The position of the Health and Safety Environmental Manager within Multinational Construction Company Facilitating Engineering Structures
Abstract: It is a common issue that foreign capital investors seek to fill the position of a Health and Safety Environmental manager, yet the job description tends to fit more a technician of Health and Safety based on the legal requirements of the country where the daughter company at that time operates. But when these two positions are inspected individually and objectively - each requires a different set of demands and specifications as far as skills, education, desirable personality traits and people´s skills. It is reasonable to assume that each building site is unique and in need of individual customisation to ensure the needs of safety are met during its construction period. It is necessary to ask a question, who is the best suited and what are the requirements for that person. The aim of this article is to determine and evaluate whether the position of the HSE manager (Health and Safety Environmental manager) in a multinational company with its project and task managing is sufficient for a smooth running of basic legal demands within the area of Health and Safety in the respective country, namely the Slovak Republic. Every position brings its job description. The main focus of the whole analysis is in determining whether it is possible for these two seemingly identical positions to sufficiently ensure safety during the construction period. Based on a three year study and analysis of elemental requirements and also on my own experience - it is safe to conclude that these two job positions are markedly different. Included graphs illustrate the basic requirements of specialised skills and job description. The summary offers ascertainment that it is not desirable for a person holding the position of Health and Safety Environmental manager in an multinational company to be also responsible for the position of the technician of Health and Safety at a building site. The reason is the complexity and job entailment of the HSE manager and the conflicting legal and cultural understanding of the technician of Health and Safety at a building site. This ascertainment should be a guideline for the management of these foreign companies about how challenging these both positions are.
