As far as the job description of a health or occupational security officer is concerned, there are various available areas of specialization and expertise. One of the job profiles is that of an environmental protection officer. The officers of this profile are concerned with managing as well as formulating guidelines and procedures to ensure that there are no chances of any environmental hazards due to a particular activity or task going on in an organization. These may include procedures to manage the proper storage as well as disposal of hazardous waste materials. There are others of the cadre of health physicist, who are required to work upon the task of monitoring physical processes such as handling, packaging, as well as disposing of nuclear waste. Another very crucial job profile is that of an industrial hygienist. People with such job profiles are required to ensure that no breach of health codes take place in an organization, so that the employees stay in complete wellness as well as prosperity.
Clearly, the work profile of a health as well as safety specialist is one that is multifarious in nature. But there is a single set of tasks that each type of professional performs in his or her work domain. This set of tasks and procedures are intended to identify and prevent any kind of hazardous effects on the environment, property, or even the human resource. A health and safety officer is required to conduct a detailed survey of the organization in order to perform an up-to-date assessment of the various facilities, equipments, methods, and routines, as well as the people who work in an organization. Once this research has been performed, the problem areas are identified and the professional is required to jot down a future plan of action in order to counter these. If some mishap occurs in the organization, health and security specialists are often summoned in order to find out the real cause behind the tragedy.
For fitting into the role of a health or security officer, it is desired that the candidate possess a graduation or else a higher degree into some trade related to health or security. Apart from this, a graduation in any trade related to maintenance of health as well as security is essential. Along with the degree, a first hand training in the task of inspections as well as checks would prove to be very useful in the everyday working as a health and security officer.
A host of various institutions provides certifications in the fields of health as well as security. As far as the domain of security is concerned, the Board of Certified Safety Professionals provides certifications as well as letters of merit. Similarly, the American Board of Industrial Hygiene as well as the Council on Certification of Health, Environmental, and Safety Technologists provides merit credentials and certifications in the field of health and hygiene. All of these certifications make a considerable difference to the candidature for the post of a health and security officer.
The job of a health and security officer is one that commands a lot of respect as well as acceptance in the industry. As is the respect and honor that are a part of the job, so are the monetary compensations that are offered for services performed as a health and security officer. On average, the salaries offered to a general health and security officer varies in the range of about sixty to seventy US dollars. However, if you are involved into the field and perform job activities such as inspection and checking, the pay scales are considerably higher.
The job profile of a health and security officer is one which stands out as a necessity for both the public as well as the private sector. As a result of this, the job prospects in the future will always be very encouraging.