Health and safety adviser
Health and safety advisers develop policies designed to reduce the risk of accidents, injuries and health issues in the workplace.
Also known as: Health, safety and environment (HSE) adviser
- Starter salary£26,000 a year
- Experienced£48,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 40 a week
What you'll do
As a health and safety adviser, you could:
- develop safety policies and procedures for your organisation
- advise and train staff on health and safety good practices
- make regular inspections and report issues to managers
- do risk assessments
- investigate and record accidents in the workplace
- work closely with relevant inspectors and trade unions
Your workplace will depend on your industry. It is likely to combine office-based tasks with on-site and off-site training and inspections.
Working environment
You could work in an office.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to work well with others
- persistence and determination
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- knowledge of public safety and security
- knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
- excellent written communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a health and safety adviser
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- training through a professional body
University
You can do a degree in a subject, such as:
- occupational safety, health and environment
- environmental health
You might also be able to apply to do a postgraduate qualification in health and safety, if you have a degree related to a particular industry. Examples include construction, engineering or manufacturing.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
- a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course
Apprenticeship
You can apply to do a Safety, Health and Environment Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
You can also do an Environmental Health Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.
These can take between 2 and 4 years to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
Other routes
You could study for a general health and safety qualification while you're working, or to improve your chances of finding a trainee position.
Topics will include:
- health and safety in the workplace
- monitoring risks
- legal regulations
- carrying out health and safety assessments
Courses are often flexible with options to study part-time or online.
You can take approved health and safety courses through:
- NEBOSH
- IOSH
Career path and progression
With experience, you could move into a safety management role.
You could also become a consultant and specialise in a particular area like environmental, construction or fire safety.
With further study, you could move into research, training or lecturing.
Professional and industry bodies
The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register has a list of organisations offering membership, which can help with professional development.
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0