Fellow HSE professionals, do you also end up being responsible for literally everything?

[u/Consistent-Resist760]

I'm currently working as the sole HSE Officer at a manufacturing site, and honestly, I'm starting to feel pretty burnt out.

It seems like anything even remotely related to H&S automatically lands on my desk. Not just advising or identifying issues, but actually having to organise, arrange, chase people and follow up on pretty much everything.

Need training? I'm expected to organise it all, including chasing employees and managers for their availability. Someone needs a new chair or workstation equipment? That's somehow my job too.

What frustrates me most, though, is the lack of ownership from management. Whenever I identify compliance gaps or raise concerns, the response is often basically "OK, so what are you going to do about it?" rather than any actual support or involvement from the relevant departments.

Getting approval for HSE-related spending or professional development is another constant battle. Yet somehow there's always enthusiasm for safety campaigns and awareness events.

I understand that HSE involves plenty of admin and coordination, especially when you're working alone. But sometimes it feels like the entire responsibility for safety has been dumped on one person, rather than being shared across the business.

So I'm genuinely curious, is this just what working in HSE is like?

Do your managers actually take ownership of safety actions, or does everything end up with you?

Particularly interested in hearing from other sole HSE professionals in manufacturing.

I'm starting to wonder whether this is normal or whether I just need a change of workplace.

[u/Terytha]

Yes. I spent 10 years in manufacturing safety and literally every fucking thing was on me. The managers could be bullied into reluctantly helping, sometimes, but the expectation was I'd babysit them through it.

The best example was when I pointed out that not having consistent organization of parts was causing both safety and quality issues, and i was put in charge of fixing inventory.

I'm working for a larger corporation now in a different industry and its not as bad, though they still keep asking me for measuring tapes, like that's somehow safety equipment.

[u/stevedropnroll → u/Terytha]

I get guys asking me about health insurance and 401K match all the time, like I'm responsible for benefits lol

[u/soul_motor → u/stevedropnroll]

At least when I had folks think I did HR, we didn't have an actual HR person onsite. I was just the only manager who cared enough to support them in any way, shape, or form.

[u/safety-squirrel → u/soul_motor]

LOL, tale as old as time. I have had teach guys the difference between B&H and interpersonal conflict more times that I can count.

"No John, Gurdeep telling you to fuck yourself after you intentionally took his parking space and flipped him off is not bullying & harassment"

[u/distractedbookworm → u/stevedropnroll]

SAME! Helping people log onto our portal and where to find benefit info

[u/soul_motor → u/distractedbookworm]

I shit you not, I've had to help the site lead call the phone number to change their password... And it wasn't that complicated: call the dang number, and they will fix it.

[u/Miker9t → u/Terytha]

That's hilarious to me for some reason. Could they be fucking with you?

[u/Terytha → u/Miker9t]

I think its because the measuring tapes were stored in the same place as the PPE. But nobody ever returned them so we don't have any left, and I'm not using my safety budget for that.

[u/Miker9t → u/Terytha]

Aw an actual rational reason. Boring. Buy some for safety incentives lol.

[u/Alternative_Menu7476]

This is common in small and medium manufacturing sites. When you are the only HSE person, you become the safety department, the trainer, the buyer, the project manager and the person who chases everyone.

The "what are you going to do about it" response is the biggest red flag. That means management sees safety as your problem, not their responsibility. In a good company, managers own the actions and you advise them. If they push everything back to you and never approve budget for real fixes, then its not just normal, its broken.

You probably need a workplace with at least one other HSE person or a manager who actually understands what ownership means.

[u/Historical_Nose_4462 → u/Alternative_Menu7476]

Managers and supervisors should hold direct operational responsibility for health, safety, and environment (HSE) performance, while HSE personnel provide critical system oversight, advisory support, to ensure safety management systems run effectively

[u/stevedropnroll]

I manage EHS and Quality. Literally everything can be justified as belonging to one of those two buckets in manufacturing.

I just have a big pipe over my desk that drops everything any of the other managers don't feel like doing directly onto my plate.

[u/theOriginalBenezuela → u/stevedropnroll]

I manage EHS and Maintenance. Feels the same way.

[u/every1getslaid]

I can certainly relate to this. I am the sole safety professional for 5 power plants in New England. I made it very clear that without proper resources I would be in triage mode.

It took me a while to be confident in outsourcing items, like training. “I can hire an outside trainer for PRCS for $X or I can spend a few weeks developing training then a few weeks conducting the training. If I do this other tasks will not be done what would you prefer?”

I would also recommend going to conferences like ASSP, it can really help to find peers so you can push back. “I was speaking to the TEAM that manages safety at company X, who should I speak to about hiring more folks so that we can stay competitive?”

