2017 Job Outlook

All open-ended respondent comments

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  • How would you describe the current job market for occupational safety and health professionals?
  • What can be done to encourage safety and health professionals to stay longer with their organizations?
  • Going forward, what skills will be most important for safety and health professionals to be hired and promoted?
  • What can be done to attract new people to the profession?

How would you describe the current job market for safety and health professionals?

"Good"

"Very strong, especially in insurance Loss Control. Many coming out of school have no idea that insurance Loss Control positions exist. The insurance industry gave up internal training programs years ago. Now, everyone is fighting over the same bodies."

"Many jobs and no one to fill them"

"fairly active"

"The market seems very tight right now for degreed safety professionals with 1-3 or even 3-5 years of experience. There is no shortage of people that are firefighters or have law enforcement type of degrees; however, we are looking for degreed safety professionals, when possible. Due to the shortage of degreed safety professionals, I have started considering people with online safety degrees or also those without a safety degree but rather a degree in the sciences or engineering."

"I have not paid close attention to this issue. Therefore, I am not in a position to respond."

"There aren't many openings in our state"

"Spotty... many postings require very specific certifications, experience and/or company specific qualifications."

"Growing"

"Very Good"

"I have seen several postings and have had many interviews but feel my age is a hindrance."

"I don't know since I haven't changed jobs in many years"

"good - safety and health professionals are always needed."

"There are positions available but salaries do not meet expectations."

"High demand"

"Varies by region."

"There is a high demand for safety professionals but for the most part it is for safety professionals on a specific project."

"In Delaware safety professionals have held their jobs so the market is fairly limited. Even inexperienced college professionals are out of state in PA, MD or even Kentucky."

"Companies are looking to save money so looking at personnel without the safety credentials. A different shift from 5 years ago."

"Weak at best, the farming (livestock) is very young in their safety practices."

"Strong, but certain industries like utilities, are in an uncertain time and it is difficult to judge the future."

"Job Market looks very good as I see safety jobs everywhere."

"Seems pretty strong. Many places are looking for qualified applicants."

"I believe the current job market for safety and health professionals is tightening. There seems to be less positions available, and those that are available do not stay open very long."

"Very aggressive. There are many open positions going unfilled. There are not enough people to fill the openings."

"Increasing"

"Market is good. Candidate pool is poor - kids today do not want to work."

"Very stable, but the salary fluctuates so much among different sectors. A long-term threat may be increased use of automated online training."

"The market is good for seasoned, experienced and exceptional safety/health/environmental leaders but we are long past the old 'Show em a movie or write a memo' approach to safety! The need is for innovative problem solvers that can be seen by management as 'go-to' people who figure out how to do things safely and within regulatory requirements versus the an old and tired response of 'OSHA says you can't do that'! The greatest need in a continuing 'do more with less' era is a safety pro who can do Safety, Industrial Hygiene, Workplace Health/Ergonomics, Accident Prevention, Training Environmental, Cultural Change and work with the company fire/business interruption insurer to reduce fire risk. (The latter has huge implications for safety/environmental too.)"

"I see opportunity for safety professional with 5+years experience."

"I continue to see postings on the job boards for safety professionals. The issue I see is that this management level is underpaid in most situations. The pay does not equal the amount of responsibility and positive financial impact a good EHS director can provide."

"In different areas of the country, the job market seems to be very good. In Mississippi, not so much."

"Good depending on the region you are in. Despite current Fed. administration, companies with ethics know that safety sells product, brings in good employees, and keep a business viable."

"Scarce for females"

"Fair to ppor"

"Not sure. The demand for safety professionals seemed to increase about the time I began my carrier. So I would anticipate that retirements will open many positions within the next 6 to 10 years."

"For safety and health professionals the job market maybe slow under the new administration. With limited enforcement of health and safety regulations the market will slow down."

"Many employers today have not taken safety as seriously as they should."

"very low"

"Poor, since many of the candidates have little or no experience."

"In my opinion the job market is growing for safety professionals. Smaller companies are starting to see the importance safety professionals bring to the table."

"Seems like I receive emails every day stating there are openings nearby"

"It looks promising if you have the requirements."

"My job market is NOT good ,because I am 58 years of age. No one is wanting a person my age. I have been looking for over one year now."

"Growing trend, but knowledge of the processes of the work is not up to date"

"Very solid. The need for safety professionals continues to progress as companies realize the value of safety in the workplace."

"Stable and good"

"I think there are plenty of jobs in the job market for those with college degrees. For those of us who have 20 + years of experience but no college degree, I think the market is slow."

"It is competitive but needs more dedicated safety professional"

"It must be good. I had a hard time hiring a transportation safety pro in So Cal recently."

"With the correct experience, very good."

"Fairly strong in that there is a progressive need to reduce injury trending and injury rates."

"Open, if you are willing to relocate."

"That depends on many factors such as industry, and geography."

"robust"

"Healthy"

"Unknown, haven't done research"

"Job market looks good."

"Uncertain"

"booming"

"Stable."

"Seems to be widely available, but I haven't personally been looking. Just going by what I hear."

"I think the job market is stable for beginning to mid-level professionals. The outlook for high level more experience professional; the outlook is very bad."

"It looks like the companies are cutting back on Trained Safety personnel and there are qualified people looking for jobs."

"Been with same company for ten years but have heard other colleauges say there is a shortage. Even looking for an assistant and it is hard to find a qualified person."

"The market is saturated with people who have safety certifications but are having a hard time getting or keeping a job."

"Seems to be a reasonable amount of jobs available. Most include EHS functions."

"Competitive but good with experience and certification as CSP/CIH"

"Getting better"

"Full"

"Strong"

"slow"

"Very good"

"Slim pickings"

"Seems competitive."

"The job market is very good for those with at least a few years of experience. It gets even better if one is willing to relocate."

"I have been in the field for 28 years and continue to see a good market for qualified motivated safety professionals."

"A lot of job opportunities, companies looking for a specific fit"

"There is a worldwide shortage within the Federal Government."

"Fair"

"A lot of opportunity"

"Healthy and growing"

"Optimistic for those who are willing to relocate"

"There is a lot of demand for qualified HSE personnel within our company, and I assume the same can be said for the industry and the marketplace in general."

"I believe the market for safety professionals is very strong. There appears to always be a demand for qualified safety professionals that are degreed and have certifications."

"Not sure"

"Safety and Health has been viewed as a non-value added, but required aspect of business operations by companies. Companies will look for college degreed employees (any degree)with no hands on experience for the cheapest they can get. You get what you pay for, until something bad happens."

"There are a lot of opportunities for safety professionals at the entry to mid-management levels. Opportunities at the more senior management levels are scarce."

"From what I have seen the job market is very tight. There are too few jobs out there and many people competing for them. I came from the Private sector to the public sector and have been looking mostly at public sector positions."

"There is a level of offerings in HSE. Normally, I find employers are not looking to fill high level positions. The offerings all seem to be more "entry level" positions."

"Opportunities available particularly in the center of the US"

"wait and see if the need arises before hiring"

"Good, jobs are available if willing to relocate."

"Terrible"

"I see the current market as wide open, for qualified personnel."

"Stable and growing"

"For CSPs, I'd say good. If you lack certification, it can be tough, I think."

"growing"

"Flooded with non experienced safety professional's"

"Improved"

"Stable for experienced professionals."

"Scary"

"Job market is favorable in larger cities"

"Good provided you have 3-5 years experience and are willing to relocate."

"The majority of openings I've noticed are in the manufacturing markets - not enough movement in or availability of non manufacturing safety professional positions in my state."

"More companies are taking steps to insure safety compliance. I anticipate an increase in the HSE field across all industries."

"I do not know. Have worked at same company for the last 23 years."

"Fed Gov't only hires veterans from outside the fed system. Most are unqualified and or lie about their safety & health experience on their resumes. They are difficult to work with."

"Not Many Job Offerings"

"saturated"

"Im UNEMPLOYED!"

"I believe the job market is relatively healthy. I say this because I receive at least one to two calls per week from companies or hiring firms interested in my experience in safety."

"There is always a constant need. What I see a shortage of are entry level positions."

"In this general area ( western PA ) young professionals are not able to find work in the safety field and have to move to find it."

"Right now I'm seeing a bunch of safety openings in all areas of manufacturing. Most of them require an added designation like a CSP, CIH or CHMM where it eliminates safety professionals who don't have one from applying for the position."

"Unsure"

"I would think if the professional was hard working and knew the business the market would be active. In a smaller company, a safety professional may have to wear more than one hat to help the company succeed."

"Open and hiring"

"demanding. with persons graduation form collage in safety and health, companies looking for experience safety managers with at least 5 years construction back ground . with out experience it hard for young S&H professionals to get a decent paying job and stay with one company."

