Safety engineers play an important role in keeping the workplace safe for employees and keeping workman compensation claims down for employers. They work in various industries and act as experts within the company to prevent onsite accidents and job-related illnesses. Both employers and employees benefit from their knowledge of laws, policy, and safety practices. They provide employers with recommendations, inspections, and safety plans that can help to prevent or reduce exposure to chemical, biological and physical hazards by employees, and ensure that OSHA rules and regulations are being met.
Becoming a safety engineer isn’t an easy endeavor. Like most occupations in engineering, safety engineering means starting out with the right classes before you even enter college. Safety engineers need to have a firm grasp on the mathematic and scientific fields. So taking classes in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus during high school will start you on the right path. You also need to look at taking biology, physics, and chemistry to prepare yourself for college courses in Engineering.
The next step in your path to becoming a safety engineer is obtaining a college degree in industrial, mechanical, or electrical engineering. You need to include classes on environmental or occupational safety, ergonomics, and industrial health. Once you complete your education, you’ll need to get a professional certification by gaining experience and successfully completing a two-part exam. The first part of the exam covers safety fundamentals, while the second part is a comprehensive examination of safety practices, which Lewis C Barbe, a certified safety engineer says, requires you to gain experience in the field that goes beyond your degree.
Recommended Reading: Lewis C Barbe: Ergonomic Standards
Becoming a safety engineer isn’t an easy endeavor. Like most occupations in engineering, safety engineering means starting out with the right classes before you even enter college. Safety engineers need to have a firm grasp on the mathematic and scientific fields. So taking classes in algebra, trigonometry, and calculus during high school will start you on the right path. You also need to look at taking biology, physics, and chemistry to prepare yourself for college courses in Engineering.
The next step in your path to becoming a safety engineer is obtaining a college degree in industrial, mechanical, or electrical engineering. You need to include classes on environmental or occupational safety, ergonomics, and industrial health. Once you complete your education, you’ll need to get a professional certification by gaining experience and successfully completing a two-part exam. The first part of the exam covers safety fundamentals, while the second part is a comprehensive examination of safety practices, which Lewis C Barbe, a certified safety engineer says, requires you to gain experience in the field that goes beyond your degree.
Recommended Reading: Lewis C Barbe: Ergonomic Standards