Role
Health and Safety Manager
A Health and Safety Manager designs and oversees the production’s broader safety program, aligning risk assessment, staffing, training, reporting, emergency planning, inspections, vendors, and corrective actions across units and departments. They advise Producers and managers, assign Safety Officers, coordinate qualified specialists, review trends, maintain escalation channels, and ensure changing production plans receive proportionate safety attention and documentation.
The manager focuses on the system and accountability across the production rather than personally performing every technical inspection or medical duty.
Health and Safety Manager connects a defined craft or decision area to the wider production plan. A strong brief clarifies authority, deliverables, schedule, safety expectations, and the handoffs this role owns.
Responsibilities
- Establish the safety plan, responsibilities, reporting paths, training expectations, and documentation.
- Review high-risk activities and coordinate competent specialists, permits, controls, and emergency resources.
- Supervise safety staff and monitor inspections, incidents, trends, corrective actions, and closure.
- Advise production leadership on unresolved risk, schedule changes, resources, and stop-work decisions.
Tools
- Safety management and incident systems
- Risk registers and inspection dashboards
- Regulatory, contractual, and industry guidance
- Emergency planning and communication tools
Documents
- Production safety plan
- Risk register
- Training matrix
- Incident trend and corrective-action report
Skills
- Safety program leadership
- Risk governance
- Incident analysis
- Executive communication
Career path
- Managers typically have substantial occupational safety or production experience plus relevant training for the jurisdictions and hazards they oversee.
Work environment
- The role spans planning meetings, site visits, high-risk rehearsals, incident response, vendor coordination, and reporting across multiple units.
Common questions
What is the main responsibility of a Health and Safety Manager?
A Health and Safety Manager designs and oversees the production’s broader safety program, aligning risk assessment, staffing, training, reporting, emergency planning, inspections, vendors, and corrective actions across units and departments. They advise Producers and managers, assign Safety Officers, coordinate qualified specialists, review trends, maintain escalation channels, and ensure changing production plans receive proportionate safety attention and documentation.
What does a Health and Safety Manager do day to day?
Day to day, Health and Safety Manager work commonly includes Establish the safety plan, responsibilities, reporting paths, training expectations, and documentation., Review high-risk activities and coordinate competent specialists, permits, controls, and emergency resources., and Supervise safety staff and monitor inspections, incidents, trends, corrective actions, and closure.. The exact balance changes with the production schedule, crew size, and the point at which the role joins the project.
What skills matter most for a Health and Safety Manager?
The most useful skills are Safety program leadership, Risk governance, Incident analysis, and Executive communication. Together, they help the role make dependable decisions, communicate a clear handoff, and respond to notes or changing conditions.
Which tools and documents does a Health and Safety Manager use?
Common tools include Safety management and incident systems, Risk registers and inspection dashboards, Regulatory, contractual, and industry guidance, and Emergency planning and communication tools. The role also relies on Production safety plan, Risk register, Training matrix, and Incident trend and corrective-action report so decisions, approvals, continuity, and delivery requirements remain traceable.
How does someone build experience for a Health and Safety Manager?
Managers typically have substantial occupational safety or production experience plus relevant training for the jurisdictions and hazards they oversee.
How does a Health and Safety Manager vary by production?
The scope changes with format, budget, location, crew structure, and the production's technical method. The role spans planning meetings, site visits, high-risk rehearsals, incident response, vendor coordination, and reporting across multiple units.
Union and local practice notes
- Certification, statutory duties, and required staffing vary by jurisdiction, employer, and production activity.
Related entries
Sources
- Craft Service, Marine and First Aid crafts — IATSE Local 80
- Motion picture industry craft groups — Contract Services
- Green Production Guide — Sustainable Production Alliance