The posting
Health, Safety and Environmental Manager
Location: Remote with regular travel to sites
Department: Compliance, Risk & Sustainability
Contract type: Permanent / Full-time
About the role
We’re looking for a Health, Safety and Environmental Manager to join our Compliance, Risk & Sustainability team. The Health & Safety Manager is the Group's competent health and safety advisor. The role develops and maintains the Group's health and safety management system across bodyshop, parts and office sites, supports people managers to manage risk effectively, and provides accurate reporting so that the Group meets its legal duties and continues to improve its safety culture. The role works across all Activate Group businesses and spends a significant proportion of time on site.
Activate Group is a growing UK business with 1,000+ team members nationwide. This is an exciting opportunity to build a long-term career with a company that values its people and offers genuine development and progression opportunities.
Key responsibilities
Health & Safety Management System
- Maintain the Group Health and Safety Policy and supporting arrangements, procedures and standards, ensuring these reflect current legislation and HSE guidance
- Act as the Group's competent person under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, providing clear advice to people managers and team members
- Develop the management system in line with ISO 45001, supporting the Group's certification roadmap
- Own the Group risk assessment framework and support sites to complete and review suitable and sufficient risk assessments
Workplace Risk Control
- Ensure hazardous substances are controlled under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH), with particular focus on isocyanate paints, solvents and dusts in bodyshops
- Ensure Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) and spray booths receive thorough examination and testing at the required intervals, and that Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) face fit testing is in place
- Manage changes to personal protective equipment (PPE), ensuring risk assessments are updates and changes are communicated to sites.
- Oversee health surveillance programmes (for example, for occupational asthma, noise and hand-arm vibration), working with the Group's occupational health provider
- Ensure work equipment, including vehicle lifts, is maintained and inspected in line with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER), and that pressure vessels are examined in line with the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations (PSSR)
- Maintain the appropriate equipment registers (e.g. COSHH, LOLER etc), updating them when new equipment is introduced and when health, safety or environmental changes require it
- Ensure safe systems of work are in place for Electric Vehicles (EVs) and high-voltage systems, including appropriate team member competence
- Ensure fire risk assessments, Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations (DSEAR) assessments, first aid and emergency arrangements are in place and current at every site
- Oversee risk assessments for new and expectant mothers, young persons and apprentices
- Oversee workplace transport and occupational road risk arrangements for team members who drive for work Ensure contractors working on Group sites are vetted, inducted and controlled, including permits to work where required
- Oversee waste management arrangements, including checking that waste consignment notes are completed accurately and retained
- Ensure office air conditioning servicing and portable appliance testing (PAT) are carried out at the required intervals
- Ensure that spray gun audits take place at bodyshops and track actions to completion with site leadership
Incidents & Enforcement
- Maintain the Group incident reporting process and encourage the reporting of near misses
- Lead or support incident investigations, ensuring root causes are identified and corrective actions are closed
- Ensure RIDDOR reportable incidents are reported to the HSE accurately and within statutory timescales
- Act as the Group's day-to-day point of contact for the HSE and other enforcing authorities, including responses to information requests and site visits Audit & Assurance
- Manage the BS 10125 internal audit programme, scheduling audits across sites, recording findings and tracking corrective actions to completion with site leadership
- Act as the main point of contact for BS 10125 external audits, preparing sites and evidence in advance, and ensuring any findings are addressed within agreed timescales
- Deliver a programme of site inspections and health and safety audits, tracking actions to completion with site leadership
- Deliver a programme of site inspections and health and safety audits, tracking actions to completion with site leadership
- Own the AAR compliance dashboard, which tracks site-level compliance with statutory testing, inspections and permits. Ensure that it is kept up to date by monthly review and agree completion dates with Bodyshop and Regional Operations Managers
- Support the ARIES accreditation for all bodyshops, providing health, safety and environmental evidence and supporting sites to close any gaps
