Organizational Setting
The FAO Health Services provides preventive medical, counselling and occupational health services to FAO employees and their dependents and advises on all health-related matters to the Organization. Within the Health Services, the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) unit provides a wide range of services in headquarters and field office promoting and contributing to a healthy work environment.
The position is located in the Health Services within the Logistics Services Division at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
Reporting Lines
The Occupational Health and Safety Officer reports to the Chief, Health Services or designate under the overall guidance of the Director, CSL.
Technical Focus
The Occupational Health and Safety Officer supports and contributes to the monitoring and implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Framework and the OHS agenda of the United Nations in FAO. He/she liaises with all stakeholders in FAO, including the Health Services, Infrastructure, Security, Human Resources, the Advisory Committee on Occupational Health and Safety (ACOHS) and its members, OHS Focal Points in the Regional Offices and others as needed. He/she will also liaise with counterparts in other UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes.
Key Results
Support the overall coordination and implementation of the OHS Framework in FAO. Provide technical expertise on the safety elements of the OHS Framework in compliance with established UN wide standards for Occupational Health and Safety.
Key Functions
• Coordinates the process of implementation of the OHS Framework in FAO, including implementation of the OHS Roadmap.
• Provides technical support on safety elements of OHS in line with UN wide standards adopted by High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM) | United Nations (HLCM).
• Keeps abreast of the OHS policy and guidance issued by the Organization and proposes improvements whenever appropriate.
• Monitors closely the deliberations of the OHS Forum of the HLCM and leverages interagency collaboration to draw from best practices for implementation within FAO.
• Supports and coordinates the preparation of OHS related resources and tools to be made available from the OHS Handbook site and coordinates its maintenance.
• Supports the coordination and monitoring of the preparation of OHS risk assessments, OHS hazard inventories and an OHS global action plan, including measurable objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Supports the various concerned units in the identification of the resources necessary for them to discharge their OHS responsibilities.
• Contributes the development of the FAO OHS incident reporting system, their classification and analysis as well as their storage in a dedicated repository.
• Liaises and collaborates with relevant headquarters units and Regional Office Focal Points on all matters related to OHS.
• Responds to queries on OHS and advises in consultation with the relevant unit/s.
• Prepares OHS training material and outreach activities, provides technical support to the safety elements.
• Drafts relevant correspondence related to progress and annual reports, updates and news on OHS in preparation for high-level meetings and events.
• Cooperates with the Organizational Resilience Management System (ORMS) Team for coordinated efforts on cross-cutting areas to support the Organization to efficiently exercise its duty of care.
• Coordinates the implementation of internal and external audit recommendations related to OHS area.
• Supports reporting on status of implementation of FAO’s OHS Roadmap.
• Supports the Chair of ACOHS in preparation for OHS-related agenda topics of the meetings.
• Leads awareness raising campaigns on OHS, in close collaboration with FAO Health Services (CSLH).
• Performs other duties as required.
Specific Functions
• Represents the Division in the interagency OHS mechanism.
• Participates in the Road Safety Strategy working group and any other related fora.
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• Advanced university degree in occupational safety, occupational safety and health, occupational hygiene, security risk management, engineering, environmental science, clinical health practice sciences or related fields.
• Five years of relevant experience in areas related to occupational health and safety, organizational safety and risk management.
• Professional certification in occupational safety and health, safety risk management or equivalent from a national or international professional society/board, or National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of English (proficient – level C) and limited knowledge (intermediate – level B) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).
Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Work experience in more than one location or area of work, particularly in field positions.
• Extent and relevance of experience in occupational safety hazards and risks, safety risk management, Occupational Safety Risk Assessments.
• A nationally or internationally recognized certification as trainer, instructor or train-the-trainer in occupational safety and health is desirable.
• Working knowledge (proficient – level C) of another FAO official language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish).