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Notre Dame High School

Notre Dame
High School

Success at School Career Zone: Working in Health & Safety

The great thing about jobs in Health and Safety is that they could offer students a pathway into virtually any industry – from TV and film to fashion and even the performing arts.

What roles are available?

Health and safety coordinators: working to reduce accidents, injury and health problems in the workplace.

Quality, Health, Safety & Environment (QHSE) professionals: this role also covers the quality customers expect and environmental regulations organisations have to follow.

Building safety regulatory lead: this job comes with a lot of responsibility, making sure your organisation sticks to the law when it comes to building safety regulations.

Fire safety professionals: you make sure organisations minimise the risk of fire and have a plan to deal with fires if they occur.

What skills do I need?

  • Communication: You’ll be able to communicate important safety information to colleagues and clients – people’s lives could depend on it.

  • Problem solving: As well as identifying health and safety challenges in the workplace, you’ll be able to recommend solutions colleagues can put into action.

  • Project management: You may be tasked with designing a safer workplace, so you’ll need to be able to see a project through from start to finish.

What subjects could I take?

You can pursue a career in Health and Safety no matter what academic route you go down – but here are some ideas about how your school/college subjects can help you develop the skills and understanding needed to succeed in this career path.

Business studies

Understanding how businesses work will help you foresee the kinds of health and safety challenges you may be faced with – as well as the businesses goals your clients are focused on.

Physical education

Studying PE will help you build an understanding of the body’s capabilities, limitations and how it is affected by physical strain – essential knowledge for any Health and Safety professional.

Psychology

A priority for many within the Health and Safety industry is convincing employers and employees to adapt their behaviour. Understanding what makes people tick will help with this task.

A whole range of school subjects can equip you for a Health and Safety career. Maths, for example, can provide you with those all-important problem-solving skills, while Design and Technology could help you come up with healthy workplace adaptations and practices.

Uni or Apprenticeship?

University

Industry body NEBOSH offers a level 6 National diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals (equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree), covering occupational health and safety. NEBOSH offers two types of Master’s degrees, jointly with the University of Hull, for those who already have a diploma. There is a range of MSc qualifications to choose from, or alternatively, you could do the more research-based MRes degree.

Apprenticeship

With a level 3 health and safety apprenticeship, you could complete qualifications such as the NEBOSH national general certificate as part of your programme. Check out NEBOSH’s interview with Faye, who did just this with Caerphilly Country Borough Council in Wales. Faye took two weeks out to complete her certificate – qualifying aged just 19 and extending her apprenticeship by 12 months.

Top Tip

If you’re interested in a career in Health and Safety, consider completing the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. It is a great stepping stone to further qualifications and is recognised internationally.

Other things to consider…

Health and Safety offers you a way into a whole host of other areas of work – for example, you could work at a music venue, on a film or TV set or in the fashion industry.

If you work for a consultancy, your role could be varied – giving you the chance to visit a different kind of workplace each week!

Check out the full Health and Safety Career Zone on the Success at Schools website for more details.

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