Health & Safety Advisor
Be Present. Build Trust. Keep People Safe.
Harbour Construction is looking for a Health & Safety Advisor to support our crews and projects across Nova Scotia. This is not a role that works from behind a desk. You will spend time in the field, build relationships with crews, recognize hazards, and help ensure safe work practices are understood and followed. You will also manage the inspections, investigations, reporting, and follow-up that keep our safety program moving forward. We are looking for someone who understands civil construction and knows that strong safety leadership starts with being visible, approachable, fair, and willing to speak up.
Keeping People and Projects Safe
As our Health & Safety Advisor, you will:
- Maintain a visible and approachable safety presence across field operations.
- Conduct site inspections, safety audits, and regular crew engagement activities.
- Work with supervisors, foremen, lead hands, and crews to identify hazards and support safe work practices.
- Review work activities for compliance with safety plans, Safe Work Procedures, and Job Hazard Analyses.
- Address unsafe work or conditions and help ensure hazards are corrected before work continues.
- Lead toolbox talks, safety meetings, new worker orientations, and project-specific training.
- Support pre-job planning, hazard assessments, and project kick-off meetings.
- Develop and review risk assessments, safety plans, procedures, and supporting documentation.
- Investigate incidents and near misses, identify contributing factors, and recommend preventive actions.
- Document safety concerns and follow corrective actions through to completion.
- Maintain accurate health and safety records and prepare reports for management and clients.
- Track safety performance, identify trends, and recommend practical improvements.
- Support regulatory inspections, client audits, and required follow-up.
- Stay current on health and safety legislation, industry standards, and best practices.
Built for the Role
- You understand that safety procedures must work in real construction environments.
- You can provide clear direction while working with crews to find practical and safe solutions.
You will do well in this role if you are:
- Visible and approachable in the field.
- Confident speaking with employees at every level.
- Proactive when you recognize a hazard or concern.
- Fair, consistent, and able to use sound judgment.
- Organized and able to balance field priorities with reporting and documentation.
- Thorough when conducting investigations and following up on corrective actions.
- Respectful of the realities of civil construction work.
- Committed to continuously improving safety performance.
What You’ll Need
- Two to three years of health and safety experience in civil construction, heavy civil construction, or a related infrastructure environment.
- Experience with earthworks, road construction, municipal infrastructure, or underground water, sanitary, and storm systems.
- A diploma, certificate, or degree in Occupational Health and Safety or a related field. Relevant construction and safety experience may be considered in place of formal education.
- Construction Safety Officer certification or a similar recognized health and safety certification.
- Strong knowledge of the Nova Scotia Occupational Health and Safety Act and applicable construction regulations.
- Experience with site inspections, safety audits, orientations, incident investigations, and crew engagement.
- The ability to prepare clear reports, maintain accurate records, and follow corrective actions through to completion.
- Comfort using digital safety systems, inspection tools, and standard computer programs.
- A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel regularly to project sites throughout Nova Scotia.
Additional Assets
- Canadian Registered Safety Technician or Canadian Registered Safety Professional designation, or active progress toward one of these designations.
- NSCO (National Safety Construction Officer) designation would be an asset.
- Current First Aid and CPR certification.
- Training in WHMIS, confined space entry, traffic control, or other construction-related safety programs.
- Experience supporting municipal infrastructure, transportation, or other complex civil construction projects.
- Experience with digital safety reporting and data analysis.
Our Commitment to You
Strong safety leadership requires trust, support, and the ability to speak up. In this role, you can expect:
- Leadership support when health and safety concerns need to be addressed.
- The authority to raise concerns and recommend that work pause when there is an immediate risk.
- A workplace where your experience, judgment, and recommendations are valued.
- The tools, systems, and information needed to do your job well.
- Opportunities to build your knowledge, skills, and professional qualifications.
- A balance of field involvement and office-based work.
- A salary you can be proud of.
- Health and dental benefits.
- Three weeks of vacation to start.
- A company-matched Group RRSP.
- Stable, full-time, year-round employment.
Why Harbour Construction?
We have been building communities from the ground up since 1946. Our work includes underground utilities, watermain, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, road construction, excavation, grading, and site development throughout Nova Scotia. We invest in our people, equipment, and systems for the long term. You will join a team that values safety, accountability, quality work, and people who follow through on what they say they will do.
Real projects. Real people. Real career opportunities.