"Positions exist, certification is preferable, pay isn't that great."

"There are positions that are out there."

"I would describe the market in one term: diversification. Diversification that follows market trends. For example, in the South Florida market, the high rise expansion is slowing down where as residential construction, education construction, hospital construction, etc. are on the rise and are stable. Safety will expand into these respective fields."

"Opportunities are consistently available, yet in minimum numbers."

"More organizations are understanding the value of H&S - and how it truly relates to the business risks and preservation of human capital."

"Not great"

"There are people out there, just not in the construction field with more than beginner's knowledge"

"good"

"Safety and health jobs seem to be available, though may have to move."

"I think work in certain areas are hiring safety professionals. Depends on the oil/gas extraction industry"

"Not sure."

"Several organizations want a minimum of 10 years experience supervisory or management roles. Because of this the market seems picky. Once the baby-boomer generation starts leaving the workforce there will be a lack of experience safety professionals to fill those gaps. Employers need to start mentoring the younger professionals to these supervisory roles."

"I feel that smaller companies in our area are realizing the importance of safety professionals and will be creating more jobs in the safety field."

"Job market for safety professionals is very limited, unless one wants to move around from company to company, and/or state to state."

"Low Job market for our Region in Eastern Oregon. There just aren't very many position in Safety and I know of only one for a Hospital in a neighboring community"

"Okay."

"Not very good in O&G."

"stable"

"Stable for manufacturing"

"Most companies and municipalities know they need to provide a safe workplace, and they need a safety manager to help provide that. My recent experience is they do not want to pay a lot for that help."

"Growing"

"From what I see and read the market looks good for new hires, college graduates with degrees in HSE. For those of us who are older.....I am just not sure anymore."

"I feel the market is promising for safety and health professionals. More and more employers desire a quality safety culture and need a leader to mold it independent of production and other factors."

"The local market has been hit very hard as has the whole country with the loss of manufacturing jobs in this country. The local market for H&S professionals I see as shrinking. I would have to relocate should the company I work for go out of business."

"Do not know"

"Ample is you are willing to relocate."

"The market is tight. There are not many positions available without requiring extensive travel or relocation."

Good"

"On a plateau - no significant changes."

"Too many employers are looking for people that have years of experience and a degree. This makes it really hard for someone graduating from college to find a job."

"Strong"

"Too many people who are book smart and not experienced."

"Job market will be poor. Younger workers are not really wanting to work in the ES&H field and most of the ES&H professionals are aging."

"I believe that you are seeing more opportunities with consulting organizations."

"In the northern Ohio region, I would say that the professional safety and health is weak unless they are going through recruiters. You don't see a lot of posted openings."

"Uncertain. Houston's energy industry has not fully recovered from the 2013/2014 changes."

"Good."

"it's not bad most could have another job in 1 -2 months if needed"

"Weak and mis-informed. The number of jobs out there are not very deep and the pay for experience requested is not commensurate. Furthermore, HR managers have a baseline understanding of what the assorted designations are and they ask for things on a very narrow width (ie. degree in Health and Safety or just asking for a CSP) and don't realize there are a number of other designations or degrees and such that are comparable. So for what jobs are out there it is a tough market as well."

"I believe there is an ongoing shortage of safety professionals. There are unlimited opportunities for employment."

"We are in increasing demand, especially those with significant levels of experience."

"I don't know; I haven't looked for a job since I got this one 4 years ago."

"The market is usually in demand for Safety Professionals."

"Very good."

"Poor. People want 5-yrs and certifications, and only willing to pay for greenhorns."

"Looking better than past 2 years"

"Healthy, robust, growing. Small companies seem to be hiring full time safety professionals at an earlier stage in their development"

"I think it is good. Many companies are realizing that a robust Safety program can lead to reduce injuries and huge cost avoidance!"

"moderately good"

"looks like its growing"

"Very healthy. I receive calls from headhunters weekly looking to fill contract and full time positions"

"Bull market"

"Unknown. Recent administration changes make me uneasy about the outlook for S&H professionals."

"Good"

"Very Good"

"Growing"

"Tough .....a lot of responsibility for low salary"

"Very good"

"An expanding field, will continue to see a lot of entry-level and mid-level jobs. However, I also see things tightening for the higher level safety positions."

"In Houston, TX the job market for S&H is flooded most due to the down turn in the oil & gas industry"

"The job market appears to be pretty healthy currently for safety and health professionals."

"There is a shortage of safety professionals overall. Transportation has some of the lowest percentages for safety professionals."

"There are a few openings. Currently not a lot of qualified individuals."

"strong, stable, expanding opportunities"

"Fair. It is not robust, but I have seen more opportunities on the job boards than in years past."

"I think the market is pretty healthy."

"should be very good, not seeing that in our field"

"technical expertise is not always required but is a necessity for safety and health career professionals"

"We are very busy and need more degreed safety professionals."

"Good"

"There seem to be a lot of Safety jobs with low pay and little experience required. It appears most companies will pay for an inexperienced professionals that can be molded into the Safety Specialist they want them to be."

"Up and down depending upon locale"

"More "safety" candidates than available jobs."

"I feel as though the market for safety professionals is there and in need. However, safety always seems to be on the top of the cut list when things slow down or take a turn with finances or the economy. So , based on that, even with a need, jobs may be vacated or not filled in times of financial uncertainty."

"More vacancies than qualified professional safety candidates ."

"Interesting - a lot of job postings for qualified applicants, but not enough for entry level."

"It is a hot market. We need to continue to mentor safety students and young professionals. There is a lack of entry level positions for those students who are coming into the workforce. It seems everyone needs experienced safety professionals, and there are not enough of them to go around."

"I think it is still a growing profession. Companies are seeing the value in safe work places, municipalities are seeing it too, but a little slower to respond and keep up with fair market value."

"Not having been looking, I don't have an answer to this one."

"Very fickled."

"Very good"

"Cautious to add or change"

"Steady with availability of new positions."

"Under payed"

"There are lots of openings for risk controls staff in the insurance industry. With the industrial clients I work with, they also have a need for qualified safety staff and have difficulty locating and hiring qualified people."

"There are jobs available in California, with a variety of experience and management levels."

"It is a tough market for the skilled professional. It seems as they try and hire in house and when the safety ratings go into the dump they then hire a professional."

"Difficult since there is a fair amount of EHS Personnel being let go in our area. It took six months of very hard searches to come up with the job I got after being laid off and that was by shear luck that I found this position."

"It is difficult to find qualified individuals. experienced safety professionals are having no problem finding work, and most can set their own salary"

"For construction related positions, very strong right now. In SoCal there are numerous large scale projects beginning that are looking for the safety staff."

"Relatively strong in manufacturing/industrial."

"scarce"

"Production is a consistent battle to stay with compliance due to the economy. Time is money and money is time. Sometimes to keep compliant, it takes away from this. Or tries to."

"I see a lot of job openings. I apply to a lot but nobody calls. Construction needs to have safety people in each trade on the job. We are doing that right now and it works GREAT! However, the Union doesn't see it that way."

"Very good"

"Currently I believe it is healthy, however I don't feel that their will continue to be stability in this market due to possible changes in legislation that will loosen restrictions on EHS activities going forward."

"I think it is declining and will become similar to when Reagan was in office. Not many jobs available."

"Either entry level or senior few mid level professionals"

"In good shape. Many professionals are needed"

"Because companies are looking inside for less qualified individuals the impact could be negative for a lot of smaller companies. They think they will provide or train these individuals but they usually fall far short placing their employees at risk and their companies in non-compliance situations, including increase significant injuries and fatalities."

"Opportunistic There are positions available for young people with the proper education to grow in safety and health responsibilities within construction."

"The current job market for construction safety professionals is extremely strapped. It is a very good time to be a safety manager in the D.C. market due to the amount of work compared to the amount of skilled safety professionals. We currently bring on interns (college grads) however that has not kept up with our backlog so we have been forced to go outside the company to hire."

"Competitive, personnel with minimal EHS experience are being sought"

"Wide open, lots of opportunity."

"I work in the DC/MD/VA area (we also have sites just south of Philadelphia) and things are very booming for us. We have about 30 active projects with more on the way. We may even have to hire another safety professional in the next few months."

"I wouldn't know. I was promoted in-house and haven't looked for a job elsewhere."

"More organizations are adding safety professionals to their staff. there is a need!"

"Strong"

"I would say there is there is plenty of jobs in this field if that is what you choose."

"I see a lot of openings that go unfilled for a long period of time. Or positions that were open 2-3 years ago are open again. At the manager level, and in jobs that are over $100k it is harder to find new positions unless you will relocate anywhere. Companies seem to be more willing to take risk and have less qualified people in positions."

