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Occupational Health & Safety Engineer
There are many jobs out there that are dangerous, some that don't seem to be dangerous but have the potential to cause disaster.  That is why safety experts are needed to protect workers from potential jobsite accidents.  If you are up to the challenge of becoming one of the many needed safety experts and wish to protect millions of workers, homeowners and school children living and playing near hazardous worksites, and other innocent, unsuspecting citizens who just happen to be nearby when disaster strikes, then the career of Health and Safety Engineer is definitely awaiting you. 

Health and Safety Engineers promote worksite and product safety by applying knowledge of industrial processes, mechanics, chemistry, psychology, and industrial health and safety laws.  They develop procedures and design systems to keep people from getting sick or injured and to keep property from being damaged.  By combining their knowledge of health, safety, and Systems Engineering, they are able to make sure that chemicals, machinery, software, furniture, and other products are not going to cause harm to people or buildings.

​Duties include but are not limited to:  reviewing plans and specifications for new machinery or equipment to make sure it meets safety requirements; inspecting facilities, machinery, and safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards; ensuring that a building or product complies with health and safety regulations, especially after an inspection that required changes; installing safety devices on machinery or directing the installation of these devices; reviewing employee safety programs and recommending improvements; and maintaining and applying their knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes.

Health and Safety Engineers also investigate industrial accidents, injuries, and occupational diseases to determine their causes and to see whether they could have been or can be prevented.  During investigations, they interview employers and employees to learn about work environments and incidents leading up to accidents or injuries.  They also evaluate the corrections that were made to remedy violations found during health inspections.

High school students interested in becoming a Health and Safety Engineer will benefit from taking high school courses in Mathematics, such as Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus; and Science, such as Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  Students entering engineering Bachelor's of Science programs from high school with no previous Health & Safety Engineering training should expect a period 4 to 5 years to complete said program.

From labeling workplace chemicals and hazardous workstations to evacuating workers and nearby schools and homes, the duties of a Health and Safety Engineer are invaluable to every community.  And because of its broadness in range of study and the shortage of experts in this particular field, Health and Safety Engineering has as high an expected demand increase as any other occupation in the US.
Job Description
Median Salary & Range
​Median Salary:  $82,970

Salary Range:  ~$42,300 - $137,880+
College Majors & Attainment Routes
​The normal routes to becoming a Health & Safety Engineer have been to major in Industrial Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Civil Engineering (depending on the industry in need), or even Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, Biochemistry, or Industrial Engineering Technology.

For those who wish to become licensed, establish their own Health & Safety Engineering consulting firm, and work directly with the public as an independent company, earning a Bachelor's Degree in one of the engineering majors and passing the Fire Protection PE exam (or the PE exam that best matches one's work experience) can only make that a possibility.
Colleges That Provide Above Majors
​Very few, if any, universities offer Health & Safety Engineering as a major.  But the colleges and universities that offer related majors are:  Morgan State University (Baltimore, Maryland); North Carolina A&T State University (Greensboro, North Carolina); Alabama A&M University (Normal, Alabama); Virginia State University (Petersburg, Virginia); Tuskegee University (Tuskegee, Alabama); Howard University (Washington, DC); Jackson State University (Jackson, Mississippi); Prairie View A&M University (Prairie View, Texas); Tennessee State University (Nashville, Tennessee); Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Florida); Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia); South Carolina State University (Orangeburg, South Carolina); Norfolk State University (Norfolk, Virginia); Benedict College (Columbia, South Carolina); and Southern University (Baton Rouge, Louisiana).
Available Scholarships