Safety officers

The incident commander or sector commander should assess levels of risk and consider appointing one or more safety officers to act as advisers; this appointment can be made at any time

Safety officers should have suitable competencies for the role and wear a blue and yellow tabard with the words ‘Safety Officer’. If there is a safety sector, safety officers will report to a safety sector commander.

Safety officers will be responsible for functions including:

• Identifying safety issues
• Starting corrective action
• Maintaining safe systems of work
• Ensuring people are wearing appropriate personal protection equipment (PPE)
• Observing the working environment
• Monitoring the physical and psychological condition of personnel
• Regular reviews
• Recording an analytical risk assessment
• Updating the incident commander when circumstances change

Safety within sectors    

Sector commanders are responsible for the health and safety of people within their sector. However, they may need to nominate a safety officer to assist and report to them.

At a large incident, a safety officer may be appointed as the safety sector commander; they will report to a command support officer.

If a safety sector commander has been appointed, they will co-ordinate the role of safety officers and may be responsible for functions including:

• Surveying operational sectors, identifying hazards, and advising the sector commander
• Working with sector safety officers to support and exchange information
• Confirming the validity of the initial risk assessment and recording as appropriate
• Collating and recording an analytical risk assessment
• Providing additional monitoring of the safety of personnel for sector commanders
• Working with the incident commander or operations commander
• Reporting health and safety issues, including accident investigation