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To get a job as a health, safety, and environment officer, you need a CV that shows you have the right qualifications, skills, and abilities for the role. Our free HSE officer CV sample allows you to put your details into a professional format, ensuring you’ve included everything necessary to make a strong impression on the recruiting manager, who’s bound to put you on the shortlist for an interview.
We also have a collection of clever online tools and expert tips to simplify the process further. From CV templates to guide your design to dos, don’ts, and FAQs, our guide covers all bases so you can write your CV with confidence:
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Sample health and safety officer CV
Charles Creek
70 Brynglas Road, Leeds LE3 0GW, 07912345678
07912345678
charles.creek@example-example.co.uk
Professional summary
Safety-conscious professional with thorough understanding of UK laws and regulations. History of influencing senior-level decision-making to minimise risks. Informative communicator confident at translating technical concepts to suit various levels of understanding.
Work history
February 2020 – Current
Merls’ Manufacturing – Leeds
Health and Safety Officer
- Regularly reviewed, updated and communicated changes in policies and procedures, implementing training to increase regulation awareness and compliance among staff.
- Wrote and updated company EHS manual, as required.
- Initiated and assisted in emergency drills, including simulations of foreseeable emergencies with local authorities.
January 2016 – February 2020
CGE Construction – Leeds
Health and Safety Officer
- Devised appropriate risk management plans to set clear objectives to improve staff welfare and regulation compliance.
- Acted as a visible and available health and safety resource in the field by consulting with staff, modelling safe behaviours and encouraging model behaviours.
- Advised and supported improvements of standards, working conditions, communications and processes to adhere to all health and safety responsibilities.
Skills
- Statistical analysis
- Hazard management
- Accident reporting and investigating
- Investigation techniques
- Regulatory compliance and enforcement
- Occupational Health and Safety
Education
2015
Leeds University, Leeds
Bachelor of Science Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment: 2:1
Health and safety officer CV template
What is the best format for your health and safety officer CV?
With hundreds of applications to sift through, busy hiring managers don’t have the time to scroll through pages of messy text. On top of this, CV reading software prefers clearly defined sections, bold headings, and professional fonts.
Struggling to structure your curriculum vitae in a way that’ll catch the reader’s attention? That’s where CV formats can help with tried-and-tested ways to prioritise readability while highlighting your top talents.
There are two popular layouts to choose from – the reverse-chronological CV and the skills-based CV. The former runs through your employment history, starting from your current or most recent role. The latter focuses on transferable skills and is often more suitable for people without much job-specific experience, such as school leavers and recent graduates.
Which is best for health and safety officers? We suggest using a reverse-chronological structure. As the role is so technical – with an emphasis on changing legislation and specialist knowledge – employers prefer candidates with a proven track record in a similar position or industry.
Alongside picking the best format to reflect your expertise, ensure your health and safety officer CV is only one to two pages maximum. Plus, type in a professional font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial, and send your application as a Word or PDF file unless asked otherwise. Keeping everything neat is a dream for recruiters!
How to write a CV for a health and safety officer
CV writing doesn’t have to be a chore – dare we say it, it should be enjoyable! If you’re wondering how to write a CV that’ll set you apart from the competition, keep scrolling for several straightforward suggestions.
The following sections will answer your most pressing questions, including how to craft a persuasive personal statement and present your work experience in the best possible light. Let’s explore:
- Adding contact details to your health and safety officer CV
- Start your health and safety officer CV with a personal statement
- How to present your work history on a health and safety officer CV
- Top skills for your health and safety officer CV
- How to add education to your health and safety officer CV
Adding contact details to your health and safety officer CV
You’ve spent hours crafting a fantastic CV, double-checking for errors, and researching the best people to send it to – so why aren’t you getting any response? It might be as simple as you forgetting to add your contact information.
Although it sounds obvious, many people skip over this step in a rush to complete the meatier CV sections. However, employers can’t invite you to an interview without knowing your current details. Remember to include:
- Full name
- Location
- Email address
- Phone number
Example of contact section for a health and safety officer CV
Terry Smith,
1 High Street,
Anytown,
Anycounty, SE15 6TQ,
+07777 666 555,
tsmith68@anymail.com
Start your health and safety officer CV with a personal statement
The personal statement is your chance to shine and shout about what makes you the best person for the job. Many employers won’t read on if these three to four sentences aren’t up to scratch, so choose your words carefully. Thankfully, we have an easy format that guarantees success.
