The question “What are the qualification required for a safety officer” is a very important question young and prospective Health and Safety professionals ask.
Health and Safety Officer Qualification is not fixed, the same way the duties are not fixed; all are organization dependent.
Some organization has a high qualification criteria before being considered for the Health and Safety role, while other organization considers a lower qualification.
Personally, I was employed as a Health and Safety Officer with a Health and Safety level 3 (Supervision) proficiency course.
Moreover, there are certifications you have to acquire before apply for a Health and Safety Officer role in any organization.
You should at least acquire the Health and Safety Level 3 proficiency course. Though this is my personal opinion, but it will help you understand your duties and also deliver on your responsibilities.
However, some organization will still expect you to be NEBOSH certified with NEBOSH IGC. Personally, I do not really consent to that. NEBOSH IGC is more difficult to pass when you are not practicing, especially IGC 2. I believe everyone just need a starting point.
I believe acquiring the Health and Safety level 3 proficiency course is okay for a start as a Health and Safety Officer Role. You will get the necessary experience, from there you can enroll for the NEBOSH IGC exams.
Some of the responsibilities you will be carrying out are:
- Advising and training staff on health and safety practices
- Making regular inspections
- Doing risk assessments
- Investigating and recording accidents in the workplace
- Working with relevant inspectors and trade unions
All of these and many more on the things you will be expected to do as a Health and Safety Officer are covered in the Health and Safety level 1, 2 & 3 proficiency training.
Be it as it may and all things being equal, you may have to go for higher qualification because of the competitive nature of the job market.
I had previously compiled a long list of the duties of a safety officer; 40 Duties of a Health and Safety Officer read it here
Some personal skills expected from a Health and Safety officer are:
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills
- Organisational skills
- Problem solving ability
- Excellent IT skills
In summary, the question: What are the qualification required for a safety officer?
Answer:
- Health and Safety level 1, 2,& 3 proficiency courses
- Advanced Health and Safety course
- NEBOSH IGC
