Health And Safety Manager Job Description

Introduction

A clear and accurate Health and Safety Manager job description is essential for South African organisations that must comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and related regulations. The Health and Safety Manager (often called an OHS Manager or SHE Manager) plays a central role in developing, implementing and monitoring workplace health and safety systems to protect employees, contractors and visitors. In South Africa, this role is strongly shaped by national legislation, industry standards and organisational risk profiles, which should be reflected in every job description.

Overview of the Health and Safety Manager Role

In South Africa, the Health and Safety Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating and enforcing the organisation’s occupational health and safety policies and programmes. The role typically reports to senior management (such as an Operations Manager, HR Executive or Managing Director) and works closely with health and safety representatives and committees as required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993.

According to the South African government’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and associated guidance, employers must provide and maintain a working environment that is safe and without risk to the health of employees, and must appoint competent persons to assist in managing these duties (see the Department of Employment and Labour’s summary of employer responsibilities under the OHSA on the South African Government website). A Health and Safety Manager is commonly the “competent person” tasked with coordinating and overseeing these legal responsibilities in medium and large organisations.

South African job portals, such as Indeed South Africa, describe the role as focusing on developing and implementing safety policies, conducting risk assessments, ensuring compliance with OHSA and industry regulations, and promoting a culture of safety across the organisation, as seen in recent postings for Health and Safety Manager positions in sectors like manufacturing, construction and logistics on Indeed’s South Africa site.

Key Responsibilities in a Health And Safety Manager Job Description

While duties differ by industry, recent South African job advertisements and guidance from recognised training bodies show a high degree of consistency in core responsibilities. For example, the occupational safety training provider STI Institute of Health & Safety notes that OHS managers are expected to develop and manage health and safety systems, advise management on compliance, and ensure the implementation of risk controls in line with OHSA as outlined in their description of Occupational Health and Safety management responsibilities.

A comprehensive Health and Safety Manager job description in South Africa typically includes the following responsibilities:

1. Develop and Implement Health and Safety Policies and Procedures

Job adverts for Health and Safety Managers on CareerJunction and other local portals indicate that managers are responsible for designing and updating health and safety policies, procedures and safe work instructions in line with OHSA, Construction Regulations, General Safety Regulations and any relevant sector-specific legislation, such as the Mine Health and Safety Act in mining environments, as seen in position profiles highlighted on CareerJunction’s OHS-related job listings.

2. Ensure Legal and Regulatory Compliance

The Department of Employment and Labour emphasises employer duties such as identifying hazards, assessing risks, and implementing control measures, as well as providing information, instruction and training to employees under OHSA sections 8 and 13, which are summarised on the official OHSA guidance page. Health and Safety Managers are usually responsible for:

Monitoring compliance with OHSA and applicable regulations.
Keeping up to date with legislative changes.
Preparing for and liaising during inspections by the Department of Employment and Labour.

Recent job postings on PNet note that Health and Safety Managers often manage the company’s legal register and ensure audits are conducted in accordance with ISO 45001 or similar occupational health and safety management system standards as shown in ISO-aligned OHS manager vacancies on PNet.

3. Risk Assessment and Hazard Control

The South African Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (Saiosh) explains that a core function of OHS practitioners and managers is to identify hazards, conduct risk assessments, and implement controls using recognised methodologies such as HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment), detailed on their professional competency guidelines on the Saiosh website. Health and Safety Manager responsibilities usually include:

Conducting regular risk assessments for processes, equipment and activities.
Implementing control measures (engineering, administrative and PPE).
Reviewing incidents and near-misses to update risk controls.

4. Incident Investigation and Reporting

Guidance from WorkSafe Africa, a South African health and safety consultancy, highlights that organisations should thoroughly investigate incidents and maintain detailed incident records to meet OHSA requirements and prevent reoccurrence, as described in their overview of incident investigation services on the WorkSafe Africa website. Health and Safety Managers typically:

Lead or coordinate investigations of accidents, injuries and near-misses.
Identify root causes and recommend corrective and preventive actions.
Maintain statutory records and prepare reports for management and, where necessary, for the Department of Employment and Labour.

5. Training, Awareness and Safety Culture

The University of Cape Town’s short course in Occupational Health and Safety Management, offered via online partners, outlines that OHS managers must facilitate safety training, raise awareness and embed safe behaviours in the workplace as part of their management responsibilities as described in the course outcomes on the UCT OHS Management course page hosted by GetSmarter. A typical job description will therefore include:

Coordinating induction training for new employees on safety rules.
Organising ongoing safety training, toolbox talks and refresher sessions.
Promoting a proactive safety culture through campaigns, communication and leadership engagement.