The first sentence is an introduction noting who you are, including years of experience. The second sentence is your showstopper – explain what you can achieve and back it up with a statistic. Finally, use the third and fourth sentences to reiterate your unique skills and specialisms. Voila!
What do we mean by statistic? You could talk about how you “revised a company’s health and safety policy, resulting in a 98% decrease in workplace accidents”. Or describe how you “trained over 500 employees in environmental legislation”. The more detailed you can be, the more you’ll impress the reader.
Other top tips to keep in mind include:
- Write in the third person for a polished edge
- Use positive adjectives like “motivated” and “passionate”
- Don’t waffle – keep the information relevant
- Tailor the personal statement to the job advertisement
- Sound confident – remove “might”, “could”, and “maybe”
Example of personal statement for a health and safety officer CV
OR
Dedicated health and safety officer with over 20 years of experience. Able to keep abreast of changing legislation and has in-depth knowledge of specialist areas of health, safety, and the environment, such as chemical safety, control of emissions, and construction site safety. A good communicator on all levels, happy to work alongside senior managers staff, contractors, and external agencies, knowing how and when to liaise with various individuals.
How to present your work history on a health and safety officer CV
Want to stand out from the crowd? Pay attention to the work experience section – it’s arguably the most essential part of your health and safety officer CV. Recruiters will gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses (via what you don’t mention), how long you typically stay with a company, and whether you’ve received any promotions or awards.
How should you structure this section? Starting from your current or most recent position, outline:
- Job title
- Employment dates
- Company name and location
- Between three to six responsibilities
- Notable achievements
- References available on request
Note between three to six duties underneath each position – fewer for older jobs because they’re often less relevant. If possible, follow each responsibility with a quantifiable result – for example, “implemented health and safety regulations” or “led to a 91% increase in employee satisfaction scores”.
Of course, you want to sound confident and upbeat – there’s nothing more off-putting than a nervous health and safety officer! Include unique adjectives that speak to your personality and lead with rousing action verbs. Some of our favourites include “formulated”, “generated”, and “yielded”.
Finally, don’t repeat yourself. Cover as many different duties as possible to show the recruiter the breadth of your abilities. Alongside health and safety specific responsibilities, you could talk about people management, administration, and contract negotiations.
Example of work experience for a health and safety officer CV
HSE Officer | Rolland’s Manufacturing, Liverpool | 2010 – present
- Responsible for full site health and safety, plus environmental compliance across all areas.
- Liaising with staff on all levels, including external bodies and contractors.
- Training the workforce including managers in health, safety, and the environment.
HSE Officer | CGE Construction, Liverpool | 2006 – 2010
- Responsible for health and safety on the company’s construction sites, along with environmental compliance.
- Researched changing regulations to ensure the site always adopted best practices.
- Oversaw the safety of construction processes to ensure no harmful chemicals endangered the environment or employees.
Top skills for your health and safety officer CV
Did you know recruiters only spend roughly six seconds scanning every CV? As such, you must include a few standout keywords and phrases – essentially a collection of CV skills that jump from the page and quickly confirm your suitability for the role.
The CV skills section is a fabulous opportunity to reassure employers that you possess the technical and transferable knowledge to hit the ground running. We advise blending hard skills and soft skills to give a well-rounded presentation of your best bits.
You usually learn hard skills on the job or through formal qualifications – they might include “carrying out safety audits”, “interpreting health and safety law”, and “devising safety guidelines”. In contrast, soft skills are personality-based – you might be “diplomatic”, “patient”, and “creative”. We suggest listing 12 skills in total, split equally between the two.
Our top advice is to tailor everything to the job advertisement. While you shouldn’t copy skills word for word, the employer will mention some of the abilities they’re looking for, and you can use these as inspiration. Need more ideas? Try the following:
Stuck for ideas? Draw inspiration from these essential and nice-to-have skills:
Essential skills for a health and safety officer
- Thorough knowledge of health, safety, and environmental legislation
- Experienced in formulating policies for high-risk environments, then implementing, monitoring, reviewing, and auditing these
- Competent risk assessor
- Qualified HSE trainer
- Able to formulate preventative maintenance schedules
Desirable aptitudes to set you apart
- Able to carry out specific environmental monitoring and sampling tests
- Excellent written and presentation skills
- Expert in diplomacy and people management
- Complex problem-solving capabilities
- Experience in training employees
How to add education to your health and safety officer CV
Education is a vital part of your health and safety officer CV, especially because employers prioritise candidates with formal qualifications. You can talk about school, college, and university courses, extracurricular training programmes, certificates, and anything else that’s relevant.
