How to Become an Industrial Safety and Health Engineer

Industrial safety and health engineers work to prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in workplaces. They do this by identifying and evaluating hazards, and developing and implementing safety and health programs. If you want to become an industrial safety and health engineer, you will need to have a strong background in engineering and safety.

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Introduction

Industrial safety and health engineers are responsible for the safety and health of workers in industrial settings. They work to identify and mitigate potential hazards in the workplace, and to create and implement safety and health programs.

Industrial safety and health engineers typically have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, with a focus on mechanical, electrical, or chemical engineering. Many also hold professional engineer (PE) licenses. To become an industrial safety and health engineer, you will need to complete a four-year engineering program and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. After working for four years as an engineer, you will then need to pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam to become a licensed professional engineer.

What is an industrial safety and health engineer?

An industrial safety and health engineer is a professional who designs systems and solutions to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. They are experts in the fields of safety engineering and industrial hygiene, and they work to create safe work environments by Identifying hazards, conducting risk assessments, developing safety plans and policies, conducting safety training, and monitoring compliance with safety regulations.

Industrial safety and health engineers typically have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field, and many also have professional certification from organizations such as the Board of Certified Safety Professionals or the American Society of Safety Engineers.

What are the duties of an industrial safety and health engineer?

An industrial safety and health engineer is responsible for the safety and health of employees in an industrial setting. They identify and assess hazards, develop safety programs, and work with management to implement these programs. They also conduct training on safety and health topics, and investigate accidents.

What are the educational requirements to become an industrial safety and health engineer?

Most industrial safety and health engineering positions require at least a bachelor’s degree in engineering, although some jobs may only require a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree. However, because competition for jobs is expected to be strong, completing a bachelor’s degree in industrial safety and health engineering or a related field may improve job prospects.

In addition to completing an ABET-accredited engineering program, students interested in becoming industrial safety and health engineers should take courses in mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Fluency in computer software applications related to engineering, such as computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), also is beneficial.

What are the certification requirements to become an industrial safety and health engineer?

In order to become an industrial safety and health engineer, you must be certified by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). To be eligible for certification, you must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in safety engineering, industrial engineering, or another ABET-accredited engineering discipline. You must also have four years of experience in the safety profession and pass the comprehensive Safety Professional Qualification Exam.

What are the skills required to become an industrial safety and health engineer?

Most industrial safety and health engineers have a bachelor’s degree in engineering. Some have a degree in industrial safety, occupational health, or a related field. To become licensed as a professional engineer, you must complete a 4-year college engineering program, pass two exams, and have at least 4 years of relevant work experience.

What are the job outlook and salary prospects for an industrial safety and health engineer?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of industrial safety and health engineers will grow 4 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. The number of jobs is expected to increase from about 27,600 in 2018 to 28,700 in 2028.

As industries have become more aware of the need to protect workers from injury and illness, the demand for industrial safety and health engineers is expected to continue to grow. Job opportunities should be particularly good in engineering services firms and in industries with a high rate of injuries or illnesses, such as manufacturing and construction.

The median annual wage for industrial safety and health engineers was $87,720 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $122,320.

Conclusion

There are many paths you can take to become an industrial safety and health engineer. The most direct route is to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering from an accredited engineering program and then complete a professional engineering license. Alternatively, you could earn a bachelor’s degree in safety science, occupational safety and health, or a related field and then complete a graduate degree in engineering. You could also enter the workforce as an industrial hygienist, safety manager, or other safety professional and then pursue a graduate degree in engineering. Whichever route you take, you will need to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering examination to become a licensed professional engineer.