A health and safety consultant is a professional service role, offering advice and guidance to organizations and employers. Their job is to assist organizations to reduce health and safety risks in the workplace, as well as providing best practice consultancy to manage the process internally more efficiently.
What is the role of a health and safety consultant?
A health and safety consultant is a professional service role, offering advice and guidance to organizations and employers. Their job is to assist organizations to reduce health and safety risks in the workplace, as well as providing best practice consultancy to manage the process internally more efficiently.
Which degree is best for safety officer?
Though some jobs require a master’s degree in occupational health or a related field, most safety officer jobs only require a bachelor’s degree. You should study the basics of occupational health and safety, including OSHA standards. You should also hone the problem-solving skills that you will need on-the-job.
Can anyone be a safety officer?
Rule 1032: Definitions: 1) Safety Officer – refers to any employee/worker trained and tasked to nent occupational safety and health programs in the workplace in accordance with the provisions of the Standards and shall be synonymous to the term “Safety Man” as used in these Standards.
How to Become A Health And Safety Consultant In South Africa
Individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in occupational health and safety can consider following these steps to become a safety consultant.
Step #1: Earn a Degree
Candidates for all occupational health and safety careers typically need a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety, engineering, biology or a related scientific or technical field.
An advanced education, such as a Master of Science in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management (MSSSEM) degree, can potentially increase a candidate’s desirability and increase their salary. Students can earn an MSSSEM degree with a concentration in corporate security management, emergency management and disaster resilience or occupational safety.
Step #2: Earn Certification
Earning certification may be optional for safety consultants. However, many employers encourage it. After graduating from an accredited master’s degree program, individuals can qualify to sit for certification exams offered by The Board of Certified Safety Professionals.
Safety Consultant Training
Like all consulting, the field of safety consulting is highly variable. Safety consultants typically receive on-the-job training at different work sites. They move from one assignment to another some short-term, some longer depending on the particular need of the company in question.
The issues and challenges of each assignment are unique. A person working as a safety consultant must therefore be able to evaluate data and have excellent problem-solving abilities. They must also have good communication skills to present and discuss these findings. Gaining hands-on experience in the field can prepare safety consultants for more complicated projects and jobs.
One of the safety consultant’s most important responsibilities occurs between assignments. A professional in the occupational health field must stay abreast of new safety regulations, as well as with related court decisions.
“Not doing so would make them ineffective in offering appropriate advice and recommendations,” the website Career Trend points out. Networking with safety agencies, attending seminars, keeping an active membership in industry organizations, and staying up-to-date in other relevant ways are essential parts of a safety consultant’s success.
Develop the Skills to Become a Safety Consultant
Eastern Kentucky University’s online Master of Science in Safety, Security, and Emergency Management program is designed to show students how to identify safety risks and potential areas of improvement in the areas of occupational safety, corporate security management and emergency management and disaster resilience.
This degree can be a stepping-stone to a position as a safety consultant or another occupational health and safety career.
Industry-experienced safety professionals guide students through occupational safety courses, covering modern trends in employee engagement and the establishment of a safety culture in the workplace. Learn more about how the program can help you pursue your professional goals as a safety consultant.
Safety Consultant Job Description
A company might have many different reasons for engaging a safety consultant. Three primary benefits provided by safety consultants include those listed below.
Ensuring federal, state and local safety regulation compliance
Ensuring employee safety
Managing risk and reducing liability
The specific tasks performed by a consultant will vary depending on the particulars of an assignment and the industry. A safety consultant’s overarching role typically falls into the following general areas.
Evaluating Programs: When entering a new assignment, a safety consultant’s first duty is often to evaluate an organization’s existing safety-related policies and programs. The consultant must understand current practices before he or she can suggest improvements.
Identifying Problems in Workstations, Offices and Other Spaces: The second step is often observation. A safety consultant spends time in an organization’s workspaces to see how safety practices are carried out and to identify any shortcomings. The safety consultant may also personally test machinery, if he or she has the knowledge, or supervise contractors in doing this work.
Investigating Incidents or Accidents: In some cases, safety consultants are engaged as the result of on-site incidents or accidents. They investigate the circumstances leading to the incident, as well as the response and post-incident follow-up.
Writing Safety Manuals and Policies: Once a safety consultant has a full understanding of an organization’s safety needs, he or she may be tasked with writing safety manuals and response plans for ongoing use. Sound writing skills and an understanding of risk management are required for this task.
Providing Training: Safety consultants are often called upon to deliver mandated safety training or certifications to an organization’s employees. The consultant must ensure that the training meets all federal, state, local and/or industry requirements.
Safety Consultant Salary
According to the S.A. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the field of occupational health and safety as a whole is expected to experience a 4% growth in jobs between 2019 and 2029. About 122,600 occupational health and safety specialists, including safety consultants, had jobs. The number of professionals in the field is projected to grow to 127,400
According to the compensation website Pay Scale, the median annual salary for safety consultants as of November 2020 was about R 942720.04, with an overall range of R 751230.03to R 1222590.05. Factors contributing to individual pay rates include education, certifications, additional skills or areas of specialization and years of experience.
What qualifications do you need to be a health and safety consultantIn South Africa?
If you want to give advice as a health and safety consultant, we recommend that you are a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner (CMIOSH or CFIOSH). You’ll need to have experience of the sector you’ll be working in. You may also need to get specific skill or sector qualifications.
Where can I study safety officer in South Africa?
South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH) Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM)
What is the best health and safety qualification In South Africa?
The NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety (NGC) is the most trusted health and safety qualification in the world
How long does it take to become a health and safety officer In South Africa?
You do not need a degree, although you will need some qualifications specific to the occupational health and safety industry. Depending on what level of responsibility and advising you wish to take on, it can take somewhere between 1-5 years.
How do I train to be a health and safety officer In South Africa?
Health and safety officers have a qualification in health and safety. To join the NHS as a health and safety officer you often need a degree level qualification. This could be, for example, the International Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety from NEBOSH.
Does Unisa offer health and safety courses?
This UNISA Safety management course is offered at NQF level 6. The university has stipulated a set of requirements that learners should fulfil for them to be admitted into the programme. These requirements include: A National Senior Certificate or any other equivalent higher certificate.
Can I study occupational health and safety without matric In South Africa?
At Home Study College you can study the following courses without Matric: Occupational Health and Safety Courses. Financial Accounting Courses ICB. Office Administration Courses ICB.
How long is a health and safety course in South Africa?
College SA offers two different courses in occupational health and safety an Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator in the Workplace Proficiency Certificate with five subjects to complete over a period of ten months, or an Occupational Health and Safety Representative in the Workplace Proficiency Certificate with
How much is NEBOSH in South Africa?
The average cost price of the course ranges from R18 665 – R60546.
How long are health and safety courses In South Africa?
Each course is 12-months long. In this time, you learn practical skills you need to start your career. OHS courses we provide are: Coordinator Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety.
What qualifications do you need to be a safety officer in South Africa?
In order to gain membership with a professional body such as the South African Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (SAIOSH), you’ll need an accredited certificate at NQF level 5 or equivalent, as well as some work experience under your belt.