Safety, Quality & Compliance Supervisor

The primary role of the Safety, Quality and Compliance Supervisor is to undertake site-based audits on contract tree cutting operatives working on or near electricity networks across the SPN region, ensuring that related operational and safety procedures and bulletins along with utility arboriculture guidelines are followed.,

• Support the production and delivery of annual audit plans to ensure the department's safety action plan is delivered.
• Provide field guidance and site monitoring across multiple contracts to ensure tree cutting operatives are working to, and compliant with, health and safety legislation, national industry standards and all other associated procedures
• Ensure audits focus on the adherence to relevant procedures / management of risks, quality of expertise and associated engineering standards
• Provide constructive feedback to those being audited with an emphasis on highlighting best practice and identify areas that require improvement
• Input all audit reports to the required standard and timescales and provide a high level of ownership for resolving actions/non-conformance.
• Maintain high levels of Engagement across the team by supporting the delivery of Team Briefs, forums, and other communications including new and revised documents commensurate to the post holders experience
• Ensure UK Power Networks receives value from tree cutting contracts through quantitative and qualitative auditing of works following PRO 01 006 Monitoring & Control of Contractors Quality of Work
• Help evaluate cost estimates and the validation of claims for work completed
• Be a point of reference for practical tree cutting matters, assisting other sections e.g. organisational changes, system emergencies as determined by your experience
NATURE AND SCOPE: Utility arborist work is acknowledged by UK Power Networks as a high risk activity, often combining some or all of the following;
• working at height,
• Work near live electricity (on networks operating up to 132kV)
• Work with hazardous moving machinery
UK Power Network's contracts several small and medium sized organisations to deliver tree cutting services across EPN and SPN. There is a requirement to ensure that operatives working for every contractor are audited and that work is carried out safely, in an environmentally compliant manner, and with due consideration to the customers whose land we are working on. It is imperative that a safety auditing regime is in place and carried out by persons with levels of industry-related experience who are conversant with UK Power Networks operating procedures and associated legislation. The role that written forms of observations are made on site, and the confidence to challenge and act immediately where potential issues are identified. UK Power Networks also directly employs a small team of tree cutting staff who work with the operational areas and it is important that these employees are provided with levels of management and support to ensure that they perform their tasks in a safe and compliant way. In addition to safety auditing, you will perform qualitative and quantitative auditing of completed work, ensuring UK Power Networks receives value for money from its contract partners. This requires a sound understanding of tree cutting techniques and how they are applied, statutory clearance requirements, and the associated British Standards. You will manage the following;
• Ensure compliance with procedures
• Demonstrate visible leadership through regular site visits
• Lead by example and demonstrating safe working practices and behaviours
• Improve safety performance
You will work as part of a team contributing to achieving department targets through the monitoring of performance against agreed standards, and the promotion of health, safety and compliance. Although not directly responsible for a budget or any direct reports, the post holder is an enabler for ensuring every operative returns home unharmed at the end of each day, and maximum value is delivered from the circa £25M of annual investment in tree cutting.


• 5 years of practical experience as a qualified utility arborist
• Industry-related qualifications namely NPTC Utility arboricultural units UA1, UA2.1, UA5.1 and UA5.2
• Management experience in organising, motivating and managing teams
• Experience in surveying and auditing the work of others
• Experience all current and Health and Safety practices within Utility Arboriculture
• Undertake data input into hand held devices
• Must hold a full driving licence
• IOSH Managing Safely (training will be provided if necessary)
• Environmental Awareness (training will be provided if necessary)
• You will participate in UK Power Networks management training programme, appropriate to the role