How to Become a Safety Officer?

Are you looking for a career that enables you to ensure safety for the company you work in? Whether it be a big business house or a government office, it is essential for working spaces to have a safety officer to oversee the condition of employees. If you possess some exceptional leadership qualities, teamed with quick decision-making skills and critical thinking ability, then being a safety officer is just the profession for you!

Are you also looking forward to a career in the field of occupational safety and health? If the answer is yes, then this blog will help you greatly!

Who is a Safety Officer?

Also known as the Occupational Health and Safety Specialist, a Safety officer is one who makes recommendations and works towards making the work environment safe for the employees and takes measures to prevent any kind of accidents within the premises. The main duty of these personnel lies in addressing the employees to follow safety protocol, monitoring the work areas, investigating the source and cause of the accident, and making policy recommendations for the workplace before the management. In short, a safety officer manages and helps prevent the organization from risks.

How to Become a Safety Officer?

Mentioned below is the step-wise guide to becoming a safety officer.

Decide the Industry Type

Now that you have decided onto becoming a safety officer, the first-ever step that you need to take is to opt for the type of industry you want to work in. It can either be in construction sites, factories, healthcare organizations, laboratories, chemical processing units, oil and gas industries, manufacturing units, etc., as different workplace might have their own hazards and risks. 

Start from the School Level

In order to become a health and safety officer, you need to have the right set of subjects with you. Typically, a candidate who qualified for their 10+2 level of studies with BiPC subjects with mathematics is eligible to enter the field of occupational safety and health.

Pursue a Bachelor’s Degree

Earning a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety, disaster management or any such related course can prove to be very advantageous for the aspirant. Different organizations and industries have their own set of qualifications for hiring a safety officer, therefore it is recommended that you should choose your area of work well in advance. Apart from just this course, the aspirant can also pursue engineering courses like mechanical or civil engineering, or pursue other such courses wherein they will study the Fundamental of Ergonomics, Industrial Hygiene Principles, Management of Hazardous Materials, Fire Prevention, Risk Mitigation, Laws for Health and Safety, etc.

Earn a Master’s Degree

For securing some high-paying safety officer jobs in the best of organizations, you need to earn a master’s degree in your own chosen specialization in this field. You may consider a master’s degree in environmental health, safety management, safety and occupational health, disaster preparedness, engineering, industrial hygiene, health physics, and many others. However, for pursuing a master’s degree in any of the aforementioned specializations, some universities may ask for work experience in these fields.

Gain Work Experience as a Trainee

During your educational path, you may be offered on-the-job training in occupational safety. However, if not, it is important for you to work as an intern or a trainee under a professional safety officer to know about all the roles and responsibilities at a ground level. You can gain practical insight into handling hazardous materials, risk communication, and other safety and mitigation knowledge.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Safety Officer

Mentioned below is the list of various roles and responsibilities of a Safety Officer.

• Conduct an assessment of risk and make sure that various preventive measures are in place.
• Take up the role of an advisor and provide instructions on various topics related to safety such as the use of machinery, noise level, etc.
• Assist in the development of Occupational safety and health-related policies development.
• Analyze previous policies and update them according to current legislation.
• Conduct training of employees and executives related to occupational safety and health.
• Conduct an audit of the premises and the working of the employees to ensure adherence to the policies.
• Look after proper disposal of substances, maintenance, installations, etc.
• Stop any activity that poses any sort of danger.
• To thoroughly investigate incidents to know the causes and handle workers’ claims for compensation.
• Prepare reports and other statistical information about occurrences to present to upper management.

Top Universities

One can pursue a course in occupational health or safety sciences to make a career in this field. Universities abroad offer programs ranging from short-term to bachelor’s and master’s level. Given below is a list of leading institutions offering degrees to become a safety officer:  

University Name	QS World University Rankings 2023
University of Houston	751-800
Utah State University	1001-1200
Johns Hopkins University	24
The University of Texas	1201-1400
Ohio University	1001-1200
University of Wisconsin	1001-1200
Oakland University	NA
Purdue University	129
Marshall University	NA

Also Read: Fire Management Safety Courses

Skills Required

Following are the skills required in order to become a safety officer and secure a job at a good company.

• Prior work experience as a safety officer.
• Deep understanding and knowledge related to legislation and various procedures.
• Knowledge related to harmful materials and practices.
• Prior experience in preparing reports and developing policies related to occupational health and safety.
• Proficient in analysing data and building statistics.
• Comfortable working with MS Office and knowledge related to the safety management information system.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Have a great eye for details and is hard working and diligent.
• Amazing communication skills to effectively explain various topics related to occupational health and safety.
• Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health.
• BSC/BA in safety management, engineering or in any other field that is relevant to safety management.

FAQs

We hope you liked our blog, where we tried to cover all the important information related to how to become a safety officer. Are you also looking for opportunities to study abroad? If the answer is yes, the experts at Leverage Edu can make your journey easier as they will be guiding you throughout the process. To take help from the experts simply register on our website or call us at 1800-572-000.