Science & ResearchISCO 2149
Health and safety engineer
Health and safety engineers design objects and programs by combining engineering principles and health and safety requirements. They envision the protection and well-being of the people using designed objects or performing work under designed health and safety programs. They assess facilities and the risks that they might pose (e.g. contaminant materials, ergonomics, handling of dangerous substances, etc.) in order to design and improve health and safety measures.
Check yourself in a minute: health and safety engineer
Rate 5 of the 10 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.
adjust engineering designs
monitor employee's health
approve engineering design
engineering principles
assessment of risks and threats
About health and safety engineer
As a health and safety engineer, you will play a critical role in protecting workers and the public by designing systems, products, and programs that integrate engineering principles with comprehensive health and safety requirements. You will assess physical facilities, identify potential hazards such as contaminant materials, ergonomic risks, and dangerous substances, then develop and implement measures to eliminate or minimize these risks. Your work directly impacts organizational culture, regulatory compliance, and most importantly, the wellbeing of people in the workplace.
Key Work Functions
Core areas of responsibility for a health and safety engineer.
1
Risk Assessment and Hazard Identification
- Conduct comprehensive facility audits and assessments to identify potential hazards
- Analyze ergonomic conditions and workplace layout for worker safety
- Evaluate handling procedures for dangerous substances and materials
- Document findings and create risk matrices for prioritization
2
Design and Development of Safety Systems
- Design safety measures and control systems based on engineering principles
- Develop containment systems for hazardous materials and processes
- Create and refine health and safety programs tailored to organization needs
- Specify protective equipment and engineering controls required
3
Compliance and Regulatory Management
- Ensure designs and programs meet all applicable health and safety regulations
- Stay current with evolving safety standards and regulatory requirements
- Prepare documentation for regulatory inspections and certifications
- Conduct internal audits to verify compliance with established standards
4
Training and Education
- Develop training programs for workers on hazard recognition and safe practices
- Conduct workshops and seminars on health and safety topics
- Provide guidance to management and supervisors on safety implementation
5
Incident Investigation and Prevention
- Investigate accidents and near-miss incidents to determine root causes
- Develop corrective and preventive action plans based on findings
- Monitor implementation of preventive measures and their effectiveness
- Maintain incident records and analyze trends over time
6
Consultation and Continuous Improvement
- Consult with various departments and stakeholders on safety implementation
- Monitor emerging hazards and new technologies for safety improvements
- Develop metrics to measure safety program effectiveness and ROI
European Skills Framework
Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.
Essential (10)
engineering principlesengineering principlesThe engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.safety engineeringsafety engineeringThe study of the risks associated with engineered designs and systems, accident prevention as well as the safety benefits of reducing deaths and injuries. The discipline focuses on analysing and mitig...assessment of risks and threatsassessment of risks and threatsThe security documentation and any security-related communications and information.health and safety regulationshealth and safety regulationsNecessary health, safety, hygiene and environmental standards and legislation rules in the sector of particular activity.advise on safety improvementsadvise on safety improvementsProvide relevant recommendations following the conclusion of an investigation; ensure that recommendations are duly considered and where appropriate acted upon.adjust engineering designsadjust engineering designsAdjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.monitor employee's healthmonitor employee's healthUse health surveillance programmes to monitor the health of employees who are potentially exposed to hazards at work.adhere to health well-being and safetyadhere to health well-being and safetyComply with and apply the main points of health well-being and safety policy and procedures, in accordance with employer's policies. Report health and safety risks that have been identified and follow...prevent health and safety problemsprevent health and safety problemsIdentify safety and health issues and come up with solutions to prevent accidents.approve engineering designapprove engineering designGive consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Optional (47) — show
human factors regarding safetyhuman factors regarding safetyThe considerations and implications for human safety.quality assurance proceduresquality assurance proceduresThe procedures to inspect a product or system to ensure that it is according to specifications and requirements.properties of textile materialsproperties of textile materialsThe characteristics and properties of different textile and fabric materials. These include strength, flexibility, elasticity, softness, durability, heat insulation, low weight, water absorbency/repel...design principlesdesign principlesThe elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.fire safety regulationsfire safety regulationsThe legal rules to be applied for fire safety and fire prevention in a facility.fire protection engineeringfire protection engineeringApplication of engineering principles for the design and production of fire detection, prevention and suppression systems that range from the conception of fire alarms to space planning and building d...physicsphysicsThe natural science involving the study of matter, motion, energy, force and related notions.environmental legislationenvironmental legislationThe environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.scientific literaturescientific literatureThe medium of informing the scientific community, including academic researchers, about the results of scientific research. It constitutes a permanent and cumulative collection of all the findings of ...nuclear energynuclear energyThe generation of electrical energy through the use of nuclear reactors, by converting the energy released from nuclei of atoms in reactors which generate heat. This heat subsequently generates steam ...civil engineeringcivil engineeringThe engineering discipline that studies the design, construction and maintenance of naturally built works such as roads, buildings, and canals.thermodynamicsthermodynamicsThe branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy.fire prevention proceduresfire prevention proceduresThe regulations concerning fire and explosion prevention, and the equipment, systems and methods used in it.thermohydraulicsthermohydraulicsTypes of hydraulic flow processes used to move generated heat and the use of this heat to produce electricity.fire-fighting systemsfire-fighting systemsThe devices and systems used to extinguish fires; the classes and chemistry of fire.chemistrychemistryThe composition, structure, and properties of