How to Shape your Health and Safety Career Path

Occupational Safety and Health is one of the most lucrative and satisfying career options for many young professionals across the world. Your practical knowledge and experience will be put to test to reduce work-related accidents, illness, hazards and injuries.

You are also expected to frame rules and regulations to make the workplace safe and healthy for workers. Also, employers prefer those who have expertise, knowledge and required certifications to take care of safety issues at their workplace.

Here are some tips for those who want to make a career in health and safety.

Your qualification depends upon the job role you are going to take up. As a beginner, it is good that if you start with short-term courses such as IOSH Managing Safely and NSFE workplace safety qualification and then move on do advanced courses.

Several candidates, in order to achieve better understanding on health and safety issues, would go for NEBOSH International General Certificate NEBOSH (IGC). One of the most outstanding safety courses accepted worldwide for various safety roles, NEBOSH IGC trains students in key roles covering managerial responsibilities, risk assessment procedures and risk investigation methods.

Once you acquire basic knowledge and expertise in health and safety, you can go for advance and detailed courses such as NEBOSH International Diploma. As a full-time safety professional or advisor, you must have additional higher qualifications approved by the accredited boards such as Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).

• NEBOSH
• IOSH
• Safety Diploma
• ROSPA
• CPD

Method of study plays an important factor when you undergo safety qualification training.

You should keep in mind that completing a health and safety qualification may not be easy especially when you are sandwiched between professional and academic commitments. So, it is better to choose a right method of study that is more relaxing and flexible in all sense.

E-learning is an ideal option for those professionals who wish to complete a safety course. The web-based learning method makes you learn at your own pace and complete the course as and when you want.

Work experience always has its own advantages. Especially when you want to complete a professional qualification in health and safety, having practical knowledge has certain benefits. Students with prior work experience can understand better the challenges one would face as safety experts and also get preferences from employers. Understanding about engineering, manufacturing or construction industry can have added advantage.

After getting required safety qualification, you can begin to practice as independent HSE professionals for companies or act as trade union members who can take care of workers’ cause. It is always a fact that having prior experience in health and safety role in any industry can give you a good beginning in your safety career.

If you posses advanced safety qualification or post-graduation in health and safety, you can even serve as safety advisor or HSE representative in top level companies.