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Safety consultant vs health & safety officer

The differences between safety consultants and health & safety officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a safety consultant, becoming a health & safety officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a safety consultant has an average salary of $72,011, which is higher than the $56,507 average annual salary of a health & safety officer.

The top three skills for a safety consultant include OSHA, EHS and safety procedures. The most important skills for a health & safety officer are OSHA, site safety, and em-385.

Safety consultant vs health & safety officer overview

Safety ConsultantHealth & Safety Officer
Yearly salary$72,011$56,507
Hourly rate$34.62$27.17
Growth rate4%6%
Number of jobs20,066115,573
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4245
Years of experience26

What does a safety consultant do?

A safety consultant specializes in establishing safety guidelines and regulations for a company to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding company operations, assessing existing safety programs to identify areas needing improvement, and recommending solutions through reports and presentations. They must also develop strategies to provide safety information to workers, creating information programs as necessary. Furthermore, as a safety consultant, it is essential to lead the implementation of new guidelines and policies, ensuring workforce compliance.

What does a health & safety officer do?

A Health and Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring the workplace's safety and security to provide smooth operations and implement safety practices within the premises. They inspect the facilities and equipment's condition and report any failures and defects for immediate resolution. They also facilitate safety training and programs for the employees to reiterate safety protocols and policies for strict compliance. A health and safety officer reviews incident reports, recommend safety and security resolutions and develop safety initiatives.

Safety consultant vs health & safety officer salary

Safety consultants and health & safety officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Safety ConsultantHealth & Safety Officer
Average salary$72,011$56,507
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $111,000Between $37,000 And $85,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CABerkeley, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyAlaska
Best paying companyPhillips 6624M Technologies
Best paying industryEnergyConstruction

Differences between safety consultant and health & safety officer education

There are a few differences between a safety consultant and a health & safety officer in terms of educational background:

Safety ConsultantHealth & Safety Officer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 61%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Connecticut-

Safety consultant vs health & safety officer demographics

Here are the differences between safety consultants' and health & safety officers' demographics:

Safety ConsultantHealth & Safety Officer
Average age4245
Gender ratioMale, 82.0% Female, 18.0%Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage4%7%

Differences between safety consultant and health & safety officer duties and responsibilities

Safety consultant example responsibilities.

  • Maintain and manage air and water permits for multiple industrial and commercial sites in accordance with EPA regulations.
  • Manage financial oversight and budget management including financial modeling and analysis, new products, travel, tools, and scheduling.
  • Perform facility and construction site audits confirming OSHA regulatory compliance, and ensuring occupational exposure limits are not exceed.
  • Provide regulatory compliance expertise for various customer markets in regard to EHS programs including industrial hygiene, environmental and safety programs.
  • Maintain require NFPA and OSHA certifications.
  • Experience with emergency responses such as first aid, CPR, spills and fire.
  • Show more

Health & safety officer example responsibilities.

  • Lead cross functional team on FMEA analysis, root cause analysis to improve the existing process.
  • Provide regulatory guidance of OSHA health and safety regulations and establish site interpretations of those regulations.
  • Organize students' information for CPR certification and parking registration.
  • Plan, organize, and host training sessions for CPR certification.
  • Develop metrics showing departmental and site EHS performances and present monthly findings to executive management.
  • Conduct internal audits of EHS programs and provide recommendations regarding the effectiveness of internal controls and processes.
  • Show more

Safety consultant vs health & safety officer skills

Common safety consultant skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • EHS, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 5%
  • Safety Audits, 4%
  • Safety Program, 4%
  • Corrective Action, 4%
Common health & safety officer skills
  • OSHA, 12%
  • Site Safety, 5%
  • Em-385, 5%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Fall Protection, 5%
  • SSHO, 4%

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