What do health & safety engineers do?
A health and safety engineer is usually responsible for ensuring safety in the workplace. This can include developing and implementing safety programmes, inspecting and maintaining equipment, identifying potential hazards and designing ways to prevent them. Other duties can include working on the designs of new products to ensure that they are not harmful. Health and safety engineers can also be employed to improve workplace safety through building, fire protection, equipment and machinery designs. Engineers use specialised knowledge to prevent injuries, accidents and damage to property whenever possible.
A health and safety engineer needs to be knowledgeable about many aspects of the workplace in order to do the job effectively. Other duties can include designing fire protection equipment for maximum effectiveness and appropriate ventilation systems in areas where chemicals are used.
Employment can be in a variety of workplaces such as manufacturing plants, construction sites, utility plants and research facilities. Health and safety engineers can also work for the government. Often working with non-engineering specialists in various capacities as part of a team, long hours can be necessary at times, as well as travel to work sites and meetings.