Are you considering a career in health and safety? This is a very important role and there is a high demand for trained health and safety specialists within many workplaces. Health and safety is absolutely crucial to the well being of workers on the job, not only in notoriously dangerous fields such as construction and mining but in all other types of jobs. There will be a high demand for health and safety professionals all across a wide range of industries.
What Type of Education is Required?
The type of education required for a career in health and safety is dependent on the type of role that you take within this large field. Different positions will have their own training requirements, so do some research into the particular field that you want to enter.
One of the most well recognised courses is a NEBOSH General Certificate which provides a general level of knowledge. Generally this qualification is a two week course of full time study and it is considered a minimum qualification for any job in the health and safety field. However, as you move up in your health and safety career you might find yourself taking on a higher position where you require a greater level of knowledge. At this stage, many people go on to take the NEBOSH Diploma, which is a longer course of approximately seven weeks full time studying.
This Diploma is the required level of qualification for many of the higher up manager roles within the health and safety profession. It is a much more demanding course, but it will prepare you for roles with much more responsibility and of course, greater pay.
Desirable Traits in a Health and Safety Professional
If you are considering a career in the health and safety profession, what type of traits and characteristics will serve you well along your way?
Attention to detail is an important one, because you will need to be able to be aware of all of the small details within the workplace to spot possible hazards and accidents waiting to happen. Organisation will also serve you well, as there will be a lot of paperwork to keep together. Another helpful skill will be communication, so that you can communicate health and safety procedures effectively to employees within the workplace.
One of the most important skills is the ability to be proactive rather than reactive, so that you can spot health and safety risks and deal with them before they become an issue. Of course, a skill that will serve you well in this career as in any other is the ability to work hard and to constantly strive to do better at your job every day.