What Is a Safety Specialist and How to Become One
Table of Contents
What Does a Safety Specialist Do?
A safety specialist performs worksite assessments to determine what kinds of risks and hazards exist and whether the site meets all regulatory compliance standards. Your other duties and responsibilities in this field include investigating occupational or worksite accidents or issues, writing reports based on your findings, and communicating with managers and employees about specific issues that need attention, such as unsafe work practices and failure to comply with health and safety standards. Some safety specialists also conduct training and safety education sessions for workers, such as how to properly use safety equipment or avoid accidents.
How to Become a Safety Specialist
An occupational health and safety specialist needs a bachelor’s degree. There are numerous subjects you can study. Some colleges have occupational health and safety majors, but other majors that are helpful for the career include engineering, industrial hygiene, and physics. For some higher-level positions, you may need a master’s degree as well. Other qualifications include prior experience as an occupational safety technician. Important skills for the position include excellent attention to detail, good verbal and written communication, and strong technical knowledge.
Where Do Safety Specialists Work?
Safety specialists can work in many different industries. However, you can most often find positions in sectors associated with many worksite hazards, like construction and manufacturing. Your job environment in this career can vary drastically from industry to industry. For example, if you work in construction, you may have to travel from site to site, assessing the situations at each location. However, if you work in manufacturing, you may do most of your work in an office, conducting frequent assessments on the factory floor.
What Is the Job Outlook for Safety Specialists?
The job outlook for Safety Specialists is set to grow roughly as fast as average in the next decade. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, work opportunities for safety specialists are projected to grow at 8%, which is slightly higher than the national average for all jobs. Need for specialists comes from industries’ desire to reduce costs associated with worksite accidents and compensation claims. Opportunities are best if you have advanced technical training and certification.
What Certifications Are Available for Safety Specialists?
While you are not required to have any certifications to work as a safety specialist, there are several voluntary ones, which can improve your career opportunities or demonstrate your specialization in certain areas of occupational health. The Board of Certified Safety Professionals offers two certifications for specialists, the Certified Safety Professional certification and the Associate Safety Professional. The American Board of Industrial Hygiene offers the Certified Industrial Hygienist certification. To maintain your certification, you need to complete continuing education offered by the associations.
Safety Specialist Job Description Sample
With this Safety Specialist 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 Specialist role.
Job Summary
We are currently looking for a Safety Specialist to help prevent workplace injuries and reduce health risks. In this position, you will travel to worksites to investigate complaints and conduct regular audits, identifying potential risks and ensuring regulatory compliance. Based on these audits, you develop and implement risk reduction strategies. As part of your risk reduction duties, you may promote safety awareness among our employees by leading seminars or distributing informational material on emergency response plans. Applicants for this position should have a bachelor's degree, BCSP certification, and industry experience.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Conduct worksite audits to identify potential risks and ensure regulatory compliance
- Develop and implement strategies to reduce or eliminate risk
- Promote safety awareness through training seminars and informational materials
- Stay up to date with regulatory changes and update SOPs as needed
- Investigate workplace accidents and complaints
- Assist with emergency response plans
Requirements and Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety or a related field
- BCSP certification preferred
- Compliance experience in the industry
- Familiarity with federal, state, and local regulations
- Bilingual communication skills a plus (English/Spanish)
- CPR/First Aid certification a plus
- Attention to detail
