National Consultant for Establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Committee under WHO leadership

1. Purpose of consultancy

Provide a mechanism by which safety and health issues affecting the Egypt-based workforce and workplaces can be raised and addressed, including in conflict workplaces, facilities receiving Gaza medical evacuees.

Provide a resource for advice on safety and health matters for senior management, personnel and managers at all other levels in each entity.

Promote the development of a culture of risk-based safety and health awareness in UN personnel and workplaces.

2. Background

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) committee serves as a vital support system for the UN Resident Coordinator and all heads of UN entities within the country. With a clear mandate to advise the UN system on various aspects of occupational safety and health, the committee plays a crucial role in ensuring the well-being and security of UN personnel in the workplace. This includes receiving and identifying safety and health concerns in the workplace, assessing hazards and proposing mitigation measures that are consistent with sound OSH practice, existing UN OSH policy, and each organization’s duty of care.

A fundamental aspect of the committee's responsibilities lies in the thorough assessment of workplace hazards. Through diligent examination, the committee identifies potential risks and hazards present within UN facilities. These assessments form the cornerstone upon which mitigation measures are developed and implemented. Mitigation strategies proposed by the committee adhere closely to established best practices in occupational safety and health. Moreover, they align with existing UN OSH policies and guidelines, ensuring consistency and coherence across all UN entities operating within the country. By undertaking these assessments and proposing mitigation measures, the committee actively contributes to fostering a culture of safety and well-being among UN personnel.

In addition to its primary role in hazard assessment and mitigation, the UNCT OSH committee also plays a pivotal role in upholding each organization's duty of care towards its employees. UN agencies have been bombarded with multiple needs to respond to the Gaza crisis in different contexts. By offering expert guidance and recommendations, the committee assists UN entities in fulfilling their obligation to provide a safe and healthy work environment. This commitment to duty of care extends beyond the physical realm to encompass the overall well-being of UN personnel. Through its advisory role, the committee seeks to promote holistic approaches to occupational safety and health, taking into account both physical and mental well-being. In doing so, it ensures that UN personnel can carry out their duties effectively and securely, thereby contributing to the achievement of the UN's overarching goals and mandates.

3. Work to be performed

Output 1: Review requests and concerns from the country team on all aspects of OSH management

Deliverable: report(s) on OSH risk assessment and prevention and control measures.

Output 2: Develop broadcasts, articles, guides or other related communications materials to assist personnel and managers at all levels to understand and implement safety and health policies or approaches adopted by the Country Team or the requesting organization.

Deliverable 2: Developed communication materials and broadcasts.

Output 3: Develop measures to promote a culture of safe work practices and environments, improve access to OSH policies, instructions, and training, and facilitate measures to report incidents, accidents and near-misses.

Deliverable 3: Developed promotional measures for safe work practices, Improved access to OSH policies with developed capacity and developed incidents and accidents reports

4. Qualifications, experience, skills and languages

Educational Qualifications:

- Candidates should have a medical degree with master’s degree or equivalent in occupational safety, occupational safety and health, occupational hygiene.

Experience:

Essential: A minimum of 7 years of experience in OSH in the workplace.

Desirable: Proven experience in writing reports and drafting policy documents related to health.

- Experience in national or international organization or agencies, or non-governmental organization providing technical assistance at the national level.

Skills/Technical skills and knowledge:

- Effective Communication

- Inclusive Collaboration

- Excellent Stakeholder Engagement

- Excellent communication / PR skills

Languages and level required:

Fluent in English and Arabic (Read - Write - Speak), French is preferable.

5. Location

Cairo, Egypt.

6. Planned timelines (Subject to confirmation)

Start date: 3 July 2024

End date: 31 December 2024

7. Medical clearance

The selected Consultant will be expected to provide a medical certificate of fitness for work.

8. Travel

Travel cost and accommodation are excluded from this contract. No travel will be required for this assignment.

Additional Information

· This vacancy notice may be used to identify candidates for other similar consultancies at the same level.

• Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.
• A written test may be used as a form of screening.
• If your candidature is retained for interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.
• For information on WHO's operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

· The WHO is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The WHO recruits workforce regardless of disability status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, race, marital status, religious, cultural, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, or any other personal characteristics.

The WHO is committed to achieving gender parity and geographical diversity in its workforce. Women, persons with disabilities, and nationals of unrepresented and underrepresented Member States (https://www.who.int/careers/diversity-equity-and-inclusion) are strongly encouraged to apply for WHO jobs.

Persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations to enable participation in the recruitment process. Requests for reasonable accommodation should be sent through an email to reasonableaccommodation@who.int

· An impeccable record for integrity and professional ethical standards is essential. WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter (https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/our-values) into practice.

• WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of short-listed candidates.
• WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.
• Consultants shall perform the work as independent contractors in a personal capacity, and not as a representative of any entity or authority.
• WHO shall have no responsibility for any taxes, duties, social security contributions or other contributions payable by the Consultant. The Consultant shall be solely responsible for withholding and paying any taxes, duties, social security contributions and any other contributions which are applicable to the Consultant in each location/jurisdiction in which the work hereunder is performed, and the Consultant shall not be entitled to any reimbursement thereof by WHO.
• Please note that WHO’s contracts are conditional on members of the workforce confirming that they are vaccinated as required by WHO before undertaking a WHO assignment, except where a medical condition does not allow such vaccination, as certified by the WHO Staff Health and Wellbeing Services (SHW). The successful candidate will be asked to provide relevant evidence related to this condition. A copy of the updated vaccination card must be shared with WHO medical service in the medical clearance process. Please note that certain countries require proof of specific vaccinations for entry or exit. For example, official proof /certification of yellow fever vaccination is required to enter many countries. Country-specific vaccine recommendations can be found on the WHO international travel and Staff Health and Wellbeing website. For vaccination-related queries please directly contact SHW directly at [email protected].
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