Ingeniero de Salud y Seguridad

Health and Safety Engineers perform many of their duties out from behind their desks, traveling to worksites to talk with workers, inspect equipment, evaluate processes, and investigate incidents. They can expect full-time work, with the potential for additional hours when an accident happens or a major inspection is coming up. 

Tareas típicas

• Stay on top of all related company, state, federal, and international policies
• Assist with internal inspections to ensure work centers are in compliance
• Design new processes, technologies, and equipment that meets safety criteria
• Look for hazards and assist supervisors with developing safety training programs for equipment operation
• Suggest personal protective equipment for particular work environments and hazards
• Closely review buildings and products with an eye for non-compliance issues
• Raise awareness of potential hazards and risks to supervisors and management
• Install or oversee installation of relevant safety equipment; suggest personal protective equipment procurement and use
• Conduct thorough investigations into mishaps and accidents; maintain logs of assessments; generate preventative measures and follow-up to check that they are implemented

 
Responsabilidades adicionales

• Specific roles call for unique responsibilities
  • Fire prevention engineers deal with fire prevention and suppression measures
  • Product safety (or compliance) engineers ensure products comply with safety regulations
  • Systems safety engineers work with a range of system designs
• All Health and Safety Engineers may be expected to respond to emergencies when needed
• Minimize impact on production and work processes during inspections and investigations
• Participate in worker’s compensation assessments
• Stay abreast of state, federal, and international codes, standards, and regulations, and comply with reporting procedures for accidents or other issues 

Habilidades blandas

• Strong leadership and confidence
• Ability to direct the actions of others under a variety of conditions
• Ability to see the “big picture” of how minor details affect larger processes
• Able to focus in noisy or hectic environments
• Attention to details
• Clara capacidad de comunicación 
• Escucha activa
• Cumplimiento y seguridad
• Pensamiento crítico
• Razonamiento deductivo
• Initiative and “can do” attitude
• Investigación
• Organized and precise
• Patience and empathy
• Resolución de problemas
• Competencias pedagógicas
• General understanding of psychology 

Habilidades técnicas

• Anthropometric databases
• Diseño asistido por ordenador 
• Electronic design automation 
• Fire safety inspection and testing software
• Incident tracking 
• Material safety data sheet (MSDS) software
• MATLAB
• Roof support design software
• Root cause analysis software
• Various safety, health, and environmental management programs
• Static strength prediction software
• Virtual interaction simulators
• Microsoft Access and Excel
• Use of air samplers, dynamometers, torque sensors, oxygen gas analyzers, pressure indicators, radio frequency identification devices, and sound measuring equipment

• Manufacturing and construction    
• Governmental/military agencies
• Various engineering services    
• Consultoría

There is no shortage of risks associated with worker safety and well-being. No matter what business an organization is in, there are always potential workplace hazards. From the environments where employees spend their time to the equipment and processes they use, an endless array of problems can arise. Health and Safety Engineers bear an enormous responsibility to those workers and to the companies that employ them to ensure things are done in a way that minimizes danger and increases productivity. 
 
The duties don’t stop there, though. Companies that make products which are sold to consumers are accountable for making certain those products are safe to use or that customers understand how to properly and safely use them. The brand’s reputation is on the line and can be shattered when unexpected incidents occur. Thus the engineer’s job can extend beyond the boundaries of where they physically work. Per O-Net, 39% of Health and Safety Engineers report “high” levels of responsibility related to the health of others, and 52% report “very high” levels. 71% report working more than 40 hours per week, so overtime seems like a sacrifice to expect. 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Health expects job growth to be at 5%, the same as the national average for all jobs. In the coming years, plan to see continued focus on wellness in the workplace as employers look for ways to cut down employee stress. Stress is a major factor in many accidents, in part because it takes away focus. Allowing workers a little decompression time can pay dividends when it reduces injuries, missed work, and potential litigation. In addition, Health and Safety Engineers may be tagged to capture employee feedback more effectively, using technology to make the process easier and faster (such as mobile apps that workers can use to report issues).  
 
Speaking of technology, constant changes in tech affect the job market. Advances can cause the elimination of certain human-performed jobs while at the same time create new openings. When this happens, engineers can assist with finding realistic ways to retrain or upskill impacted current employees versus recruiting new ones. This is a win-win for everyone. Other trends include finding better methods of utilizing data to inform decision-making and help reduce costly risks, while integrating wearable “smart” personal protective equipment and Internet of Things innovations to monitor employee activities for safety purposes. 

Good Health and Safety Engineers are interested in the intersection between helping others and complying with rules. As such, they may have been sticklers for things like wearing helmets, eating healthy, and avoiding dangerous activities. Most likely, in their earlier years workers in this field were considered very responsible for their age, and perhaps had younger siblings or held babysitting jobs where they were charged with taking care of others. 
 
It’s possible some experienced an incident in their own lives which raised their awareness of the importance of health and safety concepts. On the other hand, perhaps they simply enjoyed organizing activities, keeping things on schedule, and maintaining positive control over situations so that others could relax and have fun. Other traits that may have developed early on would include strong academic skills with a focus on solid research, proper formatting, and meeting deadlines. A large part of Health and Safety Engineering obviously has to do with how people engage with their environment and each other, requiring interests in psychology, workplace sociology, biology, physical sciences, and other topics.