Summary
Source: O*Net |
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Nature of the Work
Industrial health and safety engineers are responsible for keeping people free from danger, risk, or injury in the workplace. They develop safety programs to minimize losses due to injuries and property damage. They try to eliminate unsafe practices and conditions in industrial plants, mines, and stores, as well as on construction sites and throughout transportation systems.
The duties of industrial health and safety engineers vary, depending on where they work. Engineers employed in large manufacturing plants often develop broad safety programs. They study the buildings, equipment, procedures, and records of accidents in their plant, and point out safety hazards. They may suggest ways to fix unsafe structures or recommend changes in the layout of the plant. Sometimes they draw up plans for the regular maintenance of machinery or teach safe work habits to managers and workers.
In this video, you'll see the many jobs where inspections by industrial health and safety engineers are critical to keeping the workplace safe. |
Work Environment
Industrial health and safety engineers spend much of their time reviewing and inspecting on-site safety conditions and investigating accidents. They also have an office in which they analyze data and write reports. They may have to do some traveling to work sites, conferences, and seminars. Industrial health and safety engineers generally work 40 hours per week. In many cases, longer hours are necessary. Manufacturing plants may require some shift work. Sometimes, industrial health and safety engineers have to answer unexpected emergency calls. There may be some danger involved in their work, but safety precautions minimize this danger.
Education and Training
You generally need a bachelor's degree in science or engineering to become an industrial health and safety engineer. It usually takes a minimum of four years to get this formal training. Some employers prefer to hire graduates with special degrees in safety management or occupational safety and health. Others look for people who have a master's degree or some work experience in a related field. Undergraduate courses should include behavioral, medical, and social sciences. A list of colleges offering degrees in occupational safety and health is available from the American Society of Safety Engineers. Many companies provide additional training for their employees. Industrial health and safety engineers continue to study new developments in their field throughout their careers.
In some cases, engineers need to be licensed by the state in which they work. They generally need a degree from an approved engineering college, about four years of work experience as an engineer, and a passing grade on a state examination before being licensed as professional engineers.
Return to top of page...Other Qualifications
Industrial health and safety engineers often meet with clients, workers, and managers. They must be able to convince these people of the need for safety measures. In addition to knowledge of the engineering problems involved in keeping work areas and other public places free from hazards, industrial health and safety engineers need to have a good knowledge of management methods, safety laws, and industrial psychology. They should be good at solving problems.
Return to top of page...On the Job
- Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases to determine causes and preventive measures.
- Report or review findings from accident investigations, facilities inspections, or environmental testing.
- Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes.
- Inspect facilities, machinery, and safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards, and to ensure safety regulation compliance.
- Conduct or coordinate worker training in areas such as safety laws and regulations, hazardous condition monitoring, and use of safety equipment.
- Review employee safety programs to determine their adequacy.
- Interview employers and employees to obtain information about work environments and workplace incidents.
- Review plans and specifications for construction of new machinery or equipment to determine whether all safety requirements have been met.
- Compile, analyze, and interpret statistical data related to occupational illnesses and accidents.
- Interpret safety regulations for others interested in industrial safety such as safety engineers, labor representatives, and safety inspectors.
- Recommend process and product safety features that will reduce employees´ exposure to chemical, physical, and biological work hazards.
- Conduct or direct testing of air quality, noise, temperature, or radiation levels to verify compliance with health and safety regulations.
- Provide technical advice and guidance to organizations on how to handle health-related problems and make needed changes.
- Confer with medical professionals to assess health risks and to develop ways to manage health issues and concerns.
- Install safety devices on machinery, or direct device installation.
- Maintain liaisons with outside organizations such as fire departments, mutual aid societies, and rescue teams, so that emergency responses can be facilitated.
- Evaluate adequacy of actions taken to correct health inspection violations.
- Write and revise safety regulations and codes.
- Check floors of plants to ensure that they are strong enough to support heavy machinery.
- Plan and conduct industrial hygiene research.
- Design and build safety equipment.
Source: BLS
Companies That Hire Industrial Health & Safety Engineers
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Additional Information
- American Society of Safety Engineers: www.asse.org
- National Safety Council: www.nsc.org
Sources
- O*Net Online. (2009). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved May 1, 2009, from http://online.onetcenter.org/
- Net Industries. (2009). Safety Engineer Job Description, Career as a Safety Engineer, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job. Retrieved December 10, 2009, from http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/417/Safety-Engineer.html
- CollegeRecruiter.com. (2007, January 22). Industrial Safety and Health Engineers. Retrieved December 10, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CWP-_ox-lA
- ScienceBuddies TV. (2010, February 10). Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz8nqUQpdKQ
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