Health and Safety Officer

1. PREAMBLE

Mary Immaculate College is an autonomous, university-level, Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. Founded in 1898, and linked academically with the University of Limerick, MIC is the oldest higher education institution in Limerick. Significant expansion in recent decades has seen the College’s offerings expand across two modern campuses, one based in Limerick City and one in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The student community consists of more than 5,000 learners, participating in fifteen undergraduate degree programmes and several postgraduate programmes extending to PhD/Doctoral level. Academic staff engage in a wide range of academic research areas, and research underpins all teaching and learning at MIC.

MIC seeks to prepare its students for professional excellence and to nurture their capacity to lead flourishing lives.

2. CANDIDATE PROFILE & SCOPE OF THE POSITION

The College wishes to fill the position of Health and Safety Officer, Mary Immaculate College, on a full-time, permanent basis.

The purpose of the proposed Higher Executive Officer (HEO) – Health & Safety Officer is to provide dedicated operational leadership for the day-to-day management of health and safety across the College, ensuring the effective implementation of health and safety systems, compliance monitoring and risk control measures across all campuses.

Overall, the role is essential to ensuring that the organisation can meet its legal obligations, manage increased operational demands and sustain a proactive, effective health and safety culture.

Essential Skills & Qualifications:

or

A minimum of 6 years' relevant experience in health and safety, risk management, compliance or health and safety administration, preferably within a large organisation or third-level institution.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

Cuirfear fáilte roimh iarratais ó dhaoine go bhfuil dearcadh dearfach acu i leith na Gaeilge.

Applications are welcome from people who have a positive outlook to Irish.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting Relationship

The appointee is required to carry out the duties attached to the post, under the general direction of the Senior Health and Safety Manager, to whom you report, and are responsible, for the performance of these duties in the first instance.

The appointee will report through the Senior Health and Safety Manager to the Director of Estates and Sustainability.

The reporting relationship is subject to review and may be altered from time to time in line with service needs and developments in the College.

Duties and Responsibilities

Proposed duties and responsibilities of post holder:

• Lead the day-to-day operational management of health and safety across all College campuses.

• Help develop, implement and maintain College health and safety policies, procedures and safe systems of work.

• Coordinate and deliver a structured programme of workplace inspections, audits and compliance monitoring activities.

• Maintain and continuously improve the College risk assessment framework, ensuring risks are identified, assessed and appropriately controlled.

• Oversee incident reporting, investigation processes and ensure corrective and preventative actions are implemented and tracked to completion.

• Manage contractor health and safety compliance, including review of RAMS (Risk Assessments and Method Statements), permits to work and site induction processes.

• Support the planning and oversight of health and safety requirements for capital and maintenance projects, ensuring compliance throughout project lifecycles.

• Monitor compliance with statutory obligations under the Health and Safety Authority Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and associated regulations.

• Develop and maintain health and safety performance reporting systems, including KPIs, dashboards and compliance reports for senior management.

• Coordinate and deliver health and safety training programmes in conjunction with relevant officers to ensure statutory training requirements are met and maintained.

• Lead emergency preparedness planning, including fire safety arrangements, evacuation procedures and business continuity safety planning.

• Promote a positive health and safety culture across the organisation through communication, engagement, and awareness initiatives.

• Ensure health and safety documentation is maintained to a high standard, supporting audit readiness and regulatory inspection requirements.

• Support preparation for external audits and alignment with recognised standards, including ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems.

• Liaise with internal departments, external contractors and regulatory bodies to ensure effective implementation of health and safety requirements.

• Provide professional advice and operational guidance to managers and staff on health and safety matters.

• Contribute to continuous improvement of the College’s health and safety management system through review, evaluation, and implementation of corrective actions.

The work is broadly defined, and the list of duties is not exhaustive. The performance of the entire range of duties is not necessarily confined to any one individual, as the work requires that the staff function in a flexible manner, and work together as a team. The College retains the right to assign new duties and/or re-assign staff to other areas of the College in response to service needs.

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

General

All persons employed will sign an appropriate contract, which will contain terms and conditions of the employment. A job description is given to all applicants for employment and this will form part of the contract documentation.

Place of Work

The appointee’s normal place of work will be Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The College reserves the right to require the appointee to work from any other location. It is a requirement of the College that the appointee must reside within a reasonable distance of the College.

MIC operates a blended working policy, which offers scope for the post holder to combine office attendance with remote working, subject to the provisions of the policy.

Exclusivity of Service and Outside Work

The person appointed will be required to devote their full-time attention and abilities to their duties during their working hours in the College and to act in the best interest of the College at all times. Therefore, for as long as the successful applicant is working in the College, they may not, without the prior written consent of the Vice President Administration and Finance (VPAF), be actively engaged or concerned in any way, either directly or indirectly, in any other business or undertaking where this is or is likely to be in conflict with the College’s interests or the performance of the duties that the person has been employed for.

