What Is a Safety Engineer and How to Become One
Table of Contents
What Do Safety Engineers Do?
Safety engineers test the integrity of software, chemicals, machinery, buildings, and consumer products. You do this to evaluate their safety for the public and environment. For this career, your responsibilities include developing health and safety protocols to keep consumers protected, reviewing new machinery and measuring their safety, confirming that buildings or products meet health and safety standards, and conducting employee safety programs.
How to Become a Safety Engineer
To become a safety engineer, you must earn a bachelor’s degree in the engineering field, whether that’s electrical, industrial, chemical, or mechanical. Depending on what state you live in, you may also need a professional engineers (PE) license. If a PE license is necessary, you must earn a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. Next, you must pass a second exam called the Professional Engineering (PE) exam to be a fully certified in the industry. You may also earn additional certifications from the Board of Certified Safety Professional (BCSP) and the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (AMIH) to increase your skills and chances of employment.
Is Safety Engineering a Good Career?
A job in safety engineering can be a highly rewarding career if you have an interest and passion for health and safety procedures. Your job is to keep consumers from getting sick or injured by ensuring that products and buildings are safe, which leaves a daily and lasting impact on both people and the environment. For this job, you have the opportunity to creatively problem-solve a variety of issues, and the position can earn you a competitive salary with great benefits.
Safety Engineer Job Description Sample
With this Safety Engineer job description sample, you can get a good idea of what employers are looking for when hiring for this position. Remember, every employer is different and each will have unique qualifications when they hire for a Safety Engineer role.
Job Summary
We are seeking a motivated, experienced individual to join our company as a Safety Engineer. As a member of our safety and compliance team, you will examine and audit existing working conditions, equipment, processes, and systems to determine points of potential hazard and opportunities for better safety practices. You will develop and implement safe working processes, educating all levels of staff on best practices and appropriate equipment usage, as well as make recommendations for equipment upgrades or replacement as necessary. Our ideal candidate has at least a bachelor's degree in occupational safety, engineering, or a relevant field. However, we prefer applicants with a master's degree or higher. You must also have excellent communication and leadership skills and a thorough understanding of industry regulatory requirements.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Develop a high-level understanding of workplace processes and equipment to best discern opportunities for improvement and the elimination of unsafe conditions
- Educate all levels of staff, including leadership, on best practices and proper equipment usage
- Survey equipment and facilities, identifying potentially unsafe conditions and implementing remedial processes
- Provide training to leadership staff regarding safety regulatory requirements and changes
Requirements and Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in occupational safety, engineering, or a relevant field
- 3-5 years experience in a manufacturing environment, particularly in a safety engineering role
- Strong communication, critical thinking, and organizational skills
- Excellent leadership ability and experience leading training workshops or seminars
