HM Specialist Inspector - Process Safety

HM Specialist Inspector – Process Safety (Band 3/SEO)

Health and Safety Executive

Apply before Midday on Monday 2nd February 2026.

• Reference number: 441566
• Salary: £52,563 – £64,890
• Job grade:
  Senior Executive Officer;
  Band 3
• Contract type:
  Permanent
• Business area: HSE – Chemical, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) – CEMHD Unit 6 – Process Safety
• Type of role:
  Health and Safety;
  Operational Delivery
• Working pattern:
  Flexible working, Full‑time, Part‑time
• Number of jobs available: 3
• Location:
  
  Basingstoke, Chelmsford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Newcastle‑upon‑Tyne, Sheffield

Chemicals, Explosives and Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) is responsible for the GB-wide regulation of onshore major hazard premises and installations as well as the chemicals manufacturing sector as a whole. This involves regulatory interventions in workplaces, engaging with key industry stakeholders and providing assurance to Government and the public that major accident risks are being properly managed.

The sectors we regulate in CEMHD are essential to the country's economy and social infrastructure, but they often involve hazardous substances and processes with potential for catastrophic accidents. The purpose of CEMHD is to make sure that the businesses that present a risk of such catastrophic events are managing those risks properly.

As a Specialist Inspector of Process Safety, you will be an essential part of the work that CEMHD do. You will use your technical knowledge and expertise to regulate major hazard industries and to influence whole sectors to improve health and safety standards, thereby helping to prevent catastrophic accidents.

The part-time working patterns that can be supported are: 4 days a week, 9-day fortnights and term time working, although some flexibility is needed during the first 2 years due to training, with advanced notice.

Our Specialist Inspectors of Process Safety help to ensure employers across Great Britain – a whole range of essential industries – work safely. In this role, you can utilise your considerable technical knowledge and practical experience to influence not only individual employers but whole industry sectors.

You’ll work alongside other technical specialists to ensure the work activities of those we regulate are operating within the legislative framework by inspecting, investigating, and assessing organisations.

As you can see, this role will broaden your knowledge and your professional credibility like no other role can.

The physical ability to walk around an industrial process plant is essential for this role.

• Inspect a variety of workplaces, either on your own or with a specialist team, to make sure that risks are being actively managed and reduced, driving improvements, and gaining commitment to comply with the law.
• Forensic investigation of process safety related incidents to identify the root cause and where necessary, direct the technical aspect of the investigation, calling in other specialist support and supporting legal action to prevent a recurrence.
• Write technical reports to explain your specialist opinion to guide legal decisions.
• Appear as specialist witness at tribunals, inquests and prosecutions.

The role will include travel 1‑2 times a month for inspections across the UK.

Essential Skills and Criteria:

• Have breadth and depth of practical Process Safety experience of chemical and/or onshore/offshore downstream oil industry processing. Including the application of industrial chemistry/chemical engineering skills and experience to controlling risks in the chemical industry.
• A practical understanding of the design and operation of a chemical process plant, including experience of applying the principles of chemistry and chemical engineering to industrial scale processes.
• Be able to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with people at all levels of an organisation, to persuade and influence others. This should include communicating with both technical and non‑technical people. You should also be able to communicate difficult messages that may not be…