This Dairy Health and Safety Advisor job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Health and Safety Officer, H&S Coordinator, Safety Advisor or HSE Advisor. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Dairy Health and Safety Advisor |
| Also known as | Health and Safety Officer, H&S Coordinator, Safety Advisor, HSE Advisor |
| Department | Health and safety |
| Reports to | Health and Safety Manager or Site Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
What does a Dairy Health and Safety Advisor do?
Helps managers keep a dairy processing site safe and legally compliant. Carries out inspections and risk assessments, investigates accidents, delivers training and toolbox talks, and controls contractor work through permits to work, giving practical advice on the hazards found in dairy plants.
Dairy Health and Safety Advisor duties and responsibilities
Inspections and risk assessment
- Carry out planned safety inspections of production, warehouse, engineering and yard areas
- Help managers write and review risk assessments and safe systems of work
- Assess dairy hazards such as cleaning chemicals, steam, ammonia refrigeration, confined spaces and powder dust
- Arrange monitoring of noise, dust and chemical exposure where needed
- Track actions from inspections and audits through to closure
Accident and incident investigation
- Investigate accidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences to find root causes
- Recommend practical corrective actions and check that they are completed
- Report incidents to the relevant authorities when the law requires it
- Analyse incident trends and share lessons across the site
- Support return-to-work planning with occupational health and line managers
Training and engagement
- Deliver safety inductions for new starters, visitors and contractors
- Prepare and deliver toolbox talks on current risks and recent incidents
- Organise training in manual handling, chemical handling, forklift safety, first aid and fire
- Keep training records up to date and flag overdue training
- Support the safety committee and consultation with workers
Contractor control and permits to work
- Check contractor competence, risk assessments and method statements before work starts
- Run or audit the permit-to-work system for hot work, confined spaces, work at height and isolation
- Inspect contractor work on site and stop unsafe work
- Plan safety arrangements for shutdowns and engineering projects
Compliance and systems
- Keep up to date with health and safety law and explain changes to managers
- Maintain the site safety management system, policies and procedures
- Support internal and external audits, including ISO 45001 where in place
- Check that fire safety arrangements, emergency plans and drills are in place and tested
- Prepare monthly safety reports and performance data for management
Dairy Health and Safety Advisor qualifications and experience
Essential
- Recognised occupational health and safety qualification at certificate or diploma level
- Experience as a health and safety advisor in food, dairy or manufacturing
- Good working knowledge of health and safety law and risk assessment methods
- Experience investigating accidents and finding root causes
- Experience of permit-to-work systems and contractor control
- Confidence delivering training and toolbox talks
Desirable
- Membership of a professional health and safety body
- Knowledge of ammonia refrigeration, pressure systems or dust explosion risks
- Experience with ISO 45001
- Fire risk assessment or first aid instructor qualification
- Knowledge of environmental management
Skills and attributes
- Influencing managers and workers
- Clear, practical communication
- Investigation and analytical thinking
- Coaching and training delivery
- Attention to detail
- Calm judgement in emergencies
- Organisation and follow-through
How success is measured
- Lost-time and recordable injury rates
- Near miss and hazard reporting rates
- Inspection and audit actions closed on time
- Safety training completed against plan
- Permit-to-work compliance in audits
- Regulatory notices or enforcement actions
Working conditions and safety
Site-based role spent largely in production, warehouse and plant areas, with PPE and hygiene rules in force. Some early, late or weekend work to cover shifts, shutdowns and incidents.
- Follow health and safety rules and safe systems of work, and wear the correct PPE
- Follow food safety, hygiene, HACCP and quality procedures at all times
- Report hazards, accidents, near misses and concerns promptly
Dairy Health and Safety Advisor interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Health and Safety Advisor role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- What are the main health and safety hazards on a dairy processing site?
What a good answer shows: Cleaning chemicals, steam, ammonia, confined spaces, slips, manual handling, forklifts, machinery, noise and powder dust explosions. - How do you help a manager write a good risk assessment?
What a good answer shows: Involves workers, identifies hazards and who is at risk, applies the hierarchy of control, records clearly and sets review dates. - Describe how you would investigate a serious accident.
What a good answer shows: Makes the area safe, preserves evidence, interviews witnesses, finds root causes, recommends actions, reports as required and shares lessons. - How would you strengthen a permit-to-work system that people treat as paperwork?
What a good answer shows: Audits real practice, simplifies forms, trains issuers and holders, checks work on site and holds people accountable. - You find a contractor doing hot work near a powder dryer without a permit. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Stops the work safely, makes the area safe, finds out why, involves the contractor's manager and closes the control gap. - A production manager resists a safety change because it slows output. How do you respond?
What a good answer shows: Explains the risk and legal duty, uses data, seeks practical solutions that keep output, and escalates if needed. - How do you keep up to date with health and safety law and share changes?
What a good answer shows: Follows regulator updates, professional bodies and training; briefs managers clearly and updates procedures and training. - How do you use incident and near-miss data to reduce risk?
What a good answer shows: Analyses trends and root causes, targets high-risk areas, tracks actions and checks that the changes work. - How do you build a culture where people report near misses?
What a good answer shows: Makes reporting easy, gives feedback, avoids blame, recognises reporters and acts visibly on the issues raised. - How do you make toolbox talks engaging for shift workers?
What a good answer shows: Keeps them short, relevant and practical, uses real incidents, invites discussion and adapts to language and literacy needs.
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Frequently asked questions
Helps managers keep a dairy processing site safe and legally compliant. Carries out inspections and risk assessments, investigates accidents, delivers training and toolbox talks, and controls contractor work through permits to work, giving practical advice on the hazards found in dairy plants.
Employers usually look for: recognised occupational health and safety qualification at certificate or diploma level; experience as a health and safety advisor in food, dairy or manufacturing; good working knowledge of health and safety law and risk assessment methods.
A Dairy Health and Safety Advisor usually reports to the Health and Safety Manager or Site Manager.
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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