Free Position Description (WHS Adviser or Officer) Template

Purpose of the Free Position Description (WHS Adviser or Officer) Template

A well-drafted position description is a cornerstone of effective workplace health and safety management. This free Position Description (WHS Adviser or Officer) template provides a structured starting point for organisations to clearly define the role, responsibilities, and expectations of their key safety personnel.

Using a formal document helps ensure that accountability for safety is clearly assigned, which is a fundamental principle of Australian WHS legislation. It assists in attracting qualified candidates during recruitment, sets clear benchmarks for performance management, and helps integrate the safety function seamlessly into your operational structure.

Key elements included

Our template is designed to be comprehensive, covering the essential components of a modern WHS professional's role. It includes sections for:

• Position summary and purpose
• Key responsibilities and duties (e.g., risk assessments, incident investigation, training coordination)
• Reporting lines and key relationships
• Essential qualifications, skills, and experience
• Key performance indicators (KPIs)

These sections are based on common industry practice and are aligned with the functions required to support robust WHS management systems.

How to use the Free Position Description (WHS Adviser or Officer) Template

This resource is available for immediate download in both DOCX and PDF formats. The DOCX file is fully editable, allowing you to tailor the content to your organisation's specific needs.

We strongly advise customising the document to accurately reflect the duties, authority level, and specific industry risks relevant to your business.

Important: This document is a template, not a finished product. It is essential that you customise it to reflect the specific hazards, risks, operational structure, and legal obligations of your workplace.

We have provided a comprehensive framework, but it is your responsibility to ensure the final document is fit for purpose and aligns with relevant state or territory laws.

When to use a Position Description for a WHS role

A detailed position description is not just for hiring. It is a vital document throughout the employment lifecycle. You should use or update a WHS position description when:

• Establishing a new WHS Adviser or Officer role in your organisation.
• Recruiting to fill a vacancy for an existing safety position.
• Conducting annual performance reviews to assess against defined responsibilities.
• Restructuring your safety team or business operations.
• Reviewing your safety management system and clarifying roles and responsibilities. Professional WHS consulting can often help benchmark these roles against industry standards.

Who should use it

This template is designed for use by anyone responsible for managing human resources or WHS functions within an Australian business. This typically includes:

• Human Resources (HR) Managers
• Hiring Managers and Department Heads
• Business Owners of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
• Senior WHS or Operations Managers

Defining safety roles is a critical step in demonstrating due diligence and fostering a proactive safety culture. It forms part of the evidence base often examined during WHS compliance auditing to verify that safety responsibilities are formally documented and assigned.

Adapting for seniority

The template can be adapted for roles of varying seniority. For a more senior 'Adviser' or 'Manager' role, you might add strategic responsibilities like budget management, developing safety strategy, and reporting to the executive board.

For a more junior 'Officer' or 'Coordinator' role, the focus might be more on operational tasks like site inspections, toolbox talks, and maintaining safety records. This clarity is especially important in organisations seeking certification for international standards, a process that can be supported by ISO 45001 consulting services.

This is just one of many professional documents available in our free WHS resources library, created to help Australian businesses manage safety more effectively.