Regional Advisor- Safety and Wellbeing

About us

As a department our purpose is to help the community to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the impact of fire and emergency events.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) is the primary provider of fire, rescue and emergency management programs and services throughout Queensland. The department encompasses the Fire and Rescue Service, disaster management services, the Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Service, and also supports other volunteer groups providing emergency response to Queenslanders.

QFES is one department with many services, many capabilities and many partners.

Purpose of the role

QFES is committed to maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of its people as an integral part of its everyday activities. The wellbeing of staff and volunteers, contractors, visitors and members of the public is a priority in its efforts to achieve a healthy and safe work environment.

The Regional Advisor provides technical advice and support to managers, staff and volunteers in the areas of health and wellbeing, health and safety, and injury/illness management. The role is primarily responsible for working with key stakeholders to identify and manage risks to health and safety, prevent injuries and dangerous situations through proactive strategies and initiatives, and support those who are ill or injured.

You will work closely with QFES managers and supervisors, the state Health and Wellbeing unit, Health and Safety Representatives, staff members, volunteers and external stakeholders to provide advice, education and coaching in relation to health and safety, health and wellbeing, and injury management. You will deliver services such as monitoring the departments' legislative compliance, contributing to the development, promotion and implementation of policies, procedures and guidelines, conducting risk assessments, inspections, investigations and audits, and case managing injured and ill workers in line with best practice guidelines.

Key requirements

Highly desirable requirements
- Holds a minimum Certificate IV in Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) qualification or can obtain the qualification within a mutually agreed timeframe.
- Holds a current Rehabilitation and Return to Work Coordinator certification or can obtain the qualification within a mutually agreed timeframe.
- Experience and/or qualifications in work, health and safety investigations.

Your key accountabilities

Your part in the ongoing success of our department, in supporting frontline services will see you responsible for a variety of work, including, but not limited to:

- Coordinate a broad range of health, safety and wellbeing activities throughout the region, including incident and hazard management and recording, workplace inspections, audits, and continuous improvement initiatives to ensure a healthy and safe work environment.
- Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure early intervention and optimal return to work outcomes for injured or ill staff and volunteers, including rehabilitation and workers' compensation processes.
- Provide authoritative advice to managers, staff and volunteers relating to health, safety and wellbeing to support delivery of services and compliance with organisational priorities, policy, processes and legislation.
- Undertake case management services and provide advice regarding injury management, rehabilitation, and injury insurance claims processes and ensure return to work plans are developed in consultation with the ill or injured staff or volunteer.
- Coordinate, identify and assess workplace hazards, conduct risk assessments and develop control strategies to address potential hazards, minimise or eliminate risk and enhance safer workplaces and wellbeing of QFES workforce.
- Plan and prepare submissions, reports, briefings and other relevant documentation relating to safety and wellbeing, and injury management issues and initiatives, in accordance with departmental requirements.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of relevant training programs and information products to promote health, safety and wellbeing initiatives and strategies in the workplace.

Capabilities

To determine your suitability for the role, you will be assessed on the following Leadership Competencies for Queensland behavioural profiles that link to what we are looking for in this role:
Leadership Competency Stream - Individual Contributor (leading self)

Vision
- Leads change in complex environments
- Makes insightful decisions

Results
- Builds enduring relationships
- Drives accountability and outcomes

Accountability
- Fosters healthy and inclusive workplaces
- Demonstrates sound governance

Once you join us we will want you to exemplify the QFES shared values of:

- Respect
- Integrity
- Trust
- Courage
- LoyaltyThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License.