Safety professionals are people who often specialize in different areas, such as ergonomics, industrial hygiene, training, occupational psychology and occupational health, or in allied professions such as nursing, fire protection engineering or physiotherapy. Others may be more involved in environmental management, emergency management or security.

Before choosing safety as a career, one must understand the career path.

Career Paths in Safety involves the primary focus of safety practice; that is to prevent incidents and accidents that may lead to injuries, illnesses, damage to property and equipment, or harm to the environment. Many companies have combined safety, health, and environmental matters into a single depart- ment. You may consider yourself this way too.

Take for instance, as a safety officer from Red Cross or Police – you must learn to see yourself as a mini-doctor, mini-nurse, etc. Because you have the first job to help the doctor or nurse in keeping a victim stable before the case is taken over.

The field of safety management is interdisciplinary in nature — drawing on areas of study such as business, public policy, economics, risk analysis, and occupational health.

Safety management is a dynamic and competitive field — a mission-driven industry for professionals who have the skills to mitigate risk and improve conditions for individuals in a variety of environments.

Therefore, to chose safety as a career, one must as him/herself these questions;

• Do I love fellow humans
• Am I passionate about Safety as a skill
• Am I ready to sacrifice for Earth and Humans
• Which department of Safety will help me best deliver my dream

Having answered these questions, below are the places you can go work as a safety officer, and how much money you can make while enjoying your passion ( as confirmed by Graduate Admissions)

1. Occupational Health and Safety Specialist — “collect data on and analyze many types of work environments and work procedures”

Average Salary: $72,000 | Job Growth Rate: 7 percent

1. Facilities Manager — “plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently”

Average Salary: $98,000 | Job Growth Rate: 9 percent.

1. Construction Manager — “plan, coordinate, budget, and supervise construction projects from start to finish”

Average Salary: $97,000 | Job Growth Rate: 11 percent.

1. Health and Safety Engineer — “combine knowledge of engineering and of health and safety to develop procedures and design systems to protect people from illness and injury and property from damage”

Average Salary: $94,000 | Job Growth Rate: 6 percent.

1. Transportation Manager — “plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations”

Average Salary: $96,000 | Job Growth Rate: 4 percent.

1. Emergency Management Director — “prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters or other emergencies. They also help lead the response during and after emergencies”

Average Salary: $76,000 | Job Growth Rate: 6 percent.

1. Compliance Officer — “examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities”

Average Salary: $71,000 | Job Growth Rate: 4 percent.

The work of safety professionals is vital to protecting the planet, the public and employees in many industries.

And with a strong job market, you will be ready to respond to the needs of the public and employers, to inspect hazardous situations, and to investigate and administer government regulations.

Good Luck!

Temi Badmus, Nutritionist, Content Creator