HM Specialist Inspector - Major Hazard Risk Assessment

HM Specialist Inspector - Major Hazard Risk Assessment
Basingstoke, Bedford, Birmingham, Bootle, Bristol, Buxton, Cardiff, Chelmsford, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich, Nottingham, Oxted or Sheffield

About Us

The Health and Safety Executive is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We’re dedicated to protecting people and places, ensuring everyone can lead safer and healthier lives at work.

A key part of HSE, the Chemicals, Explosives & Microbiological Hazards Division (CEMHD) regulates onshore major hazard industries across Great Britain, ensuring businesses effectively manage the risks of catastrophic events.

Within this, the Major Hazards Risk Assessment Unit (MHRAU) plays a central role under Control of Major Hazards (COMAH), assessing the adequacy of operators’ major hazard risk assessments to protect people and communities.

We are now looking for three major hazard experts to retrain as HM Specialist Inspectors and join us on a full-time, permanent basis.

The Benefits

- Salary of £55,063 - £66,338 per annum
- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
- 25 days’ annual holiday increasing to 30 days after five years' service, plus bank holidays and 1-day Civil Service privilege leave
- Family-friendly policies and working hours to help balance your home life and career
- Carer-friendly policies to help create a supportive working culture
- Access to a wide range of fantastic benefits, such as the Cycle to Work Scheme, E-Gift Cards, and Vouchers via our partner EdenRed
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

This is a fantastic opportunity for three major hazards professionals to re-focus their careers and take on inspector positions with our essential organisation.

You’ll be supported through a Specialist Training Programme (STP) to gain the skills and expertise to become a safety inspector. You will enrol on the STP and undertake a combination of study, practical experience and a final assessment, ensuring you are equipped

to operate at the forefront of your specialist area.

So, if you're ready to step into a role that combines challenge, purpose, and influence, while helping protect lives and the environment, we want to hear from you.

The Role

As an HM Specialist Inspector, after completing our Specialist Training Programme, you will evaluate and support the regulation of onshore major hazard sites across Great Britain, with a focus on assessing major hazard risks.

Specifically, you will assess COMAH operators’ risk assessments, reviewing safety reports and undertaking inspections to ensure hazards are properly identified, analysed and controlled in line with legal requirements.

Alongside this, you will play a key role in public safety within the planning system, carrying out risk assessments on hazardous sites and pipelines, and providing clear, expert advice to planning authorities and stakeholders to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

Additionally, you will:

- Analyse hazard scenarios including fires, explosions and toxic releases
- Contribute to technical policy, methodologies and risk assessment tools
- Commission and oversee scientific work and contribute to peer reviews
- Represent us at planning appeals, inquiries and technical forums

Please note, enrolment in the Specialist Training Programme (STP) is a legal requirement that you will be required to study for and successfully complete.

About You

To be considered as an HM Specialist Inspector, you will need:

- Experience in major hazard risk assessment within high-hazard industries
- Experience using risk assessment techniques, methodologies and tools, including hazard identification and scenario analysis
- Experience evaluating individual and societal risk to inform risk management decisions
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to influence and engage both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- The ability to make effective, evidence-based decisions and take accountability for

outcomes
- The confidence to challenge stakeholders at all levels in a professional manner
- A degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant science or engineering discipline
- A full, valid driving licence

The closing date for this role is 21st April 2026.

Other organisations may call this role Risk Assessment Specialist, Onshore Hazard Engineer, Onshore Hazard Specialist, Process Safety Engineer, Safety Consultant, Major Hazards Engineer, Major Hazards Specialist, or COMAH Specialist.

Webrecruit and the Health and Safety Executive are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you’re looking for a new challenge and want to become an HM Specialist Inspector, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.