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What is a senior health, safety and environmental specialist and how to become one
Senior health safety and environmental specialists are responsible for making sure that the impact of the activities of an organization on the environment or the employees' safety and health is controlled and causes as little harm as possible. They spot issues and advise on solutions, making sure everything aligns with safety regulations protecting workers and the environment.
Working in this position, you might be employed by a power plant or manufacturing industries, chemical or energy-producing factories. It will be your job to mediate between the organization and the authorities controlling industrial activities. You will be in charge of designing and implementing the environmental policies of a company, and manage environmental risks in a cost-efficient way.
You will need a degree in environmental science, sustainability, or a related area in order to succeed in this position. You will need an in-depth understanding of federal and state regulations of industrial practices and hazardous waste management. Problem-solving will be a big part of your job, and good communication skills will be essential. The average salaries you can earn in this position are around $64,963 a year.
What general advice would you give to a senior health, safety and environmental specialist?
Tracey Cekada
Chairperson and Professor, Safety Sciences Department, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Avg. Salary $59,151
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 6%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.21%
Asian 5.79%
Black or African American 8.88%
Hispanic or Latino 14.88%
Unknown 6.04%
White 63.20%
Genderfemale 33.33%
male 66.67%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is challenging
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Senior health, safety and environmental specialist career paths
Key steps to become a senior health, safety and environmental specialist
Explore senior health, safety and environmental specialist education requirements
Start to develop specific senior health, safety and environmental specialist skills
Skills Percentages Environmental Health 14.29% EHS 11.17% OSHA 8.71% Hazardous Materials 5.45% Ehs Management 3.84% Complete relevant senior health, safety and environmental specialist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior healths, safety and environmental specialist learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior health, safety and environmental specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior health, safety and environmental specialist resumes.Research senior health, safety and environmental specialist duties and responsibilities
- Manage all asbestos relate incidents/clean-ups.
- Research OSHA, EPA, API and ISO and other regulatory issues and outline means for compliance.
- Develop PowerPoint to create greater awareness of improper lifting sling hazards and recommendations of proper lifting techniques, recommendation taken.
- Facilitate updates on policy and procedure changes via postings on the intranet.
Get senior health, safety and environmental specialist experience
Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior health, safety and environmental specialist. The most common roles before becoming a senior health, safety and environmental specialist include safety specialist, health and safety technician team lead and environmental health safety manager.Apply for senior health, safety and environmental specialist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a senior health, safety and environmental specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first senior health, safety and environmental specialist job
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Average senior health, safety and environmental specialist salary
The average senior health, safety and environmental specialist salary in the United States is $59,151 per year or $28 per hour. Senior health, safety and environmental specialist salaries range between $41,000 and $85,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do senior healths, safety and environmental specialist rate their job?
Senior health, safety and environmental specialist reviews
The job role gives me an opportunity to help save people's lives while they also achieve their objectives. In the long run, we all attain fulfillment.
Some workers refuse to adhere to safety policies even when it is obvious that they could get hurt.
Nobody loves to die but I guess its inevitable,working as a safety officer you must be ready for anything.
Autonomy, presenting, data tracking and logging.
Updated January 8, 2025
