EHS and Safety Officer job description
An EHS and Safety Officer keeps a plant or site safe for the people who work there. The role covers inspections, training, incident follow-up and the records that show safety is being managed.
Why the role exists
The EHS and Safety Officer sits between the shop floor and management. In a small or mid-sized factory or construction site, this person is often the only full-time safety resource. They walk the floor, train workers and report risks to the plant head or site manager.
What the person does
- Walk the shop floor or site daily and note unsafe acts, blocked exits, missing guards and housekeeping gaps.
- Run toolbox talks and induction sessions for new workers, contract crews and visitors in Hindi, Kannada or the local language.
- Issue and check work permits for hot work, work at height, confined space and electrical isolation.
- Investigate every incident and near miss, find the root cause and track the corrective actions to closure.
- Check that personal protective equipment is issued, fits properly and is replaced when worn.
- Inspect fire extinguishers, first aid boxes, eyewash stations and emergency exits, and run mock drills.
- Keep safety registers, training records and inspection logs current for audits and customer visits.
- Prepare a monthly safety summary for management with open actions, repeat issues and suggested fixes.
Skills and tools
- Hazard identification and risk assessment for production and site work
- Incident investigation methods such as 5 Why and fishbone analysis
- Permit to work systems for hot work, height and confined space
- Fire safety, first aid and emergency drill planning
- Clear training delivery to workers with mixed literacy levels
- Safety audit checklists and record keeping in Excel or a simple EHS app
- Basic knowledge of machine guarding, lockout and material handling
- Firm but respectful communication with supervisors and contractors
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Diploma or degree in industrial safety, engineering or a related field is preferred, or equivalent experience on a factory or site.
- A recognised industrial safety diploma or similar course is useful, though requirements depend on the employer and state.
- Preferred experience of two or more years in a plant, warehouse or construction site safety role, or equivalent experience.
- Any formal safety officer appointment or certification needed should be confirmed with the employer's own adviser.
How the work is judged
- Quality of incident and near miss reporting and how fast actions are closed
- Completion of planned inspections, drills and safety trainings
- Whether repeat unsafe conditions reduce across audit cycles
- Accuracy and readiness of safety records when an audit or customer visit happens
- Worker and supervisor feedback on how useful and practical the safety talks are
Where the role can lead
- Senior EHS Officer or EHS Manager with responsibility for several plants or sites
- Specialist paths such as fire safety, industrial hygiene or process safety
- Operations or plant leadership roles for those who also build production knowledge
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Describe a serious near miss you handled. How did you find the root cause and what changed afterwards?
- A supervisor says a permit slows the job and wants to skip it. What do you do?
- How would you run a safety induction for a batch of contract workers who speak different languages?
- Which checks do you do before approving hot work near stored materials?
- How do you keep safety records ready without spending the whole week on paperwork?
- Tell us about a time you had to stop a job because it was unsafe. How did you handle the pushback?
Hiring tips for this role
- Ask for a walk-through task. Show photos of a workshop and see whether the candidate spots guarding, housekeeping and PPE gaps.
- Check how they handled pushback from production teams. A good officer stays firm without making enemies on the floor.
- Confirm real plant or site exposure. Classroom certificates alone do not show whether someone can manage daily floor risks.
- Be clear about authority. The officer needs backing from the owner to stop unsafe work, or the role becomes a paperwork post.
Questions about hiring a ehs and safety officer
It depends on size, process risk and what the employer's adviser says applies. Many small units start with a trained supervisor who handles safety part time. Move to a full-time hire when work involves heavy machinery, hot work or many contract workers.
Preferably to the plant head or owner, not to production. If the officer reports to the same person who owns output targets, safety calls can get softened. A direct line keeps the stop-work authority real.
A supervisor usually watches one area or shift and enforces rules on the spot. An officer plans the whole safety system, including training, audits, investigation and records. Titles vary by employer, so define the scope in the job description.
Yes. GullyHR runs permanent talent acquisition. We agree the job description with you, source and screen candidates for plant or site exposure and support the offer stage. Safety qualification requirements should be confirmed with your own adviser.
Hiring a ehs and safety officer?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.