MBA600: Effective Management Skills for Health and Safety Advisor

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the role of a health and safety advisor, particularly within the energy and mining sectors. It highlights the managerial requirements and essential traits needed for effectiveness, such as planning, organizing, and directing, especially during employee training on safety precautions. The report identifies key workplace challenges, including managing overtime, balancing organizational profits with employee safety, and navigating conflicting priorities. It emphasizes the importance of professional development through health and safety management courses and a strong legal foundation. The report also recommends staying current with health and safety regulations through journals, online research, and seminars. This analysis is crucial for understanding the multifaceted responsibilities and skills required for a health and safety advisor in high-risk industries.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY ADVISER IN ENERGY AND MINING INDUSTRY
By (Name)
Course
Professor’s name
University name
City, State
Date of submission

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Introduction
Health and safety advisors also known as occupational health and safety practitioners,
officers or managers refers to people responsible for mitigating risk and injury at the workplace.
Occupational health and safety advisors are the people who look at the health and safety welfare
of all individuals at the place of work especially in sectors that pose high risks such as
manufacturing, construction, energy, and mining. The health practitioner advises the
management on health concerns within the workplace and ensures that the organization or firm is
compliant with health and safety regulation set by the government and other relevant institutions.
Health and safety advisors are expected to be in high demand especially in the mining and
energy sectors which are expected to be vibrant by 2020 (Careerprofiles 2018). This is because
energy sectors particularly oil and gas pose very high health and safety risks in form of toxins
particularly to those working on site. Similarly, people working in mines face daily exposure to
dust which contains compounds harmful to human health.
The approach used in the analysis of the role and skills required.
This involved the collection of information from various sources including interviews
from health and safety practitioners concerning what it takes to be competent in this field. There
was also the study of career journals which provides the career description for those aspiring to
pursue this profession. The application of course knowledge particularly Henri Fayol's principals
and functions of management also provide the basis upon which to analyze the skills necessary
for an occupational health and safety practitioner.

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The managerial requirements and traits of a health and safety advisor
A health and safety advisor within the mining, oil and gas industry is involved in
planning and coming up with recommendations that mitigate hazards and risks prevalent within
the organization. After carrying out regular inspection, analysis, and documentation, the health
and safety advisor writes a report highlighting the level of health and safety within the work
environment (Saarni 2014). The report also contains recommendations on the steps that should
be taken to reduce employee exposure to risk and hazard. The top management uses such reports
to plan and come with policies that protect employees from potential harm. A health and safety
advisor is therefore required to have adequate knowledge in planning.
A health and safety advisor is also needed to possess managerial traits such as organizing
and directing. These skills are particularly essential during training of employees on safety
precautions regarding potential hazards (Broadbent 2012). The advisor is responsible for
designing the course material and seeking trainers to assist in the delivery of content. The advisor
is also responsible for setting the amount of time to be taken during training (Mark 2016).
What’s more, the advisor oversees test evaluation to gauge employee’s understanding of health
and safety precautions. The tests mainly revolve around the use of personal protective
equipment, protection against fire as well as emergency exit strategies.
Workplace problems/issues facing a health advisor
The role of a health and safety advisor is hectic and demanding at times. For example, a
health and safety advisor may be required to work overtime in cases of an accident or emergency
incident. The role may also necessitate a lot of traveling especially if the organization has
charged one advisor with overseeing multiple work sites located in different areas. Despite the