"Selective"

"very good in the texas gulf coast."

"hot"

"I think it is fair at the moment."

"Their is demand in the construction markets, but it is limited to certain areas and companies."

"I believe the market is wide open and is there for the taking."

"I have observed many fluctuations in the Health & Safety job market. Some companies truly desire a qualified individual to lead them in developing safety programs and that reflects on what they require of their prospective hires. Other companies are merely fulfilling a safety requirement of their jobsite. The result is an overly qualified safety professional stick in a position that doesn't allow them to express their potential. On the reverse you get an unqualified safety professional thrust into a position where they may be challenge beyond their capacity or experience. Either of these examples provides and unstable element in what should be a smooth and straight forward safety program."

"Looks healthy seems to be much work around the area. I also think it will be competitive, as more college students enter the job market"

"There seems to be a lot of folks with General Industry type of experience, but a lack of experienced in the Heavy Civil Construction area."

"Robust for the right person"

"It requires a lot especialized skills but at least in certain countries of Latin America the retribution or compensation does not take in consideration this, and the payment is not enough according to the demads of the job requirements (competences, skills, experience)."

"strong in certain areas."

"Positive."

"Good, I see new positions open daily"

"Very good for entry level, less so for more senior positions."

"I would say average at this time"

"EHS Jobs are not common, especially in rural areas"

"For qualified professionals, the sky is the limit. For unqualified or new professionals there are great opportunities."

"From my position, there is no singular, cohesive manner in which a safety department is run, so it is difficult to meet the requirements of an employment opportunity. Even my own primary job function takes many different levels of expertise at different employers from low paid hourly staff to a certified REHS. This makes moving around difficult in the mid-career expertise. As a result, few people move around, limiting options for promotion within."

"There are tons of jobs, however they require years of experience and it is hard for college grads to get jobs."

"Particularly in construction, in the Bay Area, the job market is really in need of safety professionals. The market is in the individuals favor of individuals. Salaries are getting better with the greater need, which is helping compensate for the crazy housing prices in the area."

"Seems promising. More and more universities have added or grown their occupational safety programs. My current company tends to look externally for both experienced professionals, and people that are in early stages of their career."

"Our scope of work is increasing over the next 3-5 years. As a result more safety and health staff will be needed."

"Have not actively looked but believe it is in need of qualified people."

"Average. Great if you are right out of college - companies can pay less. Average for those with experience."

"Positive -"

"As regulations change/increase, the demand for additional safety and health professionals will also increase. Knowledgeable personnel and those willing to seek more knowledge in safety compliance are hot commodities at this time."

"Increasing demand"

"Stagnant - there aren't that many positions waiting to be filled."

"The market is good but qualified candidates willing to work in the low wage public sector are few and far between."

"Good"

"Expanding job market."

"There seem to be a few openings posted, but not a lot. Many/most of those will require relocation."

"Very good with many options"

"Steady"

"We are able to find and hire safety professionals - although they often get hired away from us after they have three years of experience in the field. It is more difficult to hire qualified Industrial Hygienists."

"Fairly strong in manufacturing and oil and gas and construction, especially in the mid-west and east coast. Out west there are fewer jobs, but reasonably strong."

"very good considering health and safety are key to a productive work place"

"Safety professionals with a few years experience are sought after in the market."

"Relatively stable, but unsure of how this administration will treat safety, health and environmental legislation. That could have a severe impact on us."

"I think the market is slow, but more than that, the safety professionals are inexperienced or their experience is narrow."

"Market is relatively strong for qualified individuals."

"Very limited"

"Very few well qualified people on the market."

"Very good job market, but not very many qualified persons to choose from."

"OK"

"Don't Know"

"There are opportunities, you just better be willing to relocate."

"It must be ok as a lot of EHS personnel in our company are leaving to pursue other opportunities."

"More professionals are definitely needed in our local market."

"Okay"

"Difficult. Typically there is only 1 or maybe 2 personnel in the safety department so it hard to find jobs."

"The job market for safety and heath professional is slowly picking up in Nevada."

"I feel the current job marker for safety and health professionals in manufacturing is growing. I believe more companies are growing their program and are unable to find the right person for the job."

"Good right now, but prospects are dwindling."

"There are many openings, but believe it is because of safety professionals leave because of poor job satisfaction or professionals are terminated for political or management's differing safety philosophies."

"It's rough unless you're willing to drive an hour each way, and I'm by no means in the boonies. Somehow all the safety jobs seem to be centered outside the city proper in one area."

"The job market for safety and health professionals are in need of qualified individuals, and employers who pay well."

"There is a lack of qualified people who are willing to work for a fair wage, because of the work load in our area a lot of the qualified people are chasing whoever will pay the most and aren't really looking to the future."

"In MT it is very low, for the municipal I work in I am currently the safety rep for one department and the acting city safety rep. There is also discussion of adding an additional two department to my work scope."

"The job market is somewhat tight, depending on the job responsibilities one is looking for. We hire a fair number of staff augmentation for larger projects, and there isn't a shortage of applicants, however the well qualified people are in short supply."

"Very good!"

"The job market seems to have opportunities for individuals that have produced quality results and have proven experience. There are good jobs out there."

"I think the market is very good for experienced professionals. I get several calls or emails a year from recruiters or other companies looking for safety professionals."

"Good"

"Average."

"Seems to be more jobs opening up,"

"Federal Govt"

"I believe it is a bad time in my particular industry and company. The knee jerk reactions to customers is weighing on the HSE department and trickling down to the personnel."

"There seems to be a healthy demand for safety professionals with new jobs consistently posted around the country."

"The market is stable for the professional willing to travel, or willing to relocate."

"Good"

"There are jobs available but not for older (50+) employees."

"It appears to be a good job market"

"Fair"

"It is hard to say. Safety has always been one of those "necessary evil" departments that seem to get cutbacks when finances get tight. In light of the recent political climate it is tough to really know yet whether companies will be given the option to "cut back on safety" or will need to beef it up (and thus adding)."

"There are opportunities but the starting pay for a safety professional seems to have not changed for a long period of time; this has been the case with the employers that I have been associated with."

"Major shortage of qualified experienced safety professionals"

"Depends - there appears to be a shortage in certain specialty areas, such as Certified Industrial Hygienists, while safety and health generalists can be identified relatively easy. Another area of some shortage is among professionals with management systems background and experience. Too many think that they can take on an MS project without much prior experience, but, as an MS specialist, I know differently. I have been looking for a mid-level person with MS background/experience for some time, and it is a very difficult search."

"Relatively open"

"Booming"

"Steady"

"Stable, with some new jobs available."

"Unknown. Haven't looked into it."

"Fairly good, companies are more concerned with safety, especially with so many regulations in place. The construction industry always has a need for safety professionals."

"Stable to growing"

"The market to appears to be strong for safety professionals with higher education ie; bachelors, masters etc. Also certifications like the CSP, ARM etc., are helping with job opportunities and promotions within companies."

"very good"

"Very Competitive Job Market"

"When posting Safety Advisor or Safety Coordinator positions most applicants whom apply have basically the education of a hole watch or sat on a committee at a job location so they think they know everything there is to know, they want ungodly amount of money for no knowledge of the EH&S itself let alone one with any good amount of experience."

"Wide open"

"Currently there seems to be a lot of safety professionals compared to the number of jobs. This is what I see in Western Pennsylvania."

"With 5 years experience, an EHS professional has multiple opportunities. This increases with willingness to relocate."

"There seem to be several available positions in this area, but the pay rates, when listed, seem to be low relative to the level of experience and duties."

"Good"

"Varies depending on geographical location."

"not enough applicants to fill the positions available."

"I see openings in the paper at least once or twice a month."

"Based on the fact that it is difficult to get qualified applicants to work in State government, the market in private industry must be fairly good at this time."

"I believe the current market is good"

"Excellent, lots of retiring EHS professionals."

"Low in numbers and under payed."

"I would describe it as a important position, every company will need at some point."

"Don't know. Haven't looked"

"Excellent, but way to many wanna be safety professionals"

"Satuated"

"Healthy"

"The job market is very strong."

"Each business has its own special Safety needs so we need more people that are familiar with the business and the workings of that business to be an affective safety individual"

"Marginal, at best. I believe organizations tend to choose people to fill the safety role from within the organization, regardless of education or experience. And those individuals typically have other responsibilities besides safety. I don't see many positions beyond what I would classify as entry-level positions or very specific job duties/requirements/skills/knowledge."

"Very limited. There are many opportunities, but companies assign the job to someone in house and are not hiring safety professionals. Some of the tasks get done but at bare minimum."

