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.
What is the work like?
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, trade unions and others to provide a safe working environment
- keeping up to date with new health and safety laws, and making sure people follow them
- training employees and making sure they are able to do their job safely
- carrying out risk assessments and conducting accident investigations
- advising on specialist areas such as fire precautions, control of hazardous substances, noise control and the safe installation and use of workplace machinery
- keeping records of incidents and accidents.
Health and safety practitioners may also be called health and safety officers, managers, advisers or specialists.
Starting salaries may be around £17,000 to £18,000 a year.
Hours and environment
Health and safety practitioners normally work 37 hours a week, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Flexible working hours may be required in some jobs.
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.
In some jobs, this can mean working outdoors or in specialist environments such as construction sites or offshore oil and gas platforms. Health and safety practitioners may have to work at heights, in cramped surroundings, or in noisy, dirty or smelly conditions. They may need to wear protective clothing.
Salary and other benefits
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary, depending on the employer and where people live.
- The starting salary may be around £17,000 to 18,000 a year.
- With experience, practitioners may earn between £28,000 and £32,000.
- Highly experienced practitioners, in specialist sectors such as the oil and gas industry, may earn £50,000 or more.
There may be additional benefits in some industries such as medical insurance, bonuses and a company car.
Skills and personal qualities
Health and safety practitioners need:
- good written and verbal communication skills
- to understand all the relevant health and safety regulations
- knowledge of technical and operational processes
- to be able to present complex information in a simple manner, to a wide range of people
- negotiation skills to convince managers and others of the need to implement and maintain safety standards in the workplace
- to be patient and diplomatic
- presentation skills for running training sessions
- to be physically fit, particularly for working in large-scale plants or on outdoor sites.
Interests
It is useful to have an interest in:
- health and safety issues and the law
- technology and industry.
Getting in
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.
There are generally more applicants than vacancies, particularly at junior level. However, health and safety is a rapidly developing profession, as society demands an increasingly safe working environment, so job opportunities are good.
Job vacancies can be found in the local and national press, specialist magazines and specialist recruitment agencies.
Entry for young people
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. It may be useful to first gain experience in a scientific or technical field at an operational level. This can then be used to develop an interest in health and safety before moving into a health and safety practitioner role.
There are several degree courses available in occupational health, safety and health, or safety management. Students can go on to do an MSc or postgraduate diploma in health and safety. Degrees and postgraduate qualifications can be studied full time, part time and by distance learning. Course content includes occupational health, industrial relations, management and law.
Entry to a degree is usually with a minimum of two A levels/three H grades and five GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), or the equivalent.
Entry for adults
Maturity is an advantage in this job. Some experience working in a scientific or technical field at an operational level may be useful.
Training
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. They can work towards NVQs/SVQs in Occupational Health and Safety Practice, which are assessed in the workplace.
Health and safety practitioners can increase their knowledge and skills by doing one of the training courses offered by The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) or the British Safety Council (BSC).
These include the NEBOSH National Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, which can be studied full time, part time, by block release or by open or distance learning. The course is a combination of tuition and private study over three core units covering subjects such as hazardous agents in the workplace, managing health and safety, workplace and work equipment, and safeguarding people's health.
The successful completion of a diploma, followed by a specified programme of initial professional development, leads to chartered membership of IOSH.
NEBOSH also offers a National General Certificate for practitioners who wish to be members of IOSH at technician level.
Once qualified, health and safety practitioners have to keep their professional knowledge up to date. IOSH provides Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities for practitioners to improve their knowledge and skills through a programme of training courses.
Getting on
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.
There may also be opportunities to teach and lecture at colleges. It may be possible to become self-employed and work as a consultant. There are also some opportunities to work overseas.
Further information
British Safety Council, 70 Chancellors Road, London W6 9RS. 020 8741 1231. Website: www.britishsafetycouncil.co.uk
ENTO, Kimberley House, 47 Vaughan Way, Leicester LE1 4SG. 0116 251 7979. Website: www.ento.co.uk
Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HS. 0845 345 0055. Website: www.hse.gov.uk
Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), 83 Ladas Drive, Belfast BT6 9FR. 028 9024 3249. Website: www.hseni.gov.uk
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), The Grange, Highfield Drive, Wigston, Leicestershire LE18 1NN. 0116 257 3100. Website: www.iosh.co.uk
The National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), Dominus Way, Meridian Business Park, Leicester LE19 1QW. 0116 263 4700. Website: www.nebosh.org.uk
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), RoSPA House, Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST. 0121 248 2000. Website: www.rospa.co.uk
Further reading
Safety and Health Practitioner (SHP) - CMP United Business Media For further details please see:
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