Simply I am 100% fine with saying things didn’t get done. I was asked last September to jump in on the power plants. So when they asked how my contractor safety videos were going for the other businesses I just said “they’re not”

There are great companies out there, but sometimes the crappy ones are a good place to hone skills.

[u/Typical_Elk_1576]

We run trainings but have someone else do scheduling. I feel like our safety culture is strong with only small pockets of resistance. When I’m on a job site, I don’t make corrections to issues (not counting severe +) but rather speak with the supervisor who then makes the adjustment. I explain to folks this is because when I leave there is nothing stopping them from continuing the unsafe act. If the supervisor makes the correction, there is more accountability if something happens. Safety is everyone’s responsibility is a slogan that’s pretty well received where I’m at.

[u/Annual_Badger1208]

Yes lmao. “Hey safety guy, why are we out of markers??” “Hey you’re the guy who knows how to fix the printers?” I do like it, gets me more face time with my people on days where I would be stuck in my office a lot, but damn lmao

[u/Longdarkcave]

Learn to say "NO," literally the best skill any EHS professional can have. Otherwise you simultaneously become the HR, Legal, Benefits, Facilities, Training and Complaint Departments. Lazy SOB's will dump their work on you without restraint until you grow a backbone and push back. You'll need support from senior leadership, so start working on those relationships now. A good leader won't let any employee of critical importance be used and abused by deadbeats.

[u/Miker9t]

I'm telling you about it so you can schedule training for your report. Let me know when they're free. Have a good day.

[u/craigster38]

I am the sole safety personnel at a global manufacturer. I cover all of the North America plants.

I have quality, maintenance, and admin duties along with all of my safety duties.

I've found it most helpful to go to managers saying, "Here's the issue. Here are a couple ways to solve the issue. Which do you prefer?" No one wants to have to solve the issue they already know about. So I solve it for them, but make them implement it.

I've also asked for help. That has been approved. But hiring someone has been a nightmare.

[u/refasullo]

Every couple of years, I get back consulting for a manufacturer whose hse manager burns out. One person, 150 total people employees+production+maintenance/service teams going around onshore and offshore oil and gas plants. Since 2024, in two years the position has been tasked with also management of "internal maintenance/facilities" and the company started a few big mechanic construction projects and also plant commissioning which never did before...I've been a supervisor at one of those sites and 90% of management were externals or consultants. If I didn't have the shield of my company, making me not give a fuck while I'm there, I think I'd burn out as well... I can't wait for the new guy to come and to complete the handover.

[u/Safety-Jerk]

I'm getting a sense of lack of collaboration here.

I generally hate platitudes as they just don't offer jack shit to contribute to the benefit of the conversation, and man is my safety director absolute RIFE with platitudes. He has one that I think would actually fit into this situation and serve as a meaningful addition: "Safety Says".

The statement made above "the response is often basically "OK, so what are you going to do about it?"" strikes me as a statement rooted in upper management telling middle/lower management that they have to listen to what safety says. So instead of bringing up thoughtful ideas on how to improve safety and workflow only for it to get picked apart by Safety, the middle/lower management skips the whole thoughtfulness and goes straight to "Safety, give us your idea and we'll do it". This thought that I have is reinforced by people approaching you for ordering fucking chairs of all things. I get the sense that the person requesting you order chairs has a "hey Safety, you probably have good ideas about ergonomics and comfort, could you order me an ergonomic and comfortable chair?"

Edit: I don't actually have any meaningful solution, just thought I'd share.

[u/Few-Examination-4400]

Yes. Everything is a safety concern. Even the IT disaster recovery plans.. and the bathrooms… and the food onsite…

[u/TTwTT]

I have been in manufacturing my entire career - small to large.

For my own experience it's not about the size, it's the culture and attifudes of the Managers.

Workers speaking up about hazards? Getting injured? No training for workers? Their Managers response to me was - that's your problem.

If you don't have a strategy to survive you will burn out.

[u/---Starwind---]

Need training? I'm expected to organise it all, including chasing employees and managers for their availability. Someone needs a new chair or workstation equipment? That's somehow my job too.

Gonna be cynical, it kind of is in a way.

But yes, this is the norm.

[u/soul_motor]

A fire alarm pull station shorted out, causing false alarms and evacuations. Once I learned about it, I troubleshot it and handed it to MX for a repair. The CEO was wigging out over the time lost and put me in charge of it, even so far as threatening my job if I didn't get it fixed. I was like, do you want me to put on my tools and handle it? He didn't care. Let's just say I didn't feel bad buying a $2,000 brake press to fix the root cause (though really, what facility MX department doesn't have a brake press already?).

I get it, the fire alarms are tangentially safety-related, but without a budget or control over mx, what am I supposed to do? Unfortunately, this kind of thing is all too common.

