HSE Officer

We are a leading Abu Dhabi-based catering company specializing in large-scale bulk meal production. We are hiring an experienced HSE Officer to own and manage all aspects of Health, Safety, and Environment across our kitchen and production facilities, worker accommodations, and operational sites. The ideal candidate has deep, hands-on experience in Abu Dhabi’s regulatory environment (OSHAD, ADFCA) and has worked specifically within catering or food production operations . This role is central to protecting our workforce, maintaining regulatory compliance, and ensuring zero-tolerance for safety incidents.

Key Responsibilities

1. Kitchen & Food Production Safety

• Conduct daily safety inspections of all kitchen and food production areas: cooking stations, cold storage, dry storage, receiving docks, and packaging lines.

• Identify and mitigate hazards specific to catering operations: burns, slips, cuts, manual handling injuries, exposure to hot surfaces and steam, chemical handling (cleaning agents), and electrical equipment safety.

• Ensure all kitchen equipment (ovens, fryers, blast chillers, mixers, gas systems) undergoes scheduled maintenance and meets manufacturer and regulatory safety standards.

• Develop and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safe food handling, personal protective equipment (PPE) usage, and ergonomic practices across all production shifts.

• Conduct toolbox talks and safety briefings before each production shift.

2. Fire Safety & Emergency Response

• Design, implement, and maintain the company’s fire safety plan across all facilities, including kitchen areas, storage, offices, and accommodations.

• Conduct quarterly fire drills and emergency evacuation exercises; document results, identify gaps, and implement corrective actions.

• Ensure all fire suppression systems (kitchen hood suppression, fire extinguishers, sprinklers, fire alarms) are inspected, tested, and maintained per Abu Dhabi Civil Defence requirements.

• Maintain and update emergency response plans covering fire, gas leaks, chemical spills, medical emergencies, and natural disasters.

• Train designated first aiders and fire wardens from each department; maintain certification records.

3. HACCP & Food Safety Compliance

• Collaborate with the quality/food safety team to ensure the HACCP plan is implemented and monitored across all Critical Control Points (CCPs) in the production process.

• Conduct internal audits of food safety practices: temperature monitoring, cross-contamination prevention, allergen management, pest control, personal hygiene compliance.

• Ensure compliance with ADFCA (Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority) regulations, Dubai Municipality food safety standards (for Dubai operations), and Northern Emirates health authority requirements.

• Manage corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) arising from internal audits, customer complaints, or regulatory inspections.

4. Worker Accommodation & Labor Camp HSE

• Conduct monthly HSE inspections of worker accommodations: fire safety, ventilation, sanitation, pest control, electrical safety, and emergency exits.

• Ensure accommodations comply with Abu Dhabi’s Musanada or CICPA labor welfare standards and any applicable municipal regulations.

• Manage waste disposal, water quality testing, and general hygiene standards in accommodation facilities.

• Address worker HSE concerns and grievances promptly; maintain a confidential reporting mechanism.

5. OSHAD / Abu Dhabi HSE Regulatory Compliance

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all OSHAD (Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health System Framework) compliance requirements.

• Develop, maintain, and update the company’s OSHAD-SF management system documentation, including risk registers, HSE plans, and performance reports.

• Ensure timely submission of all OSHAD reporting requirements: incident reports, annual HSE performance data, and audit findings.

• Conduct and document risk assessments (HIRA) for all operational activities, with annual reviews and updates.

• Prepare the company for external OSHAD audits and regulatory inspections; manage all audit findings through to closure.

6. Incident Management & Reporting

• Investigate all workplace incidents, accidents, near-misses, and unsafe conditions using root cause analysis methodologies.

• Maintain an incident tracking database; produce monthly incident statistics, trend analysis, and lessons learned reports for the Operations Manager.

• Ensure all reportable incidents are communicated to OSHAD and relevant authorities within the mandated timeframes.

• Develop and track implementation of corrective actions arising from incident investigations.

7. Training & Awareness

• Develop and deliver an annual HSE training calendar covering: induction for new employees, fire safety, manual handling, food hygiene basics, PPE usage, chemical handling, and emergency procedures.

• Maintain training records and ensure 100% compliance with mandatory training requirements.

• Promote a proactive safety culture through HSE campaigns, notice boards, toolbox talks, and recognition programs.

Mandatory Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of HSE experience in Abu Dhabi — candidates must demonstrate specific knowledge of OSHAD-SF, ADFCA, and Abu Dhabi Civil Defence requirements.

• Must have worked in catering, bulk food production, hospitality food services, or institutional feeding operations. Construction-only or oil & gas-only backgrounds will not be considered.

• Proven experience managing kitchen/food production safety, fire safety systems, worker accommodation HSE, and regulatory compliance simultaneously.

• Strong incident investigation skills with documented experience conducting root cause analyses.

• Ability to develop and deliver HSE training programs for multilingual workforces.

• Proficient in HSE documentation: risk assessments, method statements, SOPs, audit reports, and management system documentation.

• Fluent in English (written and spoken). Arabic and/or Hindi/Urdu is an advantage for communicating with kitchen staff.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: AED2,500.00 - AED4,000.00 per month

Work Location: In person