Are you our next WorkSafe inspector?

Last year, Premier McGowan announced a State Government investment of $12.9 million in new initiatives to enhance workplace safety and health.

Initiatives included an additional 24 full-time staff with 21 new inspectors. This funding will help ease community and industry concerns about the number of inspectors.

This is a significant boost in the number of inspectors, bringing WA into line with numbers in New South Wales and Queensland and ensuring the ratio is met of one inspector per 10,000 employees in Western Australia.

Multiple inspector positions are being advertised. Inspector positions have been specifically allocated to the construction, transport and retail teams, for regional centres and in specialist areas such as asbestos.

Nine additional inspectors will join the Industry and Regional Team, four will be added to the Service Industries and Specialists Team and a further eight will join the Investigations Team.

Recruitment of new inspectors is progressing with new inspectors undergoing inspector training, or at varying stages in the process of recruitment.

What do inspectors do?

WorkSafe inspectors play an important part in workplaces by enforcing the occupational safety and health laws and by helping workplaces to improve and resolve safety and health issues. Inspectors have a wide range of responsibilities and duties, along with the authority to enter, inspect and examine workplaces to investigate breaches of safety and health laws. Inspectors discuss the management of safety issues at work with employers, employees and supervisors and managers. Depending on the circumstances, inspectors may issue improvement and prohibition notices, conduct inspections and interviews, take samples, photographs and copies of documents and take possession of materials as evidence.

Inspectors often deal with sensitive and at times emotional situations. They require effective communication, analytical and negotiation skills. Inspectors need to be able to: gather and analyse detailed information to formulate workable solutions to workplace safety issues; plan and schedule work to deal with competing priorities; gain the cooperation of others even when a situation is challenging or confronting.

The process of becoming a WorkSafe inspector

When an applicant is successful in attaining a position as an inspector, he or she is placed into a specific team of skilled inspectors. Training is undertaken for seven to eight weeks, during which time the recruit visits workplaces with an experienced inspector on one day a week.

Practical training, guidance and support alongside the program of formal training is provided.

The WorkSafe Western Australia Commissioner conditionally appoints new recruits as inspectors with the provision that they can only use the Act powers when with an experienced inspector.

Recruits are mentored in the field by experienced inspectors until the recruit develops the applied skills.

Once the recruit is signed off as competent, the Commissioner removes the conditions from the inspector’s appointment.

During the first 12 months in the job, an inspector will:

carry out preliminary investigations on less complex workplace incidents; gather evidence and make recommendations about prosecutions; promote workplace safety and health, e.g. deliver presentations to workplaces about meeting legislative requirements; liaise with a wide range of client groups including employers, employees, government, unions and industry organisations; continue professional development through a variety of opportunities while gaining further experience on the job; coordinate and participate in team projects and have input on future policies and directions.

Being a WorkSafe inspector presents many challenges, both professionally and emotionally. Serious incidents, including fatalities, are distressing for everyone in the workplace and for the families and friends of those affected.

Inspectors may encounter situations where people at a workplace are confrontational or even hostile, particularly when enforcement action needs to be taken. However, the rewards are great when an inspector’s work has resulted in positive safety and health changes.

Experience and qualifications for a WorkSafe inspector

Broadly, WorkSafe inspectors have relevant industry and occupational safety and health experience. This experience can be gained from a variety of previous positions, for example: safety manager; safety and health representative or committee member; rehabilitation officer; law enforcement or compliance officer; trade and industry experience; occupational health nurse.

Typical qualifications held by current inspectors include: Certificate IV in Occupational Safety and Health (OSH); Diploma in OSH; Graduate diploma in OSH; or University degree in OSH or related field.

Scientific officers and specialised inspectors must hold university qualifications relevant to their technical area.

If you think you’ve got what it takes, keep an eye out for WorkSafe Inspector roles on the Government of Western Australia’s Jobs Board.