“ The job is very much about changing peoples' attitude to health and safety in the workplace. It may sound dramatic but just by changing someone's awareness of safety or by taking enforcement action, when necessary, I know I can prevent an accident in the future, or even save a life. ” Carl Jones, Trainee Inspector

Your training and development

HSE Inspectors are highly regarded in Britain and internationally as first class health and safety regulators. In order to maintain this standard, HSE is fully committed to providing the highest quality training to our new recruits. From the day you start working as an Inspector you will be encouraged and supported in the development of your skills and competence and there will be plenty of opportunities to advance your career within HSE.

A key part of the training HSE offers new Inspectors is a Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Regulatory Occupational Health and Safety. In order to remain employed as an Inspector with HSE you will need to pass all elements of the Post Graduate Diploma. We will give you all the support you need to help you do this. The diploma is delivered over four years in partnership with HSE and the University of Warwick and consists of four modules:

  • Legal and Enforcement;
  • Safety and Risk Assessment;
  • Occupational Health and Hygiene, and;
  • Business Awareness, People and Influencing Skills.

The Diploma is a unique course, reflecting the academic standards of one of the UK’s top universities, in conjunction with tutorials and courses and work based-learning provided by HSE. During your first four years, your structured learning and development programme will enable you to carry out preventive inspections, investigations, enforcement and advisory work on a solo basis (which you will start to do after a few months in post) and assist you in becoming the best Inspector you can be.

The University of Warwick normally require a standard entry qualification in order to undertake the Post Graduate Diploma. This is a first degree (upper second or above). It is recognised by the University that our Inspectors have a wide range of experience and qualifications that may not align with the normal entry qualification. If this applies to you, you will be asked by the University at the time you register for the Diploma to provide a supplementary personal statement to support your application. The statement should outline the skills you may have acquired through work experience or vocational study that will be useful to you as a postgraduate student.

As part of the Diploma you will be required to attend mandatory training courses and tutorials, which at times will be residential and require overnight stays and/or longer hours. We have estimated that most Trainee Inspectors will be away at residential training courses for around 60 nights in the first two years. The nights away in years three and four will be slightly less. A number of training courses will be at University campus and these will range from 2 to 5 days in duration. Other courses of similar duration will be held in HSE offices or in hotels at various locations. We do try to arrange it so that you normally only have to attend one course per month.

If you are successful in gaining employment with HSE, you will be required to attend a residential induction event at the University of Warwick on 11 – 15 October 2010. At this event, you will be provided with a timetable detailing your training courses for the first two years. This will allow you to plan your attendance at courses and identify time away from home well in advance.

At the end of your second year, provided you have successfully completed the relevant parts of the Diploma, demonstrated your competence, and made satisfactory progress in the other elements of your training, you will be re-banded from a Trainee Inspector to a Regulatory Inspector, with a commensurate increase in your salary.