Health & Safety Manager
Who We Are:
Abel & Cole has pioneered organic, ethical and sustainable food delivery for over 30 years. Doing things better is our bread and butter; from saving over 60 million plastic bags by using reusable boxes for our food deliveries, to finding alternatives to plastic long before it hit the headlines. We are forever challenging ourselves to find the most positive way to do business and want everyone to eat organic because it’s one way to save the future. It’s these values that enabled us to become B Corp certified; an optional audit we’ve gone through to recognise how we put people and planet before profit, as well as help us find room for further improvement.
Part of the William Jackson Food Group (WJFG), Abel & Cole are an online food retail and distribution business. With our head office in Wimbledon, our main warehousing, production and distribution operations are spread over three main sites in Andover. These also serve eight other local distribution depots across the UK from which we distribute food and other household items to our customers.
Employing circa. 570 staff, the health and safety of our employees, contractors, customers, and the communities in which we operate is a priority. As we are and will continue to be uncompromising in our commitment to this, we are seeking a health and safety manager who will help ensure our compliance with all applicable Health & Safety laws, help improve our H&S management system(s) and develop and maintain a positive safety culture across all areas of the business.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer / Director, the role will involve supporting Board and senior management and working closely with all operational teams to realise legal compliance, standards and best practice across the business - continuously measuring and improving our H&S performance.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Ensure business compliance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and all associated Regulations applicable to Abel & Cole.
2. Review, develop and maintain the company’s Health & Safety policy (including statement of intent, organisational H&S roles and responsibilities and general H&S management arrangements).
3. Maintain and improve the company’s H&S management system(s) in line with legislative requirements, company policies and best practice.
4. Co-ordinate and manage risk assessments across multiple sites and teams ranging from Operations Warehousing to home delivery.
5. Continually monitor and manage the operational safety performance of the company.
6. Establish and manage a regular audit, inspection, monitoring and reporting program across all business sites and depots.
7. Respond to and/or investigate all Health & Safety related complaints, service requests, suggestions, accidents and/or other incidents.
8. Ensure all accidents and incidents are investigated and suitably managed and, where appropriate, reported through the Abel & Cole escalation process.
9. Undertake and oversee regular Health & Safety meetings across all sites with relevant stakeholders.
10. Represent the business at Group level and on interaction with other businesses and regulators.
11. Drive risk reduction through continuous improvement and Health & Safety best practice.
12. Keep up to date with changes in current legislation and manage the introduction of and training for any relevant new legislation to ensure the business maintains legal compliance.
13. Highlight and help secure all necessary training and/or certifications required to meet the standards imposed by legislation, approved Codes of Practice, or guidance.
14. Ensure display of all relevant statutory notices, the Health and Safety Policy, insurance certificates, and the names of responsible people ( First Aiders, Fire Wardens, Mental Health First Aiders etc).
15. Develop and implement Health & Safety training programmes across the business.
16. Work with and train all employees to manage, monitor and improve health and safety standards in the workplace.
17. Advise on, mentor, and support health and safety practice across all levels of the business.
18. Provide a first point of contact for all Health and Safety matters throughout the organisation for both staff, contractors, and visitors.
19. Manage all Health & Safety documentation, processes, and systems; ensuring audit readiness is maintained.
Skills and Experience:
• Proven experience in a Health & Safety management role (preferably within the FMCG industry, across multiple sites).
• Proven track record of leading on change and improving H&S culture and performance.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills.
• Appreciation of confidentiality and discretion.
• Focused on delivering exceptional customer service.
• Good understanding of Health and Safety legislation and statutory responsibilities.
• Experience of hosting and managing external regulatory/compliance EHS audits.
• NEBOSH General Certificate as a minimum (or equivalent).
Behaviours:
• Comfortable working within a fast paced continuously changing environment.
• Professional, honest with integrity
• Calm methodical approach
• Demonstrable ability to collaborate and build relationships across the business.
• Highly organised
• Very much a team player but able to work independently.
Abel & Cole promotes equal opportunities for all employees. We want our employees to feel they can be themselves at work and develop their talents to the full. Members of staff are expected to take personal responsibility for keeping our workplace free from discrimination, harassment, and bullying - a place where everyone is treated fairly and respectfully.
To support Abel & Cole’s commitment to inclusion and diversity, we ask that you remove all personal details from your CV. This includes removal of home address, and place of education.