What are the main duties of an occupational safety and security technician?
Occupational safety is a fundamental element in ensuring a healthy and safe work environment. It aims to protect workers and employees from occupational diseases and injuries, as workers across sectors face many risks such as biological, physical, and chemical hazards. The profession of Occupational Safety and Security Technician is vital in service, commercial, and industrial facilities, as it plays an important role in protecting people and property and ensuring the institution complies with occupational safety and security laws and standards.
In this article, we’ll explain the key duties of an occupational safety and security technician and their role in the workplace, as well as the challenges they face on the job.
Who is the Occupational Health and Safety Technician?
Before discussing the duties of an occupational safety and security technician, we should first define who they are: they are responsible for reducing occupational risks in organizations and ensuring compliance with standards, and also making sure the work environment is completely safe.
They are responsible for minimizing occupational hazards within institutions, monitoring compliance with safety standards, and ensuring the work environment is safe and poses no threat to the health of workers and employees.
They are also responsible for setting rules and monitoring their implementation, investigating incidents that occur within institutions, and ensuring the same mistake is not repeated. However, the duties of an occupational safety and security technician go beyond enforcing regulations: they stand between disaster and prevention, between accountability and negligence, and between a safe workplace and one that could turn into an accident scene.
What are the duties of an Occupational Safety and Security Technician?
There are several tasks an occupational safety and security technician performs within institutions to provide safety and security. Below are the most important duties:
1) Risk assessment and preventive planning
One of the most important duties is identifying and analyzing potential workplace risks, then developing plans to prevent accidents. This relies on experience and on standards issued by competent bodies such as accredited safety offices.
2) Installing and maintaining fire alarm systems
Fire alarm devices are among the most important safety systems in facilities. The technician installs these systems and performs regular maintenance to ensure their efficiency in emergencies.
They also supervise testing of devices such as heat and smoke detectors and make sure they meet the required standards.
3) Training employees on safety procedures
The technician provides employees with necessary training on how to use safety tools against fires and how to act during emergencies. This includes explaining how to evacuate the building safely and how to use fire extinguishers.
4) Ensuring compliance with laws and standards
A key duty is to ensure adherence to occupational safety and health regulations issued by official authorities, and often to obtain a safety certificate proving the facility’s compliance with required standards.
5) Managing fire safety equipment
The technician also ensures that fire safety equipment is available in appropriate locations within the facility—such as fire hoses, extinguishers, alarm systems, and other devices.
They also track renewal and maintenance dates for this equipment to guarantee readiness and efficiency when needed.
Why the technician’s role matters in the workplace
Beyond preventing incidents, the duties of an occupational safety and security technician also lead to:
- Reducing workplace accidents, thereby lowering injuries and protecting lives.
- Reducing financial losses arising from downtime and legal claims in the construction sector.
- Enhancing the institution’s reputation as it reflects strong compliance.
- Helping meet legal requirements and avoid penalties and fines.
- Spreading awareness and encouraging participation in prevention efforts.
Challenges faced by the Occupational Health and Safety Supervisor
There are challenges that make the supervisor’s mission more complex. Key challenges include:
1) Lack of awareness about the importance of safety
Some employees and employers may not recognize the importance of safety procedures, viewing them as constraints that hinder productivity. This can lead to poor adherence to preventive measures and higher risk of incidents.
2) Resistance to change within institutions
In many organizations, attempts to implement new systems or change work behaviors face resistance, especially when workers are used to old methods. The safety technician may struggle to convince management and staff of the importance of adopting new safety standards.
3) Keeping knowledge up to date with changing regulations
The field evolves rapidly, with new regulations and technologies imposing stricter requirements. The safety technician must keep pace through continuous learning via professional conferences and training courses.
4) Limited management support and resources
Some institutions don’t allocate sufficient budgets for modern safety measures. The technician then faces the challenge of achieving progress with minimal resources and may have to work without necessary programs and equipment to ensure a safe workplace.
Al-Safi’s support for Occupational Safety Technicians
- Across workplaces, having a qualified safety technician isn’t enough; they also need advanced systems and reliable tools to perform at their best. Al-Safi stands out as a leading company that technicians in the Kingdom rely on to do their jobs efficiently.
- The company doesn’t just sell safety equipment; it also trains technicians on installing, operating, and maintaining modern safety systems, and supplies Civil-Defense-approved equipment that helps professionals implement institutional safety standards with high professionalism.
- Don’t hesitate to call us now if you’re looking for a specialized safety and security company.
In this article, we’ve clarified the most important duties of an occupational safety and security technician, their importance in the workplace, and the challenges they face—highlighting how crucial this profession is in protecting facilities from incidents that could cause human and material losses.
FAQs about the duties of an Occupational Safety and Security Technician
What is the concept of occupational safety and security?
It’s a set of essential procedures that protect workers in a facility from material harm and from risks that disrupt productivity.
What is the importance of occupational health and safety at work?
It protects workers and employees from injuries arising from workplace hazards by preventing exposure to accidents and occupational diseases, and it also protects the facility’s equipment and devices from damage caused by incidents.