The appointee will not, during their tenure of office, undertake paid outside work unless they have received the permission of the VPAF of Mary Immaculate College to undertake such work on the terms and conditions as agreed for the particular undertaking in question. In every case, it is the duty of the appointee to seek in writing the prior permission of the VPAF. It is also the duty, in every case, of the appointee to inform the person or body for whom the work is being undertaken, that the work is being conducted in a private capacity and that the College cannot in any circumstances be responsible for such work.

Probationary Period

The appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of the standard 6-month probationary period. The probationary period may be extended at the discretion of the College but will not in any case exceed 11 months.

Absences during the period of probation will extend the probationary period. Performance and conduct during the probationary period will be reviewed through a process of assessment meetings. Termination of the appointment during the probationary period, for any reason or no reason, will be at the discretion of the College.

The disciplinary procedure will not apply to a dismissal during probation where the probationary employee has been employed by MIC for less than 12 months.

Hours of Attendance

The full-time working hours are 35 hours per week.

The normal hours of duty are Monday to Thursday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a 1-hour unpaid lunch break each day and Friday, 9.00 am to 4.45 pm with a 45-minute unpaid lunch break.

However, the duties attaching to the position are such that the post holder may be required to work evenings/weekends on occasion to accommodate service needs. Subject to College policy, the post holder may avail of "Time-Off-In-Lieu (TOIL)" or overtime where working hours exceed the contract hours per week.

The College reserves the right to adjust starting and finishing times or days of duty to meet service needs.

Salary

The Salary scale for this position has been approved by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Higher Education Authority in line with Government Policy on Public Sector remuneration. The rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy. The appointment will be made on the salary scale at a point in line with current Government Pay Policy. New entrants to the Civil or Public Sector, as defined in Circular 18/2010, will commence on the first point of the salary scale.

This post is at Higher Executive Officer grade. With effect from 1st June 2026 the annual salary scale for Higher Executive Officer (Grossed up) is:

€60,032; €61,785; €63,536; €65,287; €67,041; €68,793; €70,545; €73,077 (LSI 1) and €75,601 (LSI 2)

Increments are awarded in line with national pay agreements.

Salary will be paid on a monthly basis on the 25th of each month, or the previous Friday if 25th falls on a weekend, using the Paypath facility. Payment of salaries and wages are subject to statutory deductions, i.e. Income Tax (PAYE), Superannuation Contributions, Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and Universal Social Charge (USC).

Superannuation

New entrants to the public service will be required to participate in the Single Public Service Pension Scheme and pay Superannuation contributions at the appropriate rates in accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act, 2012.

All other eligible appointees are automatically included in the Colleges’ of Education Pension Scheme on taking up appointment. In compliance with the Colleges of Education Pension Scheme, deductions amounting to 6.5% are made from salary.

The appointee will be required to pay Additional Superannuation Contribution (ASC) under the provisions of the Public Service and Pensions Act 2017.

Appointees who commenced employment in the public service between 1st April 2004 and 31st December 2012 and have not had a break in employment of greater than 6 months will have no mandatory retirement age. All other appointees will have a mandatory retirement age of 70.

Pension Abatement

If an appointee has previously been employed in the Civil or Public Service and that appointee is entitled to or in receipt of a pension from the Civil or Public Service or where a Civil/Public Service pension comes into payment during the appointee’s re-employment that pension will be subject to abatement in accordance with Section 52 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.

In applying for this position, the applicant is acknowledging that they understand that the abatement provisions, where relevant, will apply. It is not envisaged that the College will support an application for an abatement waiver in respect of appointments to this position.

Annual Leave

The annual leave entitlement for this grade is 27 working days per leave year. Annual leave should be taken when students are off campus and the taking of leave must have the prior approval of the relevant Line Manager.

Public Holidays are granted in accordance with the provisions of the Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997.

Sick Leave

Employees who have a minimum 3 months’ continuous employment with the College may be granted sick pay subject to the terms of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme. Sick pay is contingent on full cooperation and compliance with the College’s absence management procedures.

Confidentiality

In the course of working in Mary Immaculate College, the person appointed may have access to or hear information concerning staff and/or students and/or the functioning and the business of the College. Such information acquired in the course of employment with the College, including any aspect of the College’s responsibilities or operations, is considered to be confidential information. On no account must information concerning students, staff or other College business be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duties and, unless authorised to do so, this information shall not be communicated to a third party. In addition, records must never be left in a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them and must be kept in safe custody when no longer required.

Health & Safety

Mary Immaculate College attaches the highest regard to the safety, health and welfare of its employees. It is the duty of each employee to take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and of other people in the workplace. Each employee must comply with all health and safety policies and procedures in operation in Mary Immaculate College and familiarise themselves with the Safety Statement.

Employees are obliged to wear any PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) that they may be provided with and no person shall intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse any appliance, protective clothing or other equipment provided in the workplace for health and safety purposes. Employees are statutorily/legally obliged to ensure that any accidents/incidents which may occur are reported promptly to the Health and Safety Officer on the MIC Accident/Incident Report Form.