Health and Safety Jobs

Health and safety practitioners create, maintain and improve health and safety procedures in the workplace. They make sure that safety policies, practices and laws are followed to prevent accidents, incidents and health problems.
The work is varied and may involve:
preparing and implementing health and safety policies and strategies
working with managers, unions and others to provide a safe working environment
keeping up to date with new health and safety laws
training employees and making sure they are able to do their job safely.
Health and safety practitioners normally work 37 hours a week, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Although the work is office based, practitioners spend a lot of time in other workplaces. These can include factories, processing plants, shops or other working premises.
Salaries may range from around £17,000 to £50,000 a year.
Health and safety practitioners need:
good written and verbal communication skills
knowledge of technical and operational processes
to be able to present complex information in a simple manner, to a wide range of people
to be interested in health and safety issues and the law.
There are opportunities for health and safety practitioners in all types of industries and sectors. These include construction, education and training, hotels and restaurants, hospitals, local authorities and national government agencies.
To become a health and safety practitioner, people can either take a full-time course first, or start work and study for qualifications part time or by distance learning. There are several degree courses available in occupational health, safety and health, or safety management. Maturity is an advantage in this job.
Most health and safety practitioners have a degree. They then train on the job and attend courses that may be run by training departments, local colleges or universities. Once qualified, health and safety practitioners have to keep their professional knowledge up to date.
Health and safety practitioners may be able to move into management by taking on more responsibility. They may be able to gain promotion within their company, but they often have to change employers. They could also specialise in a particular industrial sector such as nuclear safety, offshore oil and gas, or hazardous substances.
Health and safety practitioners create, maintain and improve health and safety procedures in the workplace. They make sure that safety policies, practices and laws are followed to prevent accidents, incidents and health problems.
The work is varied and may involve:
preparing and implementing health and safety policies and strategies
working with managers, unions and others to provide a safe working environment
keeping up to date with new health and safety laws
training employees and making sure they are able to do their job safely.
Health and safety practitioners normally work 37 hours a week, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Although the work is office based, practitioners spend a lot of time in other workplaces. These can include factories, processing plants, shops or other working premises.
Salaries may range from around £17,000 to £50,000 a year.
Health and safety practitioners need:
good written and verbal communication skills
knowledge of technical and operational processes
to be able to present complex information in a simple manner, to a wide range of people
to be interested in health and safety issues and the law.
There are opportunities for health and safety practitioners in all types of industries and sectors. These include construction, education and training, hotels and restaurants, hospitals, local authorities and national government agencies.
To become a health and safety practitioner, people can either take a full-time course first, or start work and study for qualifications part time or by distance learning. There are several degree courses available in occupational health, safety and health, or safety management. Maturity is an advantage in this job.
Most health and safety practitioners have a degree. They then train on the job and attend courses that may be run by training departments, local colleges or universities. Once qualified, health and safety practitioners have to keep their professional knowledge up to date.
Health and safety practitioners may be able to move into management by taking on more responsibility. They may be able to gain promotion within their company, but they often have to change employers. They could also specialise in a particular industrial sector such as nuclear safety, offshore oil and gas, or hazardous substances.