Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 24,100 people employed as health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors in the United States. The median annual salary is $94,200. Entry level employees earn approximately $55,390 per year and senior employees earn approximately $144,800 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Evaluate product designs for safety.
• Conduct or coordinate worker training in areas such as safety laws and regulations, hazardous condition monitoring, and use of safety equipment.
• Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes.
• Recommend procedures for detection, prevention, and elimination of physical, chemical, or other product hazards.
• Report or review findings from accident investigations, facilities inspections, or environmental testing.
• Evaluate potential health hazards or damage that could occur from product misuse.
• Evaluate adequacy of actions taken to correct health inspection violations.
• Interpret safety regulations for others interested in industrial safety, such as safety engineers, labor representatives, and safety inspectors.
• Review plans and specifications for construction of new machinery or equipment to determine whether all safety requirements have been met.
• Participate in preparation of product usage and precautionary label instructions.
• Interview employers and employees to obtain information about work environments and workplace incidents.
• Provide expert testimony in litigation cases.
• Develop industry standards of product safety.
• Maintain liaisons with outside organizations, such as fire departments, mutual aid societies, and rescue teams, so that emergency responses can be facilitated.
• Plan and conduct industrial hygiene research.
• Compile, analyze, and interpret statistical data related to occupational illnesses and accidents.
• Write and revise safety regulations and codes.
• Confer with medical professionals to assess health risks and to develop ways to manage health issues and concerns.
• Design and build safety equipment.
• Check floors of plants to ensure that they are strong enough to support heavy machinery.
• Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases to determine causes and preventive measures.
• Conduct research to evaluate safety levels for products.
• Review employee safety programs to determine their adequacy.
• Conduct or direct testing of air quality, noise, temperature, or radiation levels to verify compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Provide technical advice and guidance to organizations on how to handle health-related problems and make needed changes.

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