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Safety director vs health and safety manager

The differences between safety directors and health and safety managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a safety director and a health and safety manager. Additionally, a safety director has an average salary of $85,687, which is higher than the $85,606 average annual salary of a health and safety manager.

The top three skills for a safety director include OSHA, DOT and safety procedures. The most important skills for a health and safety manager are EHS, corrective action, and safety program.

Safety director vs health and safety manager overview

Safety DirectorHealth And Safety Manager
Yearly salary$85,687$85,606
Hourly rate$41.20$41.16
Growth rate4%4%
Number of jobs19,50771,325
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4242
Years of experience22

What does a safety director do?

A safety director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.

What does a health and safety manager do?

Health and Safety Managers oversee the company's compliance with occupational health and safety guidelines set by both governing bodies and company policies. They create company policies based on guidelines released by regulatory bodies. They also ensure that everyone follows these policies in the office. Health and safety managers are in charge of inspecting the workplace and ensuring no health hazards in the area. They are also in charge of signing off on materials and equipment used in the office to ensure that they are safe to use. Health and Safety Managers train health and safety officers to ensure that the same standard is applied to the department.

Safety director vs health and safety manager salary

Safety directors and health and safety managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Safety DirectorHealth And Safety Manager
Average salary$85,687$85,606
Salary rangeBetween $55,000 And $131,000Between $62,000 And $117,000
Highest paying CitySouth San Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaLouisiana
Best paying companyGenentechThe Walt Disney Company
Best paying industryConstructionEnergy

Differences between safety director and health and safety manager education

There are a few differences between a safety director and a health and safety manager in terms of educational background:

Safety DirectorHealth And Safety Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Safety director vs health and safety manager demographics

Here are the differences between safety directors' and health and safety managers' demographics:

Safety DirectorHealth And Safety Manager
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 79.8% Female, 20.2%Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 69.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage4%4%

Differences between safety director and health and safety manager duties and responsibilities

Safety director example responsibilities.

  • Manage institutional compliance with OSHA, EPA, DEP, JCAHO, AOA, NFPA, and other regulatory authorities.
  • Lead and manage ISO 9001 and ISO 17025 internal, third party, customer and supplier audits for the group.
  • Manage HSE programs for a national corporation specializing in concrete product manufacturing.
  • Conduct routine health, safety and environmental inspections in accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1910, EPA and NFPA standards.
  • Indoctrinate and train new employees in CPR, and basic first aid.
  • Teach CPR, first aid, blood borne pathogens and baby sitting classes.
  • Show more

Health and safety manager example responsibilities.

  • Lead district to earn distinction as first location in the company to adhere to rigorous EPA guidelines for hazardous materials handling.
  • Lead EHS management systems audits, conduct industrial hygiene evaluations, coordinate MSDS development and deliver EHS site-specific training.
  • Focuse on achieving the highest levels of HSE performance through behavior-base initiatives, auditing, mentoring and expeditiously implementing change.
  • Work with business units to identify opportunities for EHS improvement and develop and implement effective EHS management systems and best practices.
  • Assess payloads to assure compliance with NASA safety requirements.
  • Perform hazard analyses and safety assessments of NASA rocket motor tests, industrial facilities and operations.
  • Show more

Safety director vs health and safety manager skills

Common safety director skills
  • OSHA, 13%
  • DOT, 7%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • PET, 5%
  • Patients, 5%
  • Safety Policies, 4%
Common health and safety manager skills
  • EHS, 6%
  • Corrective Action, 5%
  • Safety Program, 5%
  • Continuous Improvement, 5%
  • Management System, 4%
  • EPA, 3%

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