032]

Within HSE, the Chemicals, Explosives & Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) regulates health and safety across onshore major hazard industries including chemical manufacturing, explosives manufacture and storage, and the handling of biological agents. This is an exciting time to join CEMHD with opportunities to develop and shape how we work in the future. 

The Major Hazards Risk Assessment Unit (MHRAU) within CEMHD is responsible for contributing to the regulation of onshore major hazard sites, with a focus on assessing major hazard risks from Control of Major Accident Hazards’ (COMAH) establishments. Working with other parts of Government, including Scotland and Wales, we also deliver statutory land use planning advice on development around existing major hazard installations and major accident hazard pipelines to local authorities, duty holders, developers and the public at large. MHRAU also provides statutory advice on hazardous substances consent applications for proposals to develop new and existing businesses holding significant quantities of flammable or toxic substances. Maintaining public safety assurance in the land use planning system in relation to major hazards is central to the activities of the unit. Our advice helps to prevent major accidents and, if they were to occur, mitigate the consequences. The Unit undertakes these statutory activities on over 3000 major hazard onshore installations (including pipelines) under the following provisions:

• The Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations 2015 (Hazardous Substance Consent, HSC).
• Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 2015 (COMAH).
• The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.

 

Job description

From day one, you will be supported by your manager and colleagues to understand your role in HSE, in addition to supporting your continuing professional development.

 Your role will include: 

• Evaluating the technical risk to people associated with COMAH establishments, focussing on the technical assessment of major hazard risk rather than occupational risk.
• Providing statutory and commercial advice on the risks arising from onshore major hazard installations and pipelines, as part of the planning system, to a range of stakeholders, including local planning authorities, other government departments and developers.
• Maintain technical policy topics, related methodologies, hazard assessment or quantified risk assessment tools, and supporting guidance.
• Commission science and oversee its delivery.
• Represent HSE at LUP appeals and inquiries and at technical gatherings of fellow professionals and other stakeholders.

 Please note that HSE regulates sites across the whole of GB and therefore in this role you will occasionally need to travel to site, which may involve overnight stays.

 Training

As this is a Specialist Inspector role you will undergo a Specialist Training Programme (STP). This is a two-year training programme which includes in-depth legal training and assessment on occupational health and safety during your probationary period.  You will be required to complete and pass the full programme. There will also be further technical training relating to regulation of major hazards to be completed along side on the job training to become an established practitioner. 

 

Person specification

To be effective in this role you will need to:

• Have good communication skills to influence change at all levels in the organisations we regulate.
• Be able to evaluate technical information to identify underlying gaps and deficiencies related to risk management of major hazards.
• Make relevant recommendations and take the necessary actions based on the evaluation of the available evidence.
• Be able to organise and plan work, taking responsibility for delivering expected outcomes on time and to the required standards.
• Be able to work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary team, maintaining positive professional working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Be able to write technical reports and communicate complex technical information in a clear and concise way for non-technical audiences.

 

Essential Experience, Skills and Criteria

Experience

You will need to demonstrate that you have:

• A good working knowledge of the major hazards industry (e.g. involved in preparing safety cases or safety reports).
• Experience of the use of technical risk assessment techniques, methodologies and tools in the assessment of major accident risks, including hazard identification, assessment of event frequency and the assessment of the extent and severity of consequences.
• Be able to evaluate individual and societal risk, and how these are used to inform decisions on the management of risks arising from major accident hazards i.e. in the evaluation of further risk reduction measures.
• A good understanding of the management of major accident hazards, including the principles of inherent safety, effective risk reduction processes and the principles of ALARP [reducing risk to as low as reasonably practicable].

At HSE, we are proud to be able to offer our people the opportunity to work in a hybrid way which combines working from home and the office. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your allocated office will be your contractual place of work. There will be a requirement to travel to the office for various activities e.g., collaborative working, supporting and training colleagues. If hybrid working is suitable for you and your role, the arrangements will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. Therefore, we would encourage candidates to consider if the commute from home to the office is a feasible distance to travel before making an application. Please note that if you are successful, hybrid working will be discussed prior to taking up the post. 

Given this role requires commitment to a training period, as detailed above, flexible working would be considered on the basis of an average of 4 days per week. Alternative working patterns may be considered at a later date. 

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We look forward to receiving your application.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £50,060, Health and Safety Executive contributes £14,412 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Please note that this vacancy will close at 11:55am on 29th July 2024 so please ensure that you submit your application before the deadline as late applications will not be considered 

Application  

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a CV that displays your career history, skills, experience and qualifications. You will also be asked to provide a 1000 word Personal Statement demonstrating why you have the right experience for the role. Further information will be included on the application form. 

Sift Information  

At sift we will check that you meet the qualification criteria and assess you on your CV and your Statement of Suitability against the Essential experience listed in the advert. 

Please note: Applications received before 9am on the 1st July will be sifted during the week commencing the 1st July, further applications received after 9am on the 1st July and before 11:55am on the 29th July will be sifted during week commencing 29th July.  Your application will be assessed against your qualification, CV and Personal Statement.

Interview Information  

Candidates that are successful at sift stage will be invited for an interview. 

The interview will consist of the following: 

• An interview
• A presentation
• A technical scenario

If you are successful at the sift stage, you will be provided with the presentation subject in advance of your interview. The technical scenario will be provided to you on the day of the interview. 

The interview is designed so we can assess your technical knowledge/skills and behaviours listed within this advert. 

Virtual Interviews will be held during week commencing 12th August 2024. 

AI Tools & Platforms

During the application process candidates are allowed to utilise AI (artificial intelligence) platforms and Tools to support them in writing their Behaviours, CV’s and Personal Statements. However, all information submitted must be factually accurate. This includes presenting the ideas and experience of others, or those generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. All presented information will be assessed at the Interview Stage.

Further Information 

Please note that a Reserve List will be held for the period of up to 12 months.

Due to the nature of security checks undertaken, applicants must have 3 years continuous residency in the UK up to the date of the application and, Home Office approval for indefinite leave to remain within the UK.

Sponsorship

This role is not open to application from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and require sponsorship your application will be rejected, and any provisional offers of employment will be withdrawn.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the terms and conditions they will adopt should they be successful in their application. For a summary of HSE terms and conditions as part of Civil Service Reform, please see the attached HSE Terms and Conditions document. 

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service D&I Strategy.

HSE is proud to be a part of the Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS). As a Disability Confident employer, we positively welcome applications from disabled people. We are committed to making workplace adjustments to ensure anyone can participate in the recruitment and selection process.

We offer a guaranteed interview scheme for all disabled applicants who provide evidence of meeting the minimum requirements necessary for the post.

If, during the application or interview process, you require any assistance due to a disability or a medical condition, please contact us at the email address below to discuss how we can support you. For example if you have a disability, and you need an application form in an alternative format or you would like to know more about our recruitment process, please contact: hr.resourcing-team@hse.gov.uk 

If successful in securing your role, HSE can provide suitable workplace adjustments to support you throughout your career with HSE.

Any move to HSE from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at here.

Please note, if you are a current civil servant and you are currently undergoing any of the following formal actions your application will not be progressed any further;
Formal discipline action, any formal action regarding attendance, poor performance or any restriction of duties as a result of disciplinary action.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.