HSE creates 52 new health and safety jobs
Despite the current ban on recruitment by government departments, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is to create 52 new health and safety jobs for "specialist inspectors."
The HSE has announced the new vacancies as it prepares to launch a new programme of inspections for Britain's offshore oil and gas platforms. Following 40 years of oil and gas production in the North Sea, the series of checks are to run until 2013 and will evaluate the long-term future of ageing installations that look likely to be used beyond their original anticipated design life.
Although the HSE has come under fire from The Sun and the taxpayers alliance for its supposed breach of the government's austerity measures on departmental recruitment, the new positions are being created to replace many HSE inspectors who are set to retire over the next few years.
According to the Sun, the new positions will be primarily focused at health and safety in the engineering sector. This kind of safety inspection will generally require previous knowledge and expertise in the sector, such as from previous civil engineering jobs, as the risks and safety measures are often highly technical and specific to the type of work.
"These are all front line essential posts in industries where the consequences of health and safety incidents can be devastating," said a spokeswoman for the HSE. "The process is fully in line with government policy."
Author: William Hobson
Keywords: health and safety jobs, civil engineering jobs