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The job description is an operational tool used to inform operators about the health and safety risks associated with their activities and the preventive measures to be implemented to mitigate these risks.
Initially implemented to meet regulatory requirements, this tool is now widely deployed when setting up occupational health and safety (ISO 45001) and environmental (ISO 14001) management systems. However, to be fully effective, certain rules must be followed when creating and updating job descriptions.
Job description: regulatory framework
According to the Labor Code, every employer is required to inform and train employees on safety. It is specified that this training must be appropriate, practical in nature, and periodically renewed. It must be provided, in particular:
- when hiring any new employee responsible for the use or maintenance of work equipment, including temporary staff
- when risks evolve (changes in processes, modifications to the workspace layout, etc.)
- whenever an employee changes positions
- at the request of the occupational physician for workers returning to work after a leave of at least twenty-one days
The Labor Code defines the content of this training, which must teach employees the safest behaviors and practices, as well as the operation of protection and emergency devices and the reasons for their use. Regarding chemical risks, the Labor Code requires the employer to establish a job notice for every workstation or work situation involving exposure to a hazardous chemical agent, provided that therisk assessment concludes that the risk is not low.
How to create effective job descriptions?
To establish job descriptions, the employer must start with their professional risk assessment. This assessment makes it possible to identify risks by activity or work unit and to classify them using criteria such as the severity of potential harm and the likelihood of occurrence, thereby limiting workplace accidents.
The job description should therefore be created for activities that generate significant risks, for which it provides the following information:
- safety instructions to observe and collective protection measures to use: safety instructions should be adapted based on the risks present. However, some may be systematic, such as the strict prohibition against modifying safety devices. Collective protection measures should be prioritized over the use of personal protective equipment (PPE); these may include biosafety cabinets (BSCs), guardrails, etc. The job description may provide references for documents useful for the operation and maintenance of these collective protection measures.
- instructions regarding the use of PPE: presented in the form of mandatory pictograms, it can be useful to supplement them with the specific characteristics of this PPE (cut-resistant gloves, etc.) and usage precautions (cartridge masks to be changed every month, etc.).
- emergency measures in the event of a malfunction and first-aid equipment: the job description must clearly describe the operations to be performed in the event of degraded operation, the resource persons to contact, and the means to be used (location of fire extinguishers, safety showers, etc.).
- necessary authorizations or skills: issued by the employer, an authorization is a recognition of competence and permission to perform a task. The rules to be observed for its issuance and maintenance are generally set by regulations (electrical authorization, operation of certain lifting equipment, etc.). Other specific skills may stem from internal requirements (mandatory three-month mentorship, etc.).
- specific medical provisions: defined by the occupational physician, these may include prior medical fitness requirements or enhanced medical surveillance (specific medical examinations at defined intervals).
- the revision date of the job description and the author's signature: these elements are essential for controlled distribution of the document at workstations.
This information can be usefully supplemented by other data such as key performance indicators or a history of incidents and accidents. Furthermore, for companies developing integrated QSE management systems, provisions necessary to ensure environmental protection or product compliance may be mentioned in the job description.
When drafting job descriptions, it is advisable to form a working group bringing together various skills, such as the HSE coordinator, the workshop manager, operators holding the position, the medical department, and the Social and Economic Committee (CSE). This working group can rely on various sources, such as the user manuals or instruction booklets mandatory for any work equipment put into service after January 1, 1995. Regarding chemical risks, it can refer to Safety Data Sheets (SDS) or the list of harmonized substance classifications appearing in Annex VI of the CLP Regulation.
Practical recommendations for the distribution and updating of job descriptions
Various rules must be observed to ensure the proper use of job descriptions and to guarantee the long-term sustainability of the system:
- readability of job descriptions: job descriptions must be understandable by everyone. They should be written on a maximum of two pages and have a user-friendly appearance (concise text, photograph of the workstation, risk and PPE pictograms).
- posting job descriptions on work equipment: for effective use, job descriptions must be posted at the workstation with protection against dirt. If this is not possible, a documentation consultation point should be created near the workstation.
- updating job descriptions: various events will lead the employer to update their professional risk assessment (changes in products or processes, new knowledge, accidents, etc.). An organization must therefore be put in place to ensure that the relevant job descriptions are updated.
Widely used in companies under various names (job sheet, notice, workstation instructions), the job description is an essential tool for risk prevention (occupational health and safety risks, environmental risks, etc.). It is aimed at a diverse audience within the company (new hires, temporary workers, etc.) and enables quality onboarding and training.