Health and safety inspectors assess workplaces to reduce harm and ensure compliance with regulations. They may work as active inspectors or consultants, and require a bachelor’s degree and ongoing education. Inspectors may issue notices for violations, while consultants offer suggestions to make workplaces safer. Travel and diplomacy skills are also necessary.
A health and safety inspector is responsible for assessing workplaces with a view to reducing the possibility of harm. Some work as active inspectors, assessing spaces and issuing reports, while others work as consultants, bringing their expertise to businesses that want to ensure they are as healthy and safe as possible. Work in this field is expanding, especially in areas that are experiencing growth, which requires more inspectors to ensure that working conditions are up to safety standards.
To become a health and safety inspector, someone usually needs a bachelor’s degree in occupational safety or a related field. He or she must also be willing to participate in ongoing education and training to keep up with developments in the field, and most health and safety inspectors also keep up with regulations and news in the field. If someone wants to work as a health and safety consultant, they can seek additional certification in areas such as workplace ergonomics.
When a person works as an inspector, it is usually in the capacity of a government agent. Most governments have strict laws designed to keep workplaces safe, and these laws are enforced by inspectors who conduct random site visits. When the health and safety inspector arrives, the workplace is inspected for compliance with items such as the health code in the region and notices may be issued if there are violations.
As a consultant, health and safety consultants enter the workplace and offer suggestions on how to make it safer, healthier and more enjoyable to work in. Some insurance companies actually require companies to be inspected for health and safety to reduce absenteeism and insurance claims for workplace related injuries and health problems. Other companies voluntarily seek out consultants because they want their employees to stay healthy.
To work in this field, one must be prepared to travel and visit a wide variety of places. A health and safety inspector may also be required to exercise the art of diplomacy, as some business owners become quite hostile when told about safety breaches. It also helps to know the relevant health and safety codes back and forth to ensure specific citations can be provided for each violation notice.
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