How do you become a health and safety officer? Most people attend university to study for a degree or postgraduate diploma recognised by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, like Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellbeing or Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment. Related fields like engineering and chemistry may also be helpful – alongside business subjects if you’re interested in management positions.
Alternatively, you could search for an apprenticeship. However, you’ll likely need a degree – or at least be working towards one – to be accepted. An advanced apprenticeship as a safety, health, and environment officer takes around two years to complete on top of your studies but gives you valuable insight into the industry. The journey is long for a reason – you literally have lives in your hands!
Ready to tick off your qualifications and training? Include the following:
- Name of school, college, university, or other awarding body
- Study start and end dates
- Subject title
- Qualification level – e.g. undergraduate or postgraduate degree
- Qualification result
Example of education for a health and safety officer CV
Middlesex Adult Learning Centre, 2003 – 2005
NEBOSH Diploma in Occupational Safety and Health
NEBOSH Environmental Diploma
St. John Ambulance first aid at work certificate (valid until June 2018)
Middlesex College, 1999 – 2001
A levels: English (B), Maths (B), and Chemistry (C)
Top dos and don’ts for health and safety officer CV writing
DO
DO: spotlight your core qualifications at the top of your CV
Employers receive countless applications, many of which don’t meet the criteria for the position. To save the reader precious time – and to score some brownie points in the process – note your core qualifications at the top of your health and safety officer CV.DO: highlight your specialisms and industry
Health and safety officers span several industries, so it’s a good idea to mention your areas of expertise in your cover letter, personal statement, or both. Of course, you have a better chance of securing the position if you have a proven track record in a similar environment.
DON'T
DON’T: forget to attach a thoughtful cover letter
Most applications come with a polite cover letter. Here, you’ll introduce yourself, explain why you’re applying for the role, and emphasise your unique skills. It’s also a brilliant opportunity to express enthusiasm – recruiters love applicants who are motivated to get started!DON’T: rely solely on technical hard skills
While it might be tempting to pack your CV with hard skills, it can sound robotic. We recommend balancing technical abilities with soft skills to give your application some much-needed personality. It doesn’t matter how experienced you are if the recruiter doesn’t think you’ll be a good fit for the organisation or team.
Your health and safety officer CV questions answered
What are the responsibilities of a health and safety officer?
Above all else, health and safety officers safeguard employees and the environment against harmful toxins, pests, and infections. Although daily tasks vary depending on the industry, primary duties include:
- Enforcing the most up-to-date health and safety legislation
- Carrying out risk assessments, site inspections, and internal audits
- Recording and investigating workplace accidents
- Providing advice, guidance, and training to organisations
- Streamlining operations and suggesting safer alternatives
What are the key skills of a health and safety officer?
Unsurprisingly, health and safety officers have a keen eye for detail. The most successful can spot potential hazards when no one else can, and they have the knowledge to fix them. Other vital skills include:
- Confidence to step in and solve complex problems
- Excellent communications skills
- Methodical approach
- Meticulous administration and record-keeping abilities
- Knowledge of health and safety law
How can I make my CV attractive?
Health and safety is a serious business, but your CV doesn’t have to be boring. To catch the reader’s attention, choose the correct CV format, type in a professional font, and ensure all information is relevant to the job description. Employers don’t care about fancy graphics or images – they simply want a legible application that doesn’t waste their time!
What are the interview questions for a health and safety officer?
It’s impossible to know precisely what you’ll be asked if you reach the interview stage. However, we can give you a rough idea based on employee feedback. Use these example questions as a guideline to help you prepare:
- What’s your experience as a health and safety officer?
- How would you conduct a safety audit?
- How do you keep on top of current legislation?
- How would you encourage employees to adopt health and safety measures?
- How would you reconcile productivity and health and safety?
Use our online tools to create a standout health and safety officer CV
Success is at your fingertips using our CV creation tools, which provide a great basis for both the text and format of your CV. Start building your professional HSE officer CV today using pre-made CV templates, CV examples and professionally written content based on HSE roles and responsibilities in our online builder.