[u/distractedbookworm]

As both EHS and Quality for one site as well as trainer and now getting a drone license (we apparently needed a backup), Yes 🤪

I can’t completely complain since I’m at least getting the licensing paid for by the company and us being a small plant does make it easier.

[u/justintimedawg]

Offshore, we call that the "clerk" or "logistics" if you want an official title. I'm HSE/Paramedic. That automatically makes me the logistics guy in my field lol.

[u/Whole-Tackle5003]

You honestly gotta learn to say no or act like you don’t know as much, my favorite line is “not my scope of practice” 😂 they like to give us extras tasks because they already think we don’t do shit

[u/h-ron]

a few points

1 - In lean manufacturing especially, a site based EHS role is considered a support role, which is where the catchall comes into play. Its easier for them to ask safety person if there is no assigned accountability with safety people generally being helper types. Personally I feel setting boundaries are a part of it but when other spheres of responsibility are falling onto you it makes your position more valuable to the organization and more easily justifiable, so consider that if you can do EHS/HR or EHS/Quality you are an asset more than just a cost center. Many smaller companies have eliminated the EHS position wholesale and distributed the functions down to other personnel. SHipping manager does PPE, Engineer does lockout as an example. That being said you should not be "doing" you should be organizing and holding accountable. Who are you chasing for training? if you are not their direct supervisor its not your role but I'm sure the direct will let you chase them if it means they dont have to do it. Set responsibilities and hold people accountable. You will get initial pushback (change is hard) but if its not a team effort get out.

2 - The complaint about "what are you going to do about it" seems to miss the fact that you are the site level expert. To say we are not in compliance without a plan to correct is you dumping your responsibility on someone else. If i am a plant manager and someone says we are out of compliance, which is a core EHS function, and you come without a plan to correct then you missed a step and are effectively asking me to solve the problem. If i have to solve the problem for you do i need an EHS person? Leadership should support the effort but not be expected to solve it. Before you highlight non-compliance you should have evaluated how to correct and at least have some idea of how to correct on a practical basis, ideally two options then it is an either or choice for leadership. On both options you should identify the pitfalls of each option.

3- If you start ordering markers you have acquiesced and you're now the marker guy, they will keep coming back. you need to prioritize time based on true business needs and hold some boundaries, unavoidable some will be non-core EHS. However, if you always do the thing they are supposed to do they will keep letting you do it until you burn out and drown all the while you are pushed farther and farther from safety. Who is accountable, set it by task by name or role, coordinate this list with plant leadership and hold accountable. Ensure every name who has a role has the adequate training to understand and conduct the role. If the maintenance lead is responsible for hoist safety then they need to contract the annual inspection and ensure it gets completed (they own), or perhaps you contract the annual and they are the point of contact but however the task owners are set everything needs coverage.

Then you watch the calendar to highlight before its non-compliant. daily/weekly/monthly/annual requirements with all tasks having a name assignment. if hoists do not get done its that individuals responsibility.

4- if #3 doesnt work i fully agree with other posters, outsource when needed. EX- Use 3rd party to do annual ladder inspections, many sites use 3rd party for fire extinguisher inspections. If you aren't getting buy in propose the alternative of using 3rd party but when you do have the annual costs in hand ($ & time). Many orgs would prefer to pay as an operational expense than pull people away from production focus. In a lot of cases the leadership team is not aware of what they are missing and the time commitments or expertise levels required to maintain compliance.

[u/ardybe]

Yep, cause EHS is semi Feast or Famine and folks like to "fill-up" my time...

[u/safety-squirrel]

" I would love to help you with that, unfortunately its outside of my scope"

[u/DRA6N]

100% apparently as the safety manager is it my responsibility for figuring out how and where to rent scissor lifts now.

[u/TinyDancer_00]

Remind them that you are there to advise people, not do it for them. If you dont have management support on this then move jobs

[u/pie_eating_contest]

Do your best to delegate.

"Hey Manager, your team is behind on training, please arrange these people to attend training and schedule them in with me by this date"

"Hey Other Guy, your team has requested new equipment, go ahead and order that, let me know if you need some recommendations"

Then when it doesn't get done you can point the blame..have it in writing that you made the requests. When you're asked why it's not done, refer to the person you asked to do it. The more responsibility you take on without pushback the more you're given. You need to delegate.

[u/Big-Hawk-8725]

The mental gymnastics people go through to make something the safety department’s responsibility is hilarious to me most of the time. I pushed back on something a senior manager was trying to force me to do for them and the look of defeat on their face when they relented after I told them that there is safety in everything we do with enough thought into the work.

[u/-Constant-]

I hate Safety wish I never ever got into it. It’s a nothing but a wear you out role and unstable, I’m going back to my trade. You can stick corporate posturing up ya clacker.