- Produce the monthly health and safety incident summary and key performance indicators (for example, incident rates, near-miss ratios, audit scores and training compliance)
- Provide health and safety reporting for the Executive team and Board through the Head of Compliance, Risk & Sustainability
- Support responses to customer, insurer and tender health and safety questionnaires and accreditation requirements
Training & Culture
- Complete health and safety training needs analysis and maintain the training plan, including induction and refresher training
- Check training across all sites to confirm it meets BS 10125 requirements
- Equip people managers to manage health and safety at their sites, including through accredited training where appropriate
- Lead health and safety communications, including the Safety Spotlight newsletter, and support the Group's health and safety vision
- Run the Safety Climate Survey and support sites to act on the results
- Ensure consultation with team members on health and safety matters, including through site representatives or committees
Other
- Work collaboratively with the wider Compliance, Risk & Sustainability function, the People Team and operational leadership
- Role model the Group's values: Win Together, Strive for Better, Make It Happen Skills and experience
Knowledge & Experience
- NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (essential)
- NEBOSH National Diploma or equivalent Level 6 qualification (desirable)
- Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (CMIOSH), or working towards
- Significant experience in a health and safety role in a multi-site environment, ideally vehicle repair, automotive, manufacturing or similar
- Detailed knowledge of COSHH, LEV, RPE and health surveillance requirements
- Experience of incident investigation and RIDDOR reporting, and of dealing with the HSE
- Experience of implementing or maintaining a management system aligned to ISO 45001
- Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to sites regularly
Skills
- Ability to influence people managers and team members at all levels, including on site
- Ability to give clear, proportionate advice that operational teams can act on
- Ability to work confidentially with sensitive information
- Strong analytical skills, including the analysis of incident data and trends
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Strong IT skills, including Excel data analysis and presentation
- Well organised, able to manage a programme of site visits alongside reactive work
Benefits
We believe in rewarding our people for the great work they do. When you join Activate Group, you can expect:
- 33 days holiday, including bank holidays
- Personal health cash plan – claim back the cost of everyday healthcare such as dental and optical check-ups
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay
- Life assurance at three times your basic salary
- Free breakfasts and fresh fruit
- A birthday surprise for everyone
What you can expect from us
At Activate Group, we want everyone to have the tools and support they need to do their best work. We’re an innovative business that continuously reviews and improves our systems, processes and ways of working, making sure they support our teams to do their jobs effectively.
Every role at Activate Group is aligned to our wider business vision and purpose – making someone’s bad day better. You’ll understand how your role contributes to the bigger picture and how your work helps deliver excellent outcomes for customer and partners.
We believe work should be enjoyable. We make time to celebrate success, recognise achievements and bring people together at team events and company-wide celebrations. We’ll also support your ongoing development through regular feedback and career planning.
Whether you’re based in one of our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough or Huddersfield, working at an Activate Accident Repair (AAR) site, or working from home, you’ll be part of a supportive culture where people are encouraged to succeed.
A bit about us
Activate Group is a fast-growing business approaching 1,000 team members nationwide.
We work with some of the UK’s largest fleets and insurance companies, supporting drivers that have been involved in road incidents through our contact centres in Halifax, Peterborough and Huddersfield.
We manage every step of the repair journey - repairing vehicles at our own Activate Accident Repair (AAR) body shops, as well as through a UK-wide network of trusted independent repair partners.
We also work with the UK’s largest vehicle manufacturers, supporting their approved repair programmes, and deliver innovative technology solutions to fleets, vehicle repair centres and dealerships.
Our purpose & values
Our purpose underpins everything we do: Make someone’s bad day better
Our values define how we work with our team members, customers and suppliers:
- Make it happen – Be accountable. Take the initiative, work fast, and do a great job.
- Strive for better – Be bold. Challenge the norm - make small improvements often.
- Win together – Be a team player. Win together, learn together, respect each other.