6. Health and Safety Committee and Representative Coordination

OHSA requires employers with more than a specified number of employees to appoint health and safety representatives and establish committees. The South African Government’s OHSA regulations specify that these representatives and committees must be consulted on safety matters and assist with inspections and incident investigations, as explained in the health and safety representatives and committees guidelines on the gov.za OHSA information page. Health and Safety Managers often:

Coordinate the election or appointment and training of safety representatives.
Facilitate regular health and safety committee meetings.
Ensure minutes, action plans and follow-ups are properly recorded.

7. Auditing, Reporting and Continuous Improvement

According to Saiosh and ISO 45001-aligned job profiles on major job portals, Health and Safety Managers are usually tasked with implementing internal audit programmes, tracking safety performance indicators and driving continuous improvement initiatives, as seen in many OHS manager adverts referencing ISO 45001 implementation responsibilities on Indeed South Africa’s safety manager listings. Typical duties include:

Planning and conducting internal safety inspections and audits.
Compiling monthly, quarterly and annual OHS performance reports.
Recommending improvements to systems, procedures and controls based on audit findings and incident trends.

Skills, Qualifications and Requirements

Health and Safety Manager job descriptions in South Africa generally specify a mix of formal qualifications, professional registrations and soft skills.

1. Educational Qualifications

Recent Health and Safety Manager job adverts on PNet and CareerJunction show that many employers prefer candidates with:

A diploma or degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Health, Safety Management, or a related field (for example, safety management qualifications referenced in adverts on PNet’s Health and Safety Manager jobs).
Alternatively, an engineering, environmental or technical qualification plus recognised OHS-specific training.

The University of South Africa (UNISA) notes that formal OHS qualifications provide foundational knowledge in hazard identification, risk assessment and OHS legislation, as outlined in the learning outcomes for its Occupational Health and Safety programmes on the UNISA qualifications page.

2. Professional Registration and Certifications

The professional body Saiosh indicates that South African OHS practitioners and managers often register with them at different levels (e.g., Technical Member, Graduate Member, Chartered Member) based on qualifications and experience, as detailed on the Saiosh membership categories page. Many employers consider Saiosh membership, NEBOSH or SAMTRAC certifications as advantageous. For example:

NEBOSH International General Certificate or Diploma.
SAMTRAC or equivalent safety management courses, frequently mentioned as preferred or required in job postings on Indeed South Africa.

3. Knowledge and Technical Skills

Based on competency outlines from STI Institute of Health & Safety and UCT’s OHS Management course, a Health and Safety Manager job description will typically require:

In-depth knowledge of South African OHSA and relevant regulations.
Familiarity with risk assessment methodologies and incident investigation techniques.
Understanding of ISO 45001 or other OHS management system standards, as these are commonly referenced in South African OHS manager roles on CareerJunction.
Ability to design and deliver OHS training and communication.

4. Experience Requirements

South African job listings for Health and Safety Managers often specify:

3–5 years or more of experience in an occupational health and safety role, with at least some at supervisory or management level.
Industry-specific experience (e.g., mining, construction, manufacturing, logistics) depending on the risk profile of the organisation, as evident in sector-specific manager roles advertised on PNet’s safety and environment category.

5. Behavioural and Soft Skills

Guidance from WorkSafe Africa and the behavioural criteria in many job adverts indicate that effective Health and Safety Managers must demonstrate:

Strong communication and interpersonal skills to influence all levels of staff.
Leadership and change management capability to drive a safety culture.
Analytical and problem-solving skills for risk assessment and incident analysis.
Attention to detail and high ethical standards in compliance and reporting.

These soft skills are frequently emphasised in job specifications on major South African recruitment platforms such as Indeed South Africa.

Conclusion

An effective Health and Safety Manager job description in South Africa should clearly define the role’s legal, strategic and operational responsibilities in line with the Occupational Health and Safety Act and relevant regulations. Drawing on guidance from the Department of Employment and Labour, professional bodies such as Saiosh, and typical requirements seen in South African job adverts on platforms like PNet, Indeed and CareerJunction, employers should:

Emphasise accountability for OHSA compliance and risk management.
Specify core duties such as policy development, risk assessment, training, incident investigation and auditing.
Outline required qualifications, professional memberships and experience levels.
Highlight the communication, leadership and culture-building skills needed to embed safe practices.

By aligning the Health and Safety Manager job description with up‑to‑date legislative requirements and industry expectations from credible local sources, organisations can better attract competent professionals who will safeguard employee wellbeing and support long‑term regulatory compliance.

Health And Safety Manager Job Description