Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) Manager

Reading Buses Group; Reading; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Reading Buses Group is seeking an experienced HSE Manager to lead health and safety across Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses and Newbury & District Buses. The role is site-based in Reading with regular travel between locations, requiring an approachable leader who collaborates with operations teams and manages actions to completion.

You will provide expert guidance with support from the Engineering Director and specialists, ensuring lawful compliance and robust safety practices across all sites.

Qualifications

• NEBOSH Diploma or equivalent Level 6+ in health and safety.
• Proven hands-on health and safety experience in transport/operational environments.
• Solid knowledge of UK H&S requirements and practical application.

Responsibilities

• Lead practical health and safety management across all company-operated sites.
• Establish and deliver a risk-prioritised programme; manage gaps, controls and deadlines.
• Coach drivers, engineers and managers; conduct regular safety meetings.
• Maintain health and safety management system; develop policies and risk assessments.
• Plan risk-based visits, inspections and audits; track actions and outcomes.
• Advise on contractor safety, permits, and CDM duties.
• Coordinate hazardous exposures management and health surveillance.
• Coordinate fire safety, first-aid, drills and emergency plans.
• Monitor legal changes; report risks and trends to senior management.

Skills

Communication

Coaching

Influencing

Risk assessment

Incident investigation

Contractor safety

Education

NEBOSH Diploma/Equivalent

IOSH Membership (Desirable)

Tools

HSE management systems

Incident reporting platforms

Digital action-tracking tools

Job description

Lead practical health and safety management across all company-operated sites, including Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses and Newbury & District Buses. Work with managers and employees to protect employees, passengers, contractors and visitors from injury and work-related ill health, strengthen compliance and implement proportionate improvements. Health and safety is the primary focus, with oversight of day-to-day environmental compliance. This is a site-based role, based in Reading with regular travel to company locations. It requires an approachable, proactive manager who listens to operational teams, builds relationships and follows actions through to completion. Provide competent advice with support from the Engineering Director, managers and specialist advisers. Employers retain their legal duties; directors and managers remain accountable for safe operations and controls. Facilities management, maintenance, service contracts and budgets remain with the relevant managers.

• Establish and begin delivering a risk-prioritised programme to review and confirm compliance gaps, and update site and task risk assessments with managers and employees. Address urgent gaps promptly; agree controls, action owners and deadlines, and report progress to the Engineering Director.
• Build effective relationships with drivers, engineering teams and managers. Coach colleagues, consult employees and recognised trade union safety representatives through regular safety meetings, and explain requirements clearly.
• Maintain a controlled health and safety management system. Develop policies, risk assessments and safe systems of work. Review after incidents or changes and at planned intervals.
• Plan and undertake risk-based visits, inspections and audits across all sites. Agree priorities, owners and deadlines; maintain a central action tracker; verify completion and effectiveness; and elevate significant risks or overdue actions.
• Operational risk controls: Support managers with depot traffic, pedestrians, reversing, inspection pits, lifting equipment, work at height and hazardous substances. Address fuel, gas and electric vehicle risks. Check equipment and premises compliance records, including asbestos, legionella and electrical safety. Support Operations on road risk, lone working and violence towards staff.
• Investigate workplace accidents, near misses, environmental incidents and work-related ill health. Identify causes, agree corrective actions and share lessons across sites. Assess RIDDOR reportability, including road-traffic exclusions.
• Advise managers on contractor competence, risk assessments, method statements, permits and site controls. Provide safety input to operational changes and projects, including applicable CDM client duties.
• Work with HR, managers and competent providers to control hazardous exposures, noise, vibration, manual handling, fatigue and work-related stress. Coordinate required health surveillance and secure health records; confidential clinical records remain with the provider.
• Coordinate fire risk assessment reviews, first-aid, spill-response and emergency plans. Arrange drills and follow up findings.
• Identify HSE training needs. Coordinate suitable training and deliver safety and environmental briefings within your competence.
• Monitor relevant health, safety and environmental legal changes and provide regular reports to the Engineering Director and senior management on risks, incident trends, action closure, training and resource needs.
• Exercise delegated authority to stop work where there is serious or imminent danger, accelerate promptly and agree safe restart arrangements with the responsible manager and specialists where needed.
• Work with site and Facilities/Engineering managers to check waste segregation and recycling; safe storage and disposal of workshop wastes.

Essential

• NEBOSH Diploma in occupational health and safety, or equivalent, at Level 6 or above. Candidates actively working towards one of these qualifications may be considered, provided they can demonstrate satisfactory progress and an expected completion date.
• Proven hands‑on health and safety experience in transport, engineering, vehicle maintenance, logistics, manufacturing or a comparable operational environment, with evidence of delivering improvements.
• Sound working knowledge of UK health and safety requirements and their practical application, including risk assessment, inspections, incident investigation, contractor safety and occupational health controls. Working knowledge of depot environmental controls.
• Strong communication, coaching and influencing skills; able to build trust with colleagues at all levels, listen to concerns and challenge unsafe practices confidently, constructively and respectfully.
• High standards of integrity, confidentiality and judgement. Recognises the limits of their competence, seeks specialist advice appropriately and maintains continuing professional development.

Desirable

• Experience of multi‑site operations, bus/passenger transport or vehicle engineering workshops.
• Membership of IOSH or an equivalent professional body at an appropriate grade.
• Relevant environmental training or practical environmental compliance experience.
• Experience carrying out or supporting internal HSE audits and compliance inspections.
• Training or practical experience in incident investigation and root cause analysis.
• Experience using HSE management systems, incident reporting platforms or digital action‑tracking tools.