"I'm not up to speed on that. I havent looked for a position in over 30 years."

"Very good."

"Promote a safety environment within the educational institute of learning"

"A moderate market - Not the best I have seen but there are occasional EH&S job openings."

"Construction Industry is being stretched to beyond its limits with the current building boom across the country. The reason a sub contractor safety professional is not engaged in a project is that their ability and/or work ethics is lacking. Market is divided with those looking for seasoned professionals, or companies looking for formal credentials over ability and experience."

"Stable in manufacturing. Oil and Gas will pick-up in the next year."

"Companies want experience but don't want to pay for it. It is hard to find someone who is well rounded with knowledge in safety, health, and environmental experience."

"I think that companies currently want professional safety personnel (CSP) but are not willing to pay the price for them."

"I need administrative help for recordkeeping."

"I feel the current job market is highly unstable, especially in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical fields. With the new Administration OSHA is/will be undermined"

"As with most positions, H&S positions fluctuate based on volume of work, especially in the construction industry. For now, I believe the positions currently open within the market are stable positions fulfilling minimum staff levels. Pending the direction of regulations, additional supporting staff will be withheld within organizations."

"In my area, not good. Not enough industry."

"Safety & Health professionals are among the first to be cut loose when the market drops, and seem only to be added back after it's too late. The last safety & health professional(s) get duties added as others are cut loose to preserve their job. Many perform adequately in the multi-faceted job, but have little chance of excelling in any of the roles due to being overloaded. This is understood, but accepted as a necessary evil of doing business in lean times. When times improve, little thought is given to replacing staff until the situation becomes critical."

"the market is getting a little better"

"Lack of prospects with understanding of business. In a large company, I'd rather train a 4 year business degree person in safety than train a 2 year safety degree person in the nuances of business."

"Very limited"

"Expanding. More industries are realizing the benefits."

"Growing need as risk management focus requires"

"At this point in my area, the market is flat or declining as opposed to three to five years ago."

"I believe there are jobs to be found for safety and health professionals as it is a specialized field. The problem is that while there is a growing realization of the need for safety professionals; many companies still don't realize it. Companies who do have safety professionals still want to operate the way they always have and continue to look at dollars and a reactive approach to safety rather than make the effort to focus on proactive, preventative measures. It's still very difficult (especially in large corporations) to get senior leadership to realize if you reduce the accidents the dollars will follow. The job market for safety and health professionals would be booming if more companies realized the value in creating a safety culture for employees, making them feel valued, which in turn will improve morale and productivity thus in the end improving the bottom line."

"I think there is high demand for qualified experienced safety and health professionals"

"Robust. With the upturn in the economy, our clients are releasing funds to build projects they had held off on in the past. We have won a significant number of 3 - 5 year projects throughout the US for various clients. Each of those projects will require an addition 3 - 4 full time safety professionals."

"Sporadic with lots of emphasis on certifications"

"Strong"

"The market has changed. I feel it is becoming more apparent that experience is just as important, if not more, then a degree in Safety."

"I believe there is a strong need for qualified safety professionals in the utility industry. Many of the current safety leaders are within 1-6 years from retirement age. There seem to be a large age gap for younger professionals transitioning into these roles."

"evolving"

"Not a lot of jobs - low paying"

"There are plenty of positions available for safety leaders. S&H Professionals that are largely transactional will struggle to find positions as those responsibilities are being integrated into other areas of the business."

"EHS professionals are currently in high demand, seeking better roles and increasing their pay scale. Hopefully, the current administration won't (inadvertently?) role back the gains the profession has deservedly accumulated over the last 8 years."

"Not enough insight into the industry as a whole to answer this question"

"Very strong for qualified and skilled professionals."

"Improving in the area where I live. Primarily construction, agriculture, petrochemical, oil and gas industries."

"demand will be less due to Republican Administration reducing compliance in safety related regulations (business friendly)."

"Its a booming industry with a short fall of safety professionals"

"Market is somewhat moving upward, but companies are looking to reduce cost, therefore, the possibility exist for lesser qualified personnel to be placed in positions"

"The market is very open to the right person. A good "fit" in an organization is important. Technical knowledge and skills can be taugh. Interpersonal relationships are harder to teach."

"Weak."

"stable"

"Strong in areas but most employers are looking for experienced professionals."

"Decent."

"big and getting bigger. The only problem is that I believe there is a large amount of hiring personnel with no experience."

"Not sure"

"Pitiful. We are generally grossly underpaid and undervalued. Employers typically fail to foster the type of employee accountability and management accountability in regards to safety and health goals claims."

"Hard for me to say, I am an engineer turned safety professional for the other "half" of my job."

"UNEMLOYED"

"Good as long as regulations are favorable."

"Given the new federal administrations stance on deregulation I believe the job market for safety professionals will decline since many employers won't spend the money."

"Not very good, but better in the south."

"The market is fairly stable. Most safety jobs are being filled with OH&S undergraduates or "Pre-Retirement Safety Professionals". There does not seem to be a wealth of people with 5-10 years experience that know how to establish and run a safety management system."

"Currently I think that there are many older safety professionals who are retiring. As such the current job market should be strong, especially in certain industry sectors like construction."

"I see many emplyers frequently searching for Safety professionals each day."

"My opinion is that there is a shortage of qualified safety professionals. We have had an open position for over a year and have not been able to find candidates."

"Bleak"

"Seems to be thriving outside the health care industry. I personally have seen a pick up in the construction world."

"It appears to be a profession in demand at the entry to mid-level positions. I base my opinion on the job postings I've seen via email."

"TRUMP;("

"The market is stable. There is no real growth or decline in this profession."

"Unknown"

"Companies have come to realize the value of having safety and health professionals on staff, thus the demand for experienced and educated safety and health professionals is in high demand."

"tight"

"I believe the demand is high for educated safety professionals. However, employers often look internal and place an employee with no experience just to fill the position."

"strong"

"Bleak"

"Okay"

"moderately active with little definition of the Safety and Health Professional"

"Robust"

"In the Public Sector, I don't see a bunch of advertisements for new positions. I believe this comes from the fact that Public Sector has more of a proactive approach due to budgetary restrictions."

"There are many opportunities. Many of our clients are looking for HSE professionals."

"Not enough and the one's that work in industry just do enough to get by and look good."

"More focused on degrees and direct industry background versus experience from other industries which may bring value. Many industry safety cultures surpass those of construction, in particular, and bringing some of the perspectives from outside the status quo may help accelerate the growth of lagging industry safety cultures."

"We're hiring as fast as we can"

"Over-saturated with too many people in safety in my area."

"Not sure? Been out of the market for 7+ years."

"stable."

"Increasbing"

"Very good. I know several cases over the last 5 years in which colleagues and peers found better jobs locally."

"Healthy with a fair number of opportunities"

"Very bad in O&G lots of people still looking for work with no success."

"Booming"

"Adequate for serious professionals"

"Good"

"There are several openings found on Indeed."

"OK, a little harder for those of us who are in the age bracket of >50 years old."

"Growing."

"I believe there are plenty of consultation positions, as well as companies looking to hire, in the field."

"Market looks like employee's market and is good for safety professionals."

"Fair"

"Open for the qualified OR for those willing to become qualified."

"Don't know"

"Like everywhere, cut back to the minumum"

"Flooded and hard to find good quality employers"

"The market is struggling to keep up the demand for qualified safety professionals."

"I think it is slowly growing."

"in this area; industrial- the job market is saturated."

"It is okay for a construction worker. If the college grad has construction experience working in the summer time on residential type projects it is even better."

"High Demand for qualified, credentialed, certified H&S professionals"

"Unknown"

"lots of safety positions are needed."

"Healthy if you have the right experience and education."

"There are jobs for qualified individuals all over the country. It really comes down to how much are you willing to travel and/or relocate."

"wide and vast"

"There are a lot of jobs for safety professionals out there. not enough people to fill them"

"Everyone needs safety. The problem that I see is investment into the program. Investment into the people. Especially in small business. Corporate level is a different world."

 

What can be done to encourage safety and health professionals to stay longer with their organizations?

"Respect, pay, advancement possibilities"

"I am 68 and may work until I am 70. Love what I do. increased responsibility and recognition"

"I think many safety professionals still feel undervalued, unsupported and underpaid for the work they do."

"The keys for my success is a managerial staff committed to the safety program and encourages their workforce to participate with the safety program. Safety is beyond simple compliance with OSHA. Safety requires involvement by all."

"More money"

"Greater emphasis on Operation/production's commitment to resources, (time, money, human and material resources)and most importantly employers commitment to holding employees, management and the organization responsible and accountable for safety programs and participations."

