How to Become a Health and Safety Engineer
About 13 people die every day due to a workplace incident. Though businesses focus on profits, a safe work environment is equally important. It is the role of a health and safety engineer to create this environment.
Automation engineering is an entry-level engineering job with a great future. It increases workplace safety by preventing illnesses, accidents, or deaths. The duties of these engineers include:
- inspect potential unsafe environments
- provide solutions for dealing with hazards or threats in the office
- prepare and communicate safety plans
- investigate accidents and injuries
- develop and audit hazard control processes
- track safety plans and systems to ensure implementation
- make recommendations on waste and pollution control
- educate people on the safe use of equipment
To get this skillset, you’ll need training. Keep reading to know how to become a health and safety engineer.
Tips for Becoming a Health and Safety Engineer
Becoming a health and safety expert takes years of education and training. You must be a creative, observational, critical thinker, with problem-solving ability.
Here are other tips for becoming an expert:
Get a Bachelor’s Degree
The pre-requisite for working as a health and safety engineer is a bachelor’s degree. It can be in engineering, environmental health and safety, and industrial occupational hygiene.
Engineering degrees can be in any field. These include civil, mechanical, chemical, electrical, industrial, systems, and software safety engineering. These degrees take about four years.
Take a cooperative-education program to boost your work experience. It provides credit for classwork and practical work. You can also consider taking an internship.
Make sure your degree has accreditation from the American Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Fulfil Licensure Requirements
Anyone who wants to work in the health and safety field needs licensing. The first step is to get an ABET-accredited degree. The second is to do the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. This makes you an Engineer in Training (EIT).
The next exam is the Principles and Practice of Engineering. You take this exam after getting four years of work experience as an EIT. Passing makes you a Professional Engineer (PE).
Some states expect professional engineers to get continuing education to maintain their license. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) provides onsite occupational health and safety training. It involves certification preparation workshops and programs, safety management seminars, and continuing education programs.
Go for Certification
The common professional certification is the Certified Safety Professional (CSP). The Board of Certified Safety Professionals awards it to licensed engineers.
An alternative certificate is the Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). This is from the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.
Engineers need to keep the CSP or CIH active by going for recertification every five years.
Learn More About Self-Improvement Programs
Once you complete the above steps, you’ll be able to work as a health and safety engineer. Consider taking masters degree courses to advance your career. You can take courses in engineering, occupational hygiene, or public health.
These masters degrees allow you to work on complex projects. They also position you for management positions. They could even be beneficial if you want to go into teaching.
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