substances and the processes and transformations that they undergo; the uses of different chemicals and their interactions, production techniques, risk fa...radiation protectionradiation protectionThe measures and procedures used to protect people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionising radiation.ergonomicsergonomicsThe science of designing systems, processes and products that complement the strengths of people so that they can use them easily and safely.advise on construction materialsadvise on construction materialsProvide advice on and test a wide range of construction materials.design safety equipmentdesign safety equipmentDesign equipment that protects people from injury, such as hard hats, airbags, and life jackets, applying design principles while keeping health and safety rules and regulations in mind.adhere to OHSAS 18001adhere to OHSAS 18001Know and follow the standards of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. Strive to implement practices that reduce the risk of accidents in the workplace.determine fire risksdetermine fire risksEvaluate buildings, housing complexes, public places, and sites in order to discover fire risks.install safety devicesinstall safety devicesSet up devices that protect individuals from harm and ensure occupational health, such as airbags and residual current devices.undertake inspectionsundertake inspectionsUndertake safety inspections in areas of concern to identify and report potential hazards or security breaches; take measures to maximise safety standards.monitor work sitemonitor work siteRegularly ensure that working conditions on site meet health and safety requirements; ensure that the proposed work will not pose a threat to the physical integrity of others.perform scientific researchperform scientific researchGain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.conduct workplace auditsconduct workplace auditsConduct work site audits and inspections in order to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.adhere to standards of national and international safety programmesadhere to standards of national and international safety programmesComply with national and international safety standards, e.g. in aviation. Adhere to standards of national and international safety programmes.conduct fire safety inspectionsconduct fire safety inspectionsConduct inspections in buildings and on sites to assess their fire prevention and safety equipment, evacuation strategies, and related strategies, and ensure compliance with safety regulations.carry out environmental auditscarry out environmental auditsUse equipment to measure various environmental parameters in order to identify environmental problems and investigate manners in which they can be resolved. Perform inspections in order to ensure comp...follow nuclear plant safety precautionsfollow nuclear plant safety precautionsComply with nuclear power plant safety procedures, policies and legislation to ensure a safe working environment for all employees, and to ensure the safety of the public.develop material testing proceduresdevelop material testing proceduresDevelop testing protocols in collaboration with engineers and scientists to enable a variety of analyses such as environmental, chemical, physical, thermal, structural, resistance or surface analyses ...apply knowledge of human behaviourapply knowledge of human behaviourPractice principles related to group behaviour, trends in society, and influence of societal dynamics.draft design specificationsdraft design specificationsList the design specifications such as materials and parts to be used and a cost estimate.respond to nuclear emergenciesrespond to nuclear emergenciesSet in motion the strategies for reacting in the event of equipment malfunctions, errors, or other events which may lead to contamination and other nuclear emergencies, ensuring that the facility is s...conduct fire testsconduct fire testsConduct tests on a variety of materials such as building or transportation materials in order to determine their physical properties against fire such as flame resistance, surface burning characterist...plan health and safety proceduresplan health and safety proceduresSet up procedures for maintaining and improving health and safety in the establishment or workplace.test safety strategiestest safety strategiesTest policies and strategies related to risk and safety management and procedures, such as testing evacuation plans, safety equipment, and carrying out drills.write inspection reportswrite inspection reportsWrite the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection's processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.advise architectsadvise architectsGive advise on design, safety issues, and cost reduction to architects during the pre-application phase.assess ergonomics of the workplaceassess ergonomics of the workplaceAssess ergonomics of the workplace in relation to the human resources, analysing how people interact with machinery, equipment, and work spaces.educate employees on occupational hazardseducate employees on occupational hazardsProvide information and advice to employees related to the possible occupational hazards, such as industrial solvents, radiation, noise and vibration.accept own accountabilityaccept own accountabilityAccept accountability for one`s own professional activities and recognise the limits of one`s own scope of practice and competencies.set safety and security standardsset safety and security standardsDetermine standards and procedures to ensure safety and security in an establishment.investigate occupational injuriesinvestigate occupational injuriesAssess, manage, and report cases of occupational illness, disease, or injury, establishing if this is a single case or if there is wider incidence.perform laboratory testsperform laboratory testsCarry out tests in a laboratory to produce reliable and precise data to support scientific research and product testing.evaluate industrial hygieneevaluate industrial hygieneAssess hygiene in industrial environments by evaluating chemical, physical, and biological agents to ensure the health of people working with them.
Related Occupations
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Frequently asked questions
What does a health and safety engineer do?
Health and safety engineers design objects and programs by combining engineering principles and health and safety requirements. They envision the protection and well-being of the people using designed objects or performing work under designed health and safety programs. They assess facilities and the risks that they might pose (e.g. contaminant materials, ergonomics, handling of dangerous substances, etc.) in order to design and improve health and safety measures.
What skills does a health and safety engineer need?
A health and safety engineer needs 10 essential skills, including engineering principles, safety engineering, assessment of risks and threats, health and safety regulations, advise on safety improvements.
Will AI replace health and safety engineer jobs?
The AI disruption score for health and safety engineer is 72/100 (high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: write inspection reports, health and safety regulations, fire safety regulations. Most resilient: respond to nuclear emergencies, install safety devices, fire-fighting systems.
AI Replacement Risk
72/ 100
High Risk
Low riskHigh risk
Skills most at risk from AI
Skills resilient to automation
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