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health and safety advisor being an office role, the advisor spends a lot of time on the field
especially during an inspection of mines, oil and gas fields. The practitioner may also need to be
present during the training of employees.
Working overtime
There are some situations that may call for the health and safety advisor to work during
unofficial hours. For instance, if a tragic event occurs within the organization’s work
environment, the health and safety advisor will need to be present to assess the current damage
as well as take immediate action to prevent further loss or injury. Therefore unforeseen events
such as accidents can disrupt the health practitioner’s schedule (Gregory 2016). When an
organization’s projects are running behind schedule, the health and safety advisor may asked to
work overtime to ensure completion of project within the scheduled time. For instance, if an oil
and gas industry is establishing a new refinery, whose completion is behind schedule, the
company may think of hiring more laborers some of whom may be inexperienced in health and
safety issues. The management may therefore ask the health and safety advisor to carry out
training during unofficial hours so as to save time.
Balance between organization profits and employee safety welfare
One of the major issues or problems faced by health and safety officials is convincing
managers to adopt sound health and safety policies that enhance safety of employees but reduce
profits (Thompson 2018).In such a scenario, the health and safety advisor is in a dilemma as
whether to overlook the health and safety of employees for the sake of company profits (Eric
2012). For instance, the health advisor may recommend that the organization by expensive
personal protective equipment when cheaper options exist. The management may be reluctant to

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the idea since their main aim is to maximize profits and cut on costs (Richard 2013). In such a
scenario, the health advisor will find it wise to mention the long-term costs that may be incurred
by the organization or firm as a result of using the cheap personal protective equipment (Gordon
1998). The costs may include medical costs in the treatment of conditions resulting from
exposure of employees to hazards and health risks. The advisor will also be keen to inform the
management of the bad reputation that would result if it became known that the management
compromised on the health of its employees.
Professional development required
The skills acquired in the master of business degree mainly revolve around leadership
and management and although essential, are not enough to guarantee a job as a health and safety
advisor. With that in mind, therefore, it is important to pursue health and safety management
courses to gain proper skills required in the field. Adequate knowledge and concepts in the
relevant sector are also necessary for one to become a competent occupational safety advisor
(Joshi 2011). For instance, a health and safety advisor in the mining, oil and gas plants should be
aware of all the processes in extraction and refinery so as to determine health and safety
concerns. A legal foundation is also key in understanding the various health and safety
regulations (Bhattacharyya 2007).
Recommendations and solutions for maintaining relevancy and currency
To maintain relevance an occupational health advisor should be aware of the most current
changes in health and safety regulations. The advisor can do this by regularly reading
occupational health and safety journals, conducting online research as well as attending seminars
or events relevant to the profession.

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Bibliography
Bhattacharyya, S. C. (2007). Energy sector management issues: an overview. International
Journal of Energy Sector Management, 1(1), 13-33.
doi:10.1108/17506220710738579
Broadbent, D. (2012). Transforming Safety Leadership Within The Hydrocarbon Sector - A
Global Analysis. International Conference on Health, Safety and Environment in Oil
and Gas Exploration and Production. doi:10.2118/156308-ms
Careerprofiles. (2018). Where Will Jobs be in 2020. Retrieved from
http://www.careerprofiles.info/jobs-of-2020.html
Eric G. Flamholtz. (2012). Effective Management Control: Theory and Practice. Boston:
Kluwer Academic publishers.
Gordon, R. 1998. The contribution of human factors to accidents in the offshore oil industry.
Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 61(1), pp.95-108.
Gregory, W. (2016). Management Obligations for Health and Safety. London: CRC Press.
Jaya, M. S. (2002). Challenges in Developing Occupational Health Services in an Oil & Gas
Company in Malaysia. SPE International Conference on Health, Safety and
Environment in Oil and Gas Exploration and Production.
Joshi, S. K. (2011). Occupational Safety and Health in Nepal. International Journal of
Occupational Safety and Health, 1(1). doi:10.3126/ijosh.v1i1.5224
Mark, H. (2016). The Effective Manager. New jersy: John Wiley &sons inc.
Richard, T. (2013). The Rules of Management: A definitive code for managerial success.
Harlow,England: pearson.

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Saarni, C. (2014). Improving Negotiation Effectiveness with Skills of Emotional
Competence. Handbook of International Negotiation, 175-180.
Thompson, N. (2018). Managing Communication. Effective Communication, 242-262.