Consultant: Occupational Health & Safety (Contractor OHS)

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With over 100 years of rich history and strongly positioned as a local bank with regional and international expertise, a career with our family offers the opportunity to be part of this exciting growth journey, to reset our future and shape our destiny as a proudly African group.

Belonging at Absa

Absa is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from suitably qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds. In support of our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) commitments and Employment Equity objectives, preference may be given to candidates from underrepresented designated groups, including persons with disabilities. We encourage applicants who may require reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process to let us know so that appropriate support can be provided.

Job Summary

Implementation, monitoring and auditing of Environment, Health and Safety policy, standards and controls within the Absa Group (specifically focused on Absa Building Contractors)

Job Description

Consultant: Occupational Health and Safety

Risk management:

• •Ensure compliance with OHS standards and legislation.
• •Monitor the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) standards and management information system (MIS) by obtaining quarterly reports from all Absa workplaces.
• •Assist regions to become and remain compliant by sending reminders of information that is still outstanding and escalate non-compliance to relevant management structures.
• •Liaise with Business Units by providing expert opinions, advice and recommendations pertaining to the OHS Act and COID (Compensation of Injuries and Diseases on duty).
• •Engage with various internal Business Units as CRES, Regional Operations, Group Wellness, Human Capital and Group Learning to ensure participation and elimination of risks e.g. noise levels, facility related hazards etc.
• •Provide input for training material and present training courses if necessary. Provide facilitators with information when facilitators are not able to respond to a learner’s question. Assist in-country consultants to engage training vendors for courses required for upskilling purposes.
• •Conduct site inspections and investigations (e.g. injury on duty investigations) to identify OHS risk related shortcomings and to ensure procedural compliance by staff and contractors. Submit a report on findings. Analyse investigation reports issued by in-country consultants and/or authorities.
• •Conduct OHS audits and proactive inspections and report on findings with appropriate recommendations to enhance OHS compliance, which could include, technology, procedural, training or even disciplinary action. Submit a report to the workplace and other affected parties.
• •Attend to business unit or region specific meetings and ensure OHS requirements are highlighted and addressed. Attend country legislated OHS Committee Meetings and provide feedback on OHS Compliance from a Centre perspective.
• •Assist with development and revision of policies, procedures and standards.
• •Assist in-country OHS consultants to compile annual OHS Plans stating objectives to be strategically met in accordance with country legislation, Absa OHS policies and supporting documents. Facilitate approvals of the OHS Plan from senior management in-country and attend to queries in regard to the OHS Plan.
• •Assist and advise business on area specific OHS solutions which include; research and development which include the services of technical experts as SABS and occupational hygienists.
• •Maintain the OHS SharePoint site to create continual OHS awareness.
• •Ensure that all contractors and service providers comply with country legislation by auditing their system to ensure that they take responsibility for staff working for them and that they have valid certification or registration and work procedures in place.
• •Monitor OHS implementation at building sites by obtaining and providing information as prescribed by the country (or South African) Construction Regulations which includes the Principal Contractors OHS plan, responsibilities of the Principal contractor, appointments, training, agendas of OHS meeting held, facilities regulations, personal protective equipment etc. Conduct audits of their OHS procedures, do site inspections and attend site safety meetings if required.

Process and Procedure Management for OHS:

• •Manage the Occupational Health & Safety system by sending notifications to Managers and OHS Representatives to submit quarterly reports.
• •Monitor, manage and provide guidance to all Absa workplaces pertaining to this process. Send out a final reminder to workplaces that failed to submit quarterly reports. Obtain final statistics, compile a quarterly report and escalate non-compliance to various stakeholders.
• •Assist in-country consultants to drive compliance by performing audits, inspections and by providing guidance pertaining to appointment of Managers, OHS Representatives, First Aiders, Fire Wardens and Evacuation Leaders.
• •Liaise with Group Learning, Line Managers and Regional or relevant in-country Managers to ensure that OHS teams receive the required training and that all AR workplaces conduct physical emergency evacuations at minimum once per annum as prescribed by their legislation.
• •Monitor changes in country legislation by receiving changes in legislation from in-country OHS consultants and Legal teams. Assist in-country consultants to compile a legal register for their region and facilitate approval from the in-country legal team.
• •Engage in-country OHS consultants for the review of Group OHS policies and supporting documents.
• •Manage business unit queries and specific requirements by assessing the risk and providing guidelines for managing the applicable risk within workplaces, projects and events.

Reporting:

• •Compile monthly and quarterly risk management reports and submit to Line Manager. Review the in-country OHS Consultant compliance reports prior their presentation in the quarterly OHS committee meetings.
• •Escalate non-compliances for OHS System quarterly reports not received, appointments not made and outstanding training requirements to the in-country consultants and People Managers where required.
• •Compile adhoc reports as requested by management.
• •Compile executive-level reports after visiting countries to provide feedback as to the visit and achievements or issues.

Providing Solutions to ensure OHS compliance:

• •Work with various internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance to eliminate or mitigate risks within the Absa Group. By providing statistics and reports pertaining to non-compliances and incidents.
• •Contribute to align policies, supporting procedures and forms to support the prevalent risk reduction and mitigation per workplace.
• •Provide guidance and assistance to eliminate or mitigate risks by making use of internal resources, external experts, and in-country authority or Department of Labour approved service providers.
• •Be conversant with new technology, training requirements, trends and changes pertaining to OHS matters, to be able to provide clients with solutions.

Communication and Client Service:

• •Be available by means of e-mail and cell phone to assist internal and external clients with OHS related matters.
• •Provide communication to our audience on Absa Engage and on the OHS SharePoint site.
• •Travel to conduct training, premises conformance tests and workplace inspections on request of management or the client to assess current and emerging OHS issues, and facilitate the upskilling and education of in-country OHS consultants.
• •Attend meetings to represent Group OHS as a supporting function to AR, as well as attend industry related workshops, conferences, seminars and training sessions to become aware of latest trends and changes.
• •Engage in knowl