Home Health How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Advisor

How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Advisor

SHARE

It has always been a top priority for employers to ensure that conditions at their facilities and job sites are safe for both their workers and their customers. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, this aspect of doing business has become even more important.

At many companies, it is occupational health and safety advisors who are entrusted with corporate oversight of human health and safety. There is demand for workers in this occupation in numerous industries ranging from public administration to construction to mining.

Similar job titles include the following:

How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Advisor in Australia

Australian employers tend to take occupational health and safety seriously. Their employment selection criteria for this role typically includes a requirement for a formal qualification in the niche of occupational health and safety. Relevant degree programs are available through the university system, and there are also suitable work health and safety training courses available through the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system. Some jobs may also require the successful completion of an advanced degree in a related field.

How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Advisor in the United States

In the USA, you’d typically need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in order to qualify for a job as occupational health and safety advisor. The most relevant field of study would usually be occupational health and safety, but it might also be possible to find work if you hold a degree in a related field such as engineering or biology. In some cases, it may be possible to obtain work by completing on-the-job training or obtaining an associate degree. Obtaining a master’s degree in industrial hygiene or health physics could help to qualify you for the more senior-level, higher-paying corporate roles available in this niche.

Global Employment Outlook for Occupational Health and Safety Advisors

Overall, the global employment outlook for occupational health and safety advisors is favorable.

In Australia, experts at the Australian Government’s National Skills Commission are predicting a stable employment outlook for workers in this occupation. While they are not predicting a huge amount of growth for employment in this field, they expect that significant numbers of Australians will be employed in this occupation in the future.

In the United States, employment experts expect to see a moderate amount of growth in this occupation. They are predicting about 4 percent growth in the number of occupational health and safety advisors that will be employed in the country by the year 2029. This prediction comes at a time when employment levels in many other vocations are contracting, which indicates that this particular occupation is likely to remain relatively viable at a time when many others will not.

If you think you would enjoy helping your colleagues to stay safe at work, this is a job you’d probably excel at. Now is a fantastic time to seek training as occupational health and safety advisor.