Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Specialist 72 views0 applications

Overview of position

• The Somalia Crisis Recovery Project (SCRP) is funded by the World Bank (WB) & is being implemented by the Government of Somalia (GoS), through a Project Implementation Unit (P1U) in the Ministry of Finance (MOF), since 2020. The project currently funds the rehabilitation of flood damaged health care facilities &d transport infrastructure in several locations in South West State, Jubaland & Hirshabelle among other activities.
• Sub project implementation, including rehabilitation & construction activities are based on the project’s Environmental & Social Management Framework (ESMF), which lays out management procedures to ensure that the project is in compliance with national laws & the standards stipulated in the WB’s Environmental & Social Framework (ESF) & the WB’s Environmental, Health & Safety Guidelines (EHSG). The ESMF includes an outline of risks & impacts in relation to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) at the construction sites as well as to security of project workers. A more detailed project level Security Management Framework (SMF) includes an assessment of security risks for project personnel & beneficiaries as well as assets & lays out key security risk mitigation measures & processes.
• Stipulated by the ESMF, project teams prepared Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMPs) for each sub project site in order to mitigate the risks specific to the site & design of the sub projects. The ESMPs include OHS related risks & their respective mitigation measures. The Security Management Plan (SMP) stipulates that the PlU conducts state level security assessments with the support of a security risk management company, which then form the basis for a ‘local SMP. The implementer then follows up with an Activity Level Security Plan (ALSP) for the mitigation of security risks at the specific site. OHS & security risk mitigation requirements as they pertain to the contractor are included in the bidding documents as well as in the contractual agreements with the contractors.
• While the MU has contracted our client to prepare the rehabilitation designs & some ESMPs, the PIU directly engages the contractors & supervises the works, including compliance with E&S requirements in relation to OHS & security. Our client provides advice to the PIU on the monitoring of the ESMP implementation during work contract execution by the contractors. The project wishes to recruit a consultant to conduct an OHS & security audit of the ongoing rehabilitation works.
• The OHS Specialist will conduct an OHS & security audit of its sub project activities. The audit is a systematic documented & objective evaluation to understand how far the activities comply with the relevant approved E&S instruments as well as sound OHS practices. The objective of the audit is to promote OHS & security at all stages of the sub projects, to establish if proponents of the project comply with the OHS & security requirements & to identify corrective actions where applicable.
• Given the complex & challenging operating environment in Somalia, it is critical to ensure that OHS & security measures are in place &d effectively implemented across all SCRP sub project activities. An OHS & Security Audit (SA) is therefore required to assess the current practices & recommend improvements to safeguard the wellbeing of project workers & beneficiaries.
• The audit will appraise all current project funded construction related activities in Southwest State, Jubaland & Hirshabelle, taking into consideration national OHS legislation, OHS risk mitigation measures in the ESMF & ESMPs, as well as security risk mitigation measures in the SMP Security Management Framework (SMF), local SMPs & Activity Security Plans (ASP’s).

Role objectives

• Assess the current OHS & security policies, procedures & practices in place for the SCRP sub project activities.
• Assess the level of OHS & security management systems adoption & practice across the project activities.
• Identify gaps & areas for improvement in OHS & security management systems & practices.
• Provide specific recommendations & an action plan to enhance OHS & security measures for the SCRP sub project activities were necessary.

The key deliverables for the OHS & SA include:

• Inception report: Detailed work plan, methodology & timeline for the audit.
• Draft audit report: Comprehensive report with findings, gaps & recommendations.
• Final audit report: Revised report incorporating feedback from the client.
• Action plan: Detailed implementation plan for the recommended OHS & security improvements.

Below is a list of the minimum documentation the PIU will provide to the OHS & Security Management Auditor:

• Project Appraisal Document (PAD).
• Project Operations Manual (POM).
• Environmental & Social Management Framework (ESMF).
• Security Risk Assessment (SRA) & Security Risk Management Plan (SMP).
• Subproject Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs).
• Local Security Risk Management Plans (SMPs).
• Activity Level Security Plans (ALSPs).
• E&S reports from the relevant contractors.
• E&S reports as part of the general Project Progress Report (PPR) from the PIU to the WB.

Expected output include but are not limited to:

OHS management systems:

• Review of existing OHS measures & processes laid out in the ESMF.
• Assess the effectiveness of OHS risk identification, assessment & mitigation measures.
• Evaluate the OHS training & capacity building programs for project workers.
• Examine the incident reporting, investigation & corrective action processes.
• Review the OHS performance monitoring & evaluation mechanisms.

Workplace Health & Safety (H&S):

• Evaluate the adequacy of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) & safety equipment provided to project workers.
• Assess the safety of project sites, including infrastructure, equipment & work practices.
• Review the emergency preparedness & response plans for project sites.
• Examine the mechanisms in place to address worker health & wellbeing.

Security management:

• Review the existing security risk management system, including the SMP & its procedures for SCRP sub projects.
• Assess the effectiveness of security risk identification, assessment & mitigation measures.
• Evaluate the security training & capacity building programs for project workers.
• Examine the security incident reporting, investigation & response processes.
• Review the security monitoring & coordination mechanisms with local authorities.

Stakeholder engagement & communication:

• Assess the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement & communication strategies related to OHS & security.
• Evaluate the mechanisms for worker & community feedback & grievance redressal.

The OHS & SA will involve the following methodologies:

• Document review: Review of relevant project documents, including OHS & security policies, procedures, guidelines & records.
• Site visits & inspections: Conduct site visits to selected SCRP sub project locations to observe work practices, inspect facilities, equipment, interview workers & supervisors.
• Stakeholder consultations: Engage with key stakeholders, including project management, OHS & security personnel, workers & local authorities, through Interviews & focus group discussions.
• Benchmarking: Compare the SCRP’s OHS & security practices against relevant procedures, standards & good practices.
• Reporting & recommendations: Prepare a comprehensive audit report with findings, gaps & specific recommendations to improve OHS & security management for the SCRP sub project activities.

Project reporting

This role reports to the line manager at the SCRP.

Key competencies

• Advanced university degree or equivalent in social science, health & safety management, natural sciences, environmental management or related discipline is required or related field.
• Fluent in English (in both written & oral communication).

Team management

• This role has no team management responsibility.

Further information

• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for this role.

Candidates interested in applying for this role need to register on the CTG website as a candidate and apply using the link