Identity crisis

The issue of job titles was raised on healthandsafetyprofessional.co.uk last year. 91 visitors to the Safety and Health Expo reported 41 different job titles. I have looked and can’t find anywhere a description of the difference between health and safety advisor, health and safety consultant or health and safety manager? And isn’t a “contract health and safety officer” the same as a health and safety consultant? I’ve seen health and safety assistant posts advertised where there is apparently no senior health and safety manager to assist. But in following the recruitment expert advice to register on job search sites I have to select one of these titles. All this leaves me unsure as to how to describe myself, or the post I am looking for. Perhaps an ‘assistant health and safety advisor consultant manager engineer assessor co‑ordinator’?

I was particular drawn to one job title recently that asked for a ‘responsible nuclear ventilation engineer’. I’m not qualified for this post, but I did wonder how many irresponsible nuclear ventilation engineers would have applied. Let’s hope there is a clear definition of what makes a nuclear engineer responsible.