"Better pay and more respect"

"Raise Salary"

"Better definition of roles and position"

"It all depends on the organization"

"more senior management buy in and support"

"Companies need to buy into Safety and understand it is paramount for the success of any company"

"Better pay and a Safety professional should be part of senior leadership team"

"Have a published progression plan."

"Make the senior safety representative in the company part of the executive management team. By doing so it will reinforce that safety is critical to the success of the company."

"I think it is more a personal choice whether to stay or go from a company. Safety has to have a very high priority in order for a safety professional to do his or her job with any degree of job satisfaction."

"Companies have lost sight of the value of safety professionals. They do not consider them revenue generating so they cut positions or decrease the qualifications to put a body in. Companies don't know what they have until losing qualified people and they hire qualified again and the circle continues."

"Pay and commitment equal to production areas"

"Better pay, better benefits and management commitment to safety."

"Organizations to show interest and have their Safety professionals backs. Allow them to go to training and networking opportunities."

"Support of the Safety Program, enforce the program and offer their safety person a means or incentive to be able to move up. Most often I see people leaving only for a higher level position."

"Provide them the support and budget needed to make lasting change."

 

"Competitive pay, adequate support for required job duties, time set aside to pursue projects that you believe are worthwhile."

"Support them in the workplace and pay them better. It amazes me that HR are generally paid better than Safety professionals. Stop looking at safety as a job that can just be assigned to someone in the organization."

"Better pay and have their suggestions/opinions carry some weight"

"It's a management problem - greed and the quest for short term profits."

"Increase pay"

"1. Treating the position as a trusted and respected member of the senior management team. 2. Incentivizing and rewarding ES&H performance that adds to the corporate bottom line 3. Provide sufficient administrative support so that safety pros are not forced to do accounting, purchasing and HR/Worker's Comp activities. (They all detract from time to do the real job!) 4. Encourage 2-5 year safety improvement/growth planning similar to what the business leaders do on a regular basis. You can't successfully grow the business unless the ES&H program grows with it!"

"Safety professionals must develop strong interpersonal skills to survive"

"Safety and Health Professionals are just that. They are professionals. They should be given authority to make decisions and should be compensated accordingly. The value given on a daily basis should be considered in line with the highest paid sales person in the company."

"More visible commitment to safety and health from executive management"

"Professional development with career path options, Seat at the leadership table, Rewards for Professional Certification (like Professional Engineer certification) Inclusion in company decisions from the ground up (Too many decisions make with no input from HSEQ leading to poor outcomes and extra costs.)"

"Additional training, better pay, management participation"

"Increase support and pay"

"A defined career path or opportunities for promotion."

"Company ethics are a top priority to maintain healthy working relations with employer and safety professional."

"Organization have to pay more than lip service to safety. Flavor of the month safety and gimmick​s prevent professionals from doing their job."

"Often times employees in any field leave a company due to changes just to change making everyone think they are working (supervisor/manager); they may feel unappreciated; underpaid due to gender; and hostility from one supervisor/manager/owner."

"Increase pay Keep the job tasks strictly with safety (not a lot of add ons)"

"Increase the pay to be competitive."

"I have seen other safety professionals become complacent and loose drive due to their ideas not being considered. They then start looking for other opportunities were their ideas are given consideration."

"Increased responsibility offered, increase wages, increase benefits. Let them leave and then come back to see how green the grass really is."

"Appropriate talent management systems in place to promote employees who perform well."

"my company wants me to work 60 hours for 40 hours pay. plus I drive 4 hours a day from home to work., work to home (220 miles) New York City"

"Knowing how the field side does the work day on and day out. Not just how it looks on paper."

"Be patient. Understand that changing a culture does not happen overnight. Commit yourself to building something successful before leaving for a few extra dollars."

"More regular work hours, home evening's and increased pay"

"Pay for continued education."

"Recognize the for what is brought to the table besides safety. Diversification is a must for true experience."

"Ensure upper management truly believes and acts on Safety issues. Train safety pros leadership skills."

"Continue to stress the need for quality safety professionals and to equal the pay to other department heads within each organization. Give the Safety professional within the organization the same seat at the table as other department heads."

"Better environmental resources as well as better awareness for the need of safety personnel."

"Provide support for function - currently most EHS professionals are expected to keep up with all reporting and regulatory requirements without any assistance. This results in over working and over stressing of the EHS manager/professional."

"Safety professionals value training and education. If more benefits / partnerships were offered here I think retention would be much higher."

"not a problem in our company. we just cant find enough individuals with quality personal skills & various industry competency"

"Salary"

"Better pay, cooperation up the food chain"

"Salary increase"

"Involvement and appreciation"

"quit demanding more time for the same money"

"Support and resources (vs 1 person to manage EH&S)"

"I believe that we stay as long as we can now, unless retirement is inevitable."

"I think Safety professionals need to find ways to be part of the organizational structure and be able to show value added to their function. I think that organizations do a terrible job of understanding what safety professionals really do and how they can expand their job function."

"Give safety professionals a voice and for management to take safety seriously. Most true safety professionals don't shut off safety when they leave the job. We do this because we are passionate about safety."

"Decent pay and professional development."

"Growth potential into the management leadership positions to broaden their level of expertise outside of safety & risk management"

"Equal pay to their operations counterpart, benefits such as vehicles and bonuses, and how safety is perceived within the organization."

"Integrate EHS into the business (reduce the effects of being on "safety island"). Ultimately, work more closely with the folks in the group rather than acting as a separate department or an opposing force that they have to deal with."

"better pay"

"The employment base has become very transitional - lengthy stays will require similar opportunities to changing employers - - changing assignments - challenges - opportunities to redefine yourself professionally - recognition of achievement - appropriate comp"

"Leadership buy in coaching development $$"

"Pay"

"Pay competitive wages... I know people with the same years of experience as I have that make significantly less money than I do. How does that make one want to stay in a company?"

"Allow the opportunity for advancement in the company."

"better pay, job satisfaction, advancement"

"Better career ladder progression opportunities. Otherwise one must move to get a better grade option. Consider teleworking (at least one day per week). Encourage OSHA to mandate OSH Manager be appointed to be the agency Designated Agency Safety & Health Official (DASHO), instead of an HR or other administrator without any knowledge of what the legal requirements are for OSH program."

"Better management."

"I think a lot of it is organizations see safety as a necessary evil. Getting support from the organization and management is important."

"Companies need to show safety professionals that they are a valued part of the team. Operations and Senior Management can do that my heeding the advice of their safety professionals and supporting their safety professionals' decisions and initiatives. Senior management also needs to acknowledge what their safety professional adds to the bottom line and compensate them appropriately."

"benefits and a good overall compensation package are a key"

"- Ensure personnel are adequately supported by their organization to do their job effectively. - Keep personnel compensation competitive with the marketplace."

"There seems to be very little vertical growth potential once you take a position has a EHS Manager. So to move up one usually has to move to a new company. The EHS staff are usually fairly shallow. Not a lot of upward mobility with an organization.."

"Depends on the size and structure of the company"

"A sense of worth. They know if you complain about safety procedures not being followed or implemented often by management, you can be replaced by someone more "company friendly"."

"Develop career paths for them so that they can have a possibility of becoming senior line management executives. Most HSE jobs are dead end jobs once you get to the level of a director."

"There is a lack in upper management understanding exactly what safety can do for an organization, cost wise. Managers often see safety as costing them money to be compliant and not saving them money to avoid injuries. When managers realize this (and pay more), safety professionals will have the encouragement to stay longer."

"Executive commitment for constantly evolving health and safety standards."

"Continuing education, increased salaries and benefits"

"put more support and money behind their words"

"Promote from within."

"Oil price increase"

"Provide clear paths of increasing responsibility and compensation. Demonstrate a commitment to promoting from within the organization."

"Pay them what they're worth. Value the knowledge that they have about safety and health and recognize that it is good business practice to place high value on the safety and health of employees. Provide them with the autonomy that they need for them to do their jobs and get the buy-in of the workforce."

"salary and benefits"

"Give them task that requires them to do the job they are over seeing i.e.making widgets"

"Give better support."

"I've seen most safety positions but as a result of budgets, not professionals leaving."

"Stay persistent, but the political arena is changing the Health & Safety Perspective."

"Provide more opportunities for growth and advancement"

"Being able to promote within job (Specialist to Sr. Specialist to Manager) Competitive pay"

"Consistent support and understanding by top management."

"I think there are some advantages to switching employers even though I have not."

"Get rid of the myths: #1 that married women will leave the work force to raise kids. #2 Single mothers are a liability #3 Women don't make as good a supervisor as men. Require mandatory employment time for those that take expensive training."

"Give them some help / staff"

"increased wages and benefits"

"Trust on them profession"

"I believe it is a management issue with most Safety Professionals. The means in which the organization is managed, and employees are held accountable."

