PRINCIPAL SAFETY OFFICER

Leadership and Supervision

• Lead and supervise a team consisting of:

• 3 x Safety Officers • 2 x Compliance Officers

• Allocate responsibilities and monitor team performance.

• Promote professionalism, accountability, and teamwork

• Recordable Case Rate performance.

• Compliance with SHERQ systems and client requirements.

• Daily assurance and inspection targets.

• Training compliance within allocated areas.

• Reduction of deviations, incidents, and precursor events.

• Quality and effectiveness of field interventions.

• Team leadership and performance management.

• Incident investigation quality and close-out of actions.

• Overall improvement of safety culture within the operational area

 

Health and Safety Management

• Ensure compliance with company SHERQ systems, client requirements, and legal regulations.

• Conduct regular workplace inspections, audits, and assurance activities.

• Identify unsafe acts and unsafe conditions and ensure immediate corrective actions.

• Ensure critical risks and controls are identified, implemented, and maintained. This includes confined space activities:

• Daily reporting of all critical confined space tasks.

• Real-time visibility of every confined space entry, to strengthen control over this high-risk work.

• Reporting is mandatory and must reflect actual site conditions.

• No confined space activity may proceed without safety officer presence, monitoring, and reporting in this group. No exceptions

• Participate in risk assessments, Task Risk Assessments (TRA), and Pre Task Risk Assessments (PTRA).

• Ensure high-risk activities are properly planned and controlled.

• Monitor compliance with permit-to-work requirements.

• Conduct regular engagement sessions with the SHERQ team.

• Ensure consistent application of SHERQ standards and procedures.

• Provide guidance, coaching, and mentorship to SHERQ personnel

• SHE file compliance and assessment schedules

• Ensure effective implementation of life-saving rules and critical controls

 

Incident prevention and Investigation

• Investigate incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions.

• Assist in root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions.

• Monitor close-out of action items arising from incidents and audits.

• Promote proactive reporting of hazards and near misses.

 

Coaching and Safety Culture

• Coach employees, supervisors, and sub-contractors on safe work practices.

• Conduct toolbox talks and safety engagements.

• Address hazards and risks confidently and professionally.

• Promote respectful engagement and positive working relationships.

• Encourage employee participation in SHERQ initiatives

 

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure compliance with SHERQ KPI requirements.

• Monitor and report on SHERQ performance indicators.

• Maintain accurate SHERQ records and documentation.

• Compile weekly and monthly SHERQ reports.

• Support client audits and inspections.

• Ensure compliance with training and competency requirements.

 

Operational Requirements

• Maintain a visible field presence in operational areas.

• Support GO, breakdowns, and tube leaks.

• Be available to work overtime when operationally required.

• Respond effectively to high-pressure operational situations.

 

Minimum Qualifications required

• Matric • SACPCMP (South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions) certification.

• HIRA (Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment) certification.

• SAMTRAC (Safety Management Training Course) certification.

 

Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a heavy industrial, boiler maintenance, turnarounds and general overhauls, shutdown, or construction environment in a senior SHERQ role

• Previous supervisory or leadership experience within an SHERQ environment.

• Experience working in high-risk and fast-paced operational environments.

• Experience in Sasol/Natref/Petrochemical work environments

• Experience with Sasol permit-to-work systems, risk assessments, and incident investigations.

• Be able to illustrate how the number of incidents in their presence reduced.

 

Skills

• Communication

• Relationship Management

• Teamwork • Facilitation

• Conflict Management

• Deadline driven

• Excellent written and verbal communication

• Customer service

• Drive and integrity

• Administration

 

Knowledge

• Strong knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety legislation.

• Good understanding of high-risk maintenance activities.

• Strong leadership and communication skills.

• Ability to address hazards and risks confidently

. • Ability to coach and influence employees positively.

• Good report writing and administrative skills.

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making ability.

• Computer literacy (MS Office).

 

Attributes

• Confident and professional.

• Strong leadership presence.

• Resilient and able to work under pressure.

• Team-oriented and respectful.

• Self-disciplined and accountable.

• Proactive and detail-oriented