"Support professional training. Encourage professional certification. Ensure S&H professionals feel empowered."

"Pay and benefits , trust"

"Better pay and added help would be a starting point as there is never enough time in the day when it comes to safety."

"Better pay and more forward thinking"

"The main thing that a company needs to do to keep a valuable safety director is to show a commitment to safety. If upper management is behind safety it is much easier for a safety professional to stay."

"Make safety a true partner in the business."

"Safety can be a thankless job. Show more appreciation for the safety and health professionals."

"Proper recognition and training along with involvement with upper level management is a promising position for Safety & Health professionas."

"True support from executive management."

"More opportunity for advancement, support from management with investment needs to be able to demonstrate success."

"Better management support - greater enforcement by OSHA - way to easy currently to be not compliant. Clearer direction from OSHA - less cumbersome regulations i.e. easier to understand - increased fairness regarding the human factors of accountability in the event of accidents or illness - i.e. Properly trained employees who fail to follow policy need to be held accountable in the event of accident or illness as opposed to the company. In a nut shell, everyone has to take safety seriously and everyone must be held accountable. Also, the current way that regulations are written and applied are very unfair between public and private entities. Just because you are a municipality should not absolve you of the same fines and penalties. Safety needs to be a bit higher on the totem pole of importance."

"Pay - once a person is with an employer, they tend to forget that they need to keep the current worker's pay commemcerat with the outside positions"

"Benifits"

"Better appreciation of the work that safety and health professionals perform for their organizations."

"Not sure. Depends on the company and the industry"

"More defined goals and sufficient personnel to accomplish those goals."

"More support from upper management and defined career paths. All too many times I see engineers get the positions of safety manager or director when they have little to no regulatory experience."

"Good pay and benefits. Encouragement that safety is a primary concern."

"Support from upper management."

"Develop positive relationships with all departments, and learn to work with each other efficiently."

"Adequate education and buy in from Administration. Without them showing their support for what we do, we can't make much progress."

"Treat them as a team member."

"Current Economics are not very good with oil prices."

"pay more"

"Money and quit blaming them for all incidents"

"Good pay. Recognition for what they do. Respect the position, we are no the party planners. Management buy in. Needs to be part of upper managements goals (reduction in TRIR) and vehicle accidents - then it will be part of the site managers and supervisors goals. They need to "feel the pain" along with the Safety Manager."

"Improved pay and benefits"

"Incentives like ESOP's and increased retirement benefits would be helpful and then allowing the HSE professionals to shape and nurture the safety culture."

"Support from the employer, one that expects safety excellence and does not accept mediocrity."

"Higher pay, more authority for safety decisions for plant operations, having a true identifiable commitment from upper level management that safety matters."

"Actually listen to them and let them do their job, not bog them down with non-safety related tasks"

"Dedicate resources to make the necessary improvements"

"Include the organization's Safety Function as a Core Value of the business model rather than a priority."

"Highlight the value the EHS professional brings to the organization. Support more safety initiatives and create a professional development plan for each role. Many places have a single EHS professional in place and do not have a place within the organization to promote into. There is little room for growth, only increased responsibility."

"Not sure but work environment and upper management acceptance of safety programs goes a long way."

"Recognize their successes; pay based on value to the company; provide resources such as compliance assistance via on-line services; make successes such as reduced injury and accident rates known, and implement practices such as stretch breaks that keep employees healthy.Other resources include extra help (even if a Temp or part time help) and training materials."

"Adequate salary"

"Companies need to recruit people who truly care about safety in the work place and not just fill the position with anyone who will do it for lower wages"

"EH&S professionals have a limited earnings potential. Pay and lifestyle have 100% to do with retention."

"I believe increasing the value of the role within the organization."

"Treating them as a SME resource instead of a last minute thought or as overhead."

"Compensate and support them accordingly. Walk the talk. Many companies claim safety as their #1 priority, but don't back them with compensation or upper management engagement."

"Stability of expectations and management translates to the personnel being supervised."

"more respect and truly make safety part of management"

"Get rid of contracts and hire people directly"

"Higher pay, realistic expectations by both the professional and the organization. Greater organization support, even when they don't understand things completely would help too."

"Creating more positive environments including compensation and benefits packages."

"Make them more of a part of the organization. We are often on the fringe."

"Managements commitment to Safety is very important. A good Safety Culture and not worrying so much about budget would influence me to stay longer."

"Competitive salary, good benefits."

"Stick out the Bad and the Good."

"Global recognition for CSP certification and some certification sharing with other countries organizations"

"It's a 'comfort' issue. If a person is comfortable with their position, there is little incentive for them to look elsewhere. If they are neutral to negative on their comfort level with the job, they will look around."

"More appreciation."

"better pay"

"more support from management and money"

"Better support from management and clear achievable goals"

"stipends for professional certifications clearly discernable path to advance to management"

"Integration of S&H professionals into management teams vs. being stuck in a silo for growth."

"Cultural change to show / demonstrate that safety is important and reports to the higher level"

"Give them more authority."

"salaries equate with responsibilities of safety onsites"

"Not make them the first one laid off"

"40 hour work week"

"Competitive salaries and benefit packages with opportunity for bonus or gain-sharing programs. Opportunities for career advancement and growth."

"bring back matching 401K, raises, increase HSE staff"

"Executive management commitment to EH&S programs"

"Higher Pay, Expand there connections to their peers in the industry. Increase their staff to support the work they are responsible for. Ensure the budgets are available to support safety activities. On-going training and Executive Leadership buying into to safety and ensuring all of the management is trained and accountable."

"Its a tough job. Not sure if there is just one item that would encourage a person to stay with an organization. That is a very broad question. Of course there is always pay and benefits."

"Create opportunities for leading teams, projects. Groom for other key roles within the organization, e.g., operations management."

"Ensure that they have decision-making ability."

"Difficult to answer since their appears to be no loyalty either way."

"100 percent buy-in top-down"

"Integrate EHS into the entire culture of the business"

"Higher salaries, bonuses"

"No sure been with this for 6 years know"

"Provide incentives that are important to the individual instead of stock incentives. Some people want a bonus, some may want time off and in my case I want a pay increase that I get some throughout the year. However, a bonus of less than 10% of your gross pay, half the time off you already receive during the year or a pay increase of less than 4%; is a vain attempt to entice an employee to stay on with your company. The Gen X's and later are generations that chase the almighty dollar. They will continue to waffle between jobs whereas the "Baby Boomer" will be loyal as long as they feel valued."

"Better support, pay, benefits, work-life balance,"

"Offer more competitive salaries/benefits. Provide more opportunities for growth (even outside of safety). Ensure that safety personnel know that they are truly supported and appreciated by executive management."

"Succession planning and advancement steps. Often, when people see no advancement opportunity, their tenure can be cut short."

"Salary incentives and organizations showing a sense of appreciation for the safety professionals."

"Complete awareness training for upper management. Many higher-ups do not supply the support needed.=It is difficult to conduct this job without the support and backing of upper management."

"Better understand the business, become a true thought partner for the operation, balancing safety and operations instead of getting frustrated that safety isn't the only factor to consider. There is a safe way to operate and still achieve operational key performance indicators. Creativity and innovation are key."

"Management buy-in and genuine support of their safety professionals. Consistent feed-back to all employees that safety is a personal commitment. All the rules in the world won't save a life if the employee doesn't have the support and willingness to accept he/she is accountable and none of it means anything if management doesn't side with safety. Very demoralizing to know nothing you do or try to affect is going to make a difference because management is focused on the bottom line."

"Further investment in education by the company."

"Good pay, benefits and bonus"

"Management support"

"Recognition for the work we do to maintain employee safety."

"Empower them with the authority to drive cultural change - give them top management support. Provide adequate resources to do their jobs. Provide competitive pay & benefits. Don't put all the emphasis on production metrics."

"Consistent and strong organizational support of a good safety program."

"Better pay. Better support from upper management."

"More support and pay to back it up."

"Opportunities for growth, smaller construction companies have only a limited role for safety. Not much room for growth. It seems that if a safety professional wants to advance their careers, they need to work for large scale construction firms that have the budgets to support larger teams."

"increase salary and benefits"

"An organization that puts 100% commitment into the program. The willingness to invest and back up these professionals."

"Money and location"

"Improve the support systems and ensure safety and health leadership begins at the executive level. A better understanding of the economic benefits of a safe and healthy employee base is often overlooked for short term economic gains. Many companies will not allow justification of expenses for theoretical savings by preventing something from happening. Executive leadership needs to understand and act on this."

"They feel they are making a difference and that the leaders of the organizations value their services."

"Management support needs to improve"

"Recognize the need for safety professionals not just when the incident rate is high."

"There needs to be growth opportunity. From what I see, Safety Positions are one level. We are likely to get a cost of living raise from year to year, but we make no major steps in increasing our salary."

"Leaders that actively and visually support their safety personnel and programs."

"Diversify their responsibilities and make them accountable to the overall wellbeing of the company."

"I personally believe the correct organization will foster a culture that supports safety professionals and correctly compensates them for the work they do. The companies need to give safety professionals the opportunity to grow within the organization and need to give safety professionals a seat at the table. My organization does all of these items and I will most likely retire with this organization after a 40+ year career that I am only 10 years into."

"Corporate support needs to be strong, and that support must be visible to all."

"Not sure for everyone, being included as an important part of the orgnization helps."

"Upper management support."

"Raises and training. Make them feel appreciated from the very top down."

"Benefits packages, competitive Salary, Bonuses."

"Continue to enforce safety policies and explain the benefits of having a safety action plan in place."

"Better hours and working conditions"

"Company from the top down has to show the safety is the number 1. Show everyone that you want them to all go home at the end of the day as they came."

"True organizational support for safety. Value the safety professionals."

"Reward & Recognition"

"make sure pay and benefits are competitive."

"promotions, change in responsibilities, pay increases, benefits, paid time off, etc."

"Better pay and better cooperation."

"Promote qualified and competent persons to managerial and corporate levels. Many field specialists are surpassing their managers level of knowledge."

"Have fun with the job and learn the job position's responsibilities."

"Training and compensation. These two should ALWAYS go hand in hand. Standards and practices are constantly evolving in nearly every industry. Ensuring safety professionals are ahead of change and are trained accordingly is paramount. Without constant training its easy for a safety professional will become static and feel they are static or no longer valued. They will begin seeking a company where they can grow and gain real experience. Training accomplishments also should be accompanied by compensation. How could a professional feel motivated to sign up, use personal time to study, and take an exam (that they may have to pay for) if they aren't given a pay raise or stipend for it. If not they may take their experience and newly acquired certification to another company willing to pay them for that level of achievement."

"Increase their salaries & promote from within"

"Support from top management, minimize excessive work hours even if it requires hiring additional personnel and provide a salary that is comparable industry wide."

"More support, less lip service"

"Better payment and wheel defined carreer development plan. Better organizational location of the Safety and Health Department, not as part of other deparment it needs more empowerement and a more strategic placement in the organizational chart."

"More money."

"More opportunities for growth"

"Opportunity to work in other department or areas rather than being siloed. Very often the EHS staff does not consider themselves to be part of the plant team."

"Have a supportive management team"

"Better pay and more support"

"Pay them more."

"Improved promotion standards. Departmental participation in 5/10 year goals (certification and education). Hire vision for the employee, training and their growth. People want to learn and grow. Doing the same thing for 5-10 years is monotony ad nauseum."

"Better pay and vehicle expenses."

"Encouraging companies to be realistic with what the current market is for salaries, competitive benefits/PTO/etc. As loyal as we want employees to be, if a person can get paid 10, 30, or 50k a year more somewhere else, chances are that they will take that other position. People look out for themselves and their families first, before "company loyalty.""

"Offer growth opportunities...both in leadership and individual (technical) contributor roles. Ensure that site leadership roles are on the plant leadership teams, with the position reporting directly to the site leader. Compensation plans commensurate with other site leadership positions."

"It's a thankless job. A lot of spending for safety items yet you don't see the rewards because it's a hidden cost."

"Provide career ladder."

"Pay and educaton"

"Not sure"

"Industry specific knowledge is valuable Provide $$ for certification Provide $$ for ability to attend conferences to maintain CEU's"

"Generating a good safety dynamic within an organization takes years. It would be unfortunate if safety and health professionals assisted the turnaround of safety dynamics within a company and didn't stay long enough to see the full outcome of their efforts."

"increase pay opportunity for advancement"

"Better pay, succession plans, lighter work loads"

"Better support for additional education and certification. Reduced pile on of work on remaining staff when other staff leave or retire (due to cost savings)"

"Raise pay and benefits. Employers do not want to pay because safety produces no tangible income."

"Realize, recognize, advertise, and promote the benefits of safety & health to the overall organization. Incorporate safety & health as an integral part into all aspects of the organization."

"pay rate to be more similar across all industries"

"support from upper management"

"Pay them better and recognize that safety is a profession. There is still some who believe that anybody can do safety; it's just common sense. Make upward mobility in management possible."

"Improve health benefits. Increase promotional opportunities."

"better support from upper management plus better pay"

"Provide a workplace that is flexible, filled with challenges and pay well."

"Assure that their actions are supported by upper management. Encourage professional development and certification. Provide adequate resources to get the job done."

"Continuing education, realization that with a job with this stress level that there should be comp days for relaxation after a long stressful stretch, encouragement and active involvement of management in the department when needed."

"Because safety generally isn't a large department there are seldom growth opportunities in the same company. In order to further their career and take on more responsibility or be promoted it may be necessary to change organizations. If there were clearer paths to take to higher leadership roles and associated increased compensation, more professionals would stay with their organization."

"Allow more authority in creating and enforcing safety policies"

"Better opportunities for growth"

"More support for safety and support for safety professionals that are typically singular individuals for a location."

"Better compensation pay"

"Leadership who recognize that EHS professionals cannot keep having ancillary and other tasks unrelated to the EHS function added to our lengthy to do list."

"Give them the resources they need to do their job effectively."

"Opportunities for advancement."

"Not sure"

"Good pay, reasonable work load."

"Support by management, better benefits, and job stability."

"Employer need to truly support their safety and health professionals. An employer can not say they believe in that role if they really do not. These professionals will know that immediately."

"Provide more job stability, a promotion path, and better benefits."

"Fire the managers who believe they know more than the safety professionals."

"More incentives by the company and ability to have a broader scope of work within the organization."

"Their companies need to pay them according to the economy that they work and live in to help relieve stress levels therefore enabling them to be more focused on their projects."

"Being able to get training like the NSC's Advance Safety Cert. to better the city's current safety program. Having professional growth training geared for safety professionals is huge. For myself, attending these trainings and having the chance to network with other safety professionals and discussing their safety program is a great tool that has benefited the organizations I have worked for. In my experience, employers don't have a full understanding that safety is a full time job, and they often try to divide the time into two positions, this really hurts the moral of that department and also takes time away for areas that may need focus or attention."

"Obviously, pay more. Right now, safety as a profession is in flux. The shift from old view to new view is causing many a lot of panic as all they know is how to be a cop. Having a good professional development program eases the anxiety of change."

"As with everyone else...our plates are full and over filled. I believe many people above me in the food chain have full plates and some of what was placed on their plate falls down onto the lower levels. I also think many make changes to programs to justify their job, to do the "look what I did to help" and it only adds more and more to the plates below!"

"It seems like a longevity(time with the company)raise schedule might be an incentive. Just simply you have stayed with the company 1year,3 years, 5 years, 10 years and these are the corresponding increases that you will receive. Because as your tenure increases so should your value to the employer."

"Higher recognition and placement of importance of safety within the organization. Higher compensation that is comparable to other level positions."

"Offer better benefits and retirement plans"

"Support from Upper Management is the key. If they don't care, nobody else does either. That makes our lives very hard."

"good question working conditions, upper management support other than lip service, advancement opportunities, college reimbursement program, salary and benefits"

"Federal govt"

"Stop promoting unqualified personnel into the position of CSA or other levels of management without actual field experience. It's too easy to pass a test and gain certification without understanding what actual operational jobs have to be completed before policies are created. While all are accidents are preventable, they are also inherently dangerous activities which need to be performed. Personnel need more hazard identification training and less policies to remember."

"Provide opportunities for personal development, raises, promotions, etc."

"Be appreciated by upper or senior management, and encourage continue education in the profession."

"Better pay and Authority."

"Ensure that upper management provides the proper support and commitment."

"Nothing if you are not happy with your position people just go to the next job."

"You have to be well rounded. Know a little bit of HR knowledge as well. This can help in the event there is some cutbacks as you become someone who can wear multiple hats, which we all know companies love to do anyway. Provide continuous education. Laws and information changes so quickly. By providing this as a perk to your safety and health professional you show you care about their growth."

"Become more engrained within the Company's core values, and culture and develop programs based on these two philosophies. Too many times we see safety professionals try to change Company values with safety programs leading to frustration from both parties."

"Better support from management, additional pay and staffing"

"Show them more respect and consideration for the job they are asked to perform. Ensure that the safety and health functions are included in all aspects of operations - including strategic and tactical planning, organizational management and other elements not usually considered the realm of the S&H professional. It would not hurt to pay them better as well!"

"$"

"A solid economy"

"Compensation Encourage Support Do not overload the individual with jobs that do not pertain to the safety function"

"Encouraging professionals to develop positive, working relationships with their superiors and organization's executive staff to get buy-in at the top. Work on effective communication from the top down and NOT taking the job personally."

"Safety is a culture that needs to be embraced by all employees from the top down and from the bottom up. If there is anyone in the chain who doesn't subscribe to the safety protocols and takes short cuts, then the system is broken. Safety is everyone's responsibility. It can be very frustrating when you have managers who support safety protocols and workers who don't, or workers who are doing everything they can to perform their jobs in the safest manner, but you have management who gives lip-service but no funding to cover the basic costs. Safety Specialists often feel like they are on an island, not getting the true support that they need. It gets very frustrating feeling like you are walking on a treadmill and not getting anywhere with the safety programs when the people you are working with don't view safety with the same importance."

"Giving them the resources they need to have a successful safety program. Better budgets, more time with employees, etc."

"Increased pay, respect and advancement possibilities"

"Support with continuing education and good annual raises is a major factor with a lot of individuals. I think companies seeing value in safety with real positive results will also help with turnover. Safety has to be valued within the organization."

"the people need to be make aware of the hazards in the workplace"

"Upward promotions, management/supervisor support"

"Reporting guidelines must be to the President or Board of directors and not to operations for the EH&S group / Department"

"competitive pay"

"Support, salary, executive potential"

"Must have clear management commitment to the role, especially if ISO/OHSAS certified."

"Better compensation, whether in the form a higher pay or available time off."

"Pay and opportunities for advancement"

"A focus on more stability."

"need more support from top management and floor supervision"

"If they were treated as the professionals they are and if they were given the support they needed they would stay."

"Better pay and benefits packages."

"Organizations need to find better ways of keeping safety people. They typically get their qualifications and them move on to a better paying job."

"Better treatment by upper management, adequate resources provided, leadership support."

"Raise in pay."

"Support safety initiatives."

"Better pay. More commitment from leaders"

"More education and money"

"Management commitment."

"Appropriate salary for education, training and experience."

"Provide adequate resources and support. Personnel are often stretched too thin. They also at time are unable to make needed changes due to lack of organizational commitment (funding, willingness to make changes.)"

"Do their job with a level of commitment both to the work force and management - you will be more welcome and comfortable from both sides. Consequently, less likely to look or be pushed to look elsewhere."

"Needs to be promoted at the high school level with information on what's involved in the position."

"Furnish them with the resources that are needed and the man power to accomplish the job"

"Give them the resources to succeed."

"Educate employers why they need someone trained in safety and how the safety person can make a difference with not only their recordable numbers, but their production numbers."

"Focus on improving safety culture in all levels of the organization. Create positive work environments."

"Pay employees for what they are worth"

"Competitive salary and management support of EH&S."

"Management support is key - many promises are made to get a safety professional into the job, then the reality of costs and profits trumping safety kicks in. Safety needs to be at the table when budgeting, pre-construction meetings, and other logistic items are being discussed so there is agreed alignment."

"Support from upper management and letting HSE professionals do their job to the best of their abilities."

"Offer more money and keep them interested. Don't pigeon-hole them in one position. Stimulate them for more experience."

"Offer fair compensation. Most are grossly under paid, over worked."

"Support from upper management making the policies and trainings easier to implement."

"Give them opportunities to grow and develop their professional safety skills and credentials. Stress to management the importance of Networking and attending National Conferences like the NSC and ASSE."

"Provide the supportive staff to H&S professionals, allowing upper level to be more engaging within the industry as a company representative (for both speaking engagements to industry cutting edge training development)."

"Better pay and security."

"Helping safety & health professionals demonstrate their value"

"better support, better direction"

"I think they will stay longer in companies where safety departments worked on cross-departmental projects and committees."

"Enlisting educational bonus's"

"Better benefits and management support."

"Respect and recognition of the role"

"Offer better compensation packages to include wages, education/training, medical/dental/vision, and pension/retirement."

"Value the contributions, knowledge, and experience of the safety and health professional; take their advice, even if it means accepting change and waiting for results. Meet with senior leadership to set clear, concise guidelines so that everyone clearly understands what the roles and responsibilities of leadership, the safety professional, managers, and employees are as it relates to safety & health, and develop a culture of caring. Companies rise and fall on the direction of leadership."

"incentives, recognition, benefit/bonus/salary increases"

"Organizations need to commit to safety and health programs from the top down to fully realize the benefits of a strong safety culture. Once the value of this culture is demonstrated, the safety group gets the support they need from all levels of the organization and that really encourages them to stick around."

"Be truly invested in their companies and the promoting of safety policies"

"The organization that truly makes safety number one, over production, and as important as food safety will keep their experienced safety and health professional more than the organization that says safety is number one."

"Encouragement and support of senior management and CEOs. Lack of strong support often makes this tough job even more challenging and discouraging to change and improve the safety programs and culture."

"organizations have to ensure that safety and safety programs are as important as they say they are"

"More support from organization - not just keep a status quo"

"Just like any other job, S&H professionals need a development plan and the opportunities for growth."

"Recognition as involved at the management/organizational level, ongoing development, pay that fits the individuals' level of contribution."

"more support. There are so many faucets to this position that it is more than one person can do alone. Assistants even in small operations is necessary."

"Typically companies are satisfied with the 'status quo" once predetermined targets/goals are met. Safety Professionals are never satisfied with the same and seek continual improvement and refinement. When the two clash, one has to give and that is usually the Safety Professional."

"Better pay, more recognition of value within the management, and better support from the board to site management."

"Don't really know, but maybe increase wages and benefits and provide a more relevant and important role in making company decisions (invite to management meetings)?"

"Stop looking at them as overhead and start looking at them as equal in the companies future and over all bottom line."

"Company culture must value safety. When that occurs, stability occurs."

"Offer a variety of low/no cost education. Workshops, seminars, state conferences, to allow the professional to gain knowledge as they work within an organization."

"More cooperation from the associates when change is needed and when new policies are put in place."

"provide the knowledge you have and gain more knowledge so that you can provide the safety needed to the employees"

"Most leave to find job security and better pay, safety always seems to take first hits during downturns and is last to staff back up as business returns. We continue to talk safety as being top concern but seldom react that way in the day to day operations. We need to make the best possible product/service, at the lowest per unit cost, in the SAFEST POSSIBLE MANNER!!!!"

"Lay out career path with necessary training and milestones and pay raises."

"Higher pay and better benefits"

"More $"

"Find an employer that actually believes, implements, and follows-up on what they claim."

"I think the biggest thing is having a management that encourages safety, not just on "paper"."

"Having professional Training education"

"In Construction Safety Professionals are at odds with profit margin. Decisions are made regarding cost versus safety. Safety Professionals in construction are not safe jobs if they do there jobs right. In factory and industrial settings only the larger business and industries are committed to safety. Enforcement is the key"

"Increase pay, provide them the resources available for training programs, safety equipment, etc."

"Increase headcount for HSE support, and offer more regional and corporate opportunities."

"Upward mobility and fair pay for a solid safety professional. Safety professional's pay, title and compensation packages should mirror that of other upper level management. Many people within my company can make more money working in production than working on the support departments (safety, quality or environmental). Because of this, many degreed safety professional leave the profession because there is more long-tern opportunity for them. They believe that there is always the opportunity to get back in safety but not always the opportunity to work in production."

"Provide challenging opportunities and consider additional skill set training"

"Upper management having a better understanding of a safety professional's responsibilities. Increased salary"

"Have a succession plan, provide them help and support they need and first and foremost upper management has to support the safety program."

"It is a competitive field. Safety professionals tend to go where the right salary and conditions are. Those who are willing to relocate will get more opportunity for advancement. Paying effective safety professionals a good salary and providing appropriate support of safety initiatives will keep a safety professional on staff"

"More pay$"

"More staff. the work is too much for a one or two people."

"In my honest opinion, staying longer with an organization has a lot of variables I.E. Executive Management support, company culture, salary, work hours, challenges, opportunities, room for growth, etc."

"DON'T MAKE THEM WEAR SO MANY HATS."

"More job stability and autonomy in making decisions. Hold mid-level managers accountable for safety performance of their people."

"Better pay"

"Allow for continued training and growth opportunities Allow for implementation of safety and health programs"

"Safety and health professionals need to feel valued and should be provided a competitive salary with and benefits. Under paid staff are the first to leave a company."

"Leadership involvement and safety and health incorporated into the business."

"I believe the biggest thing employers can do is support and communicate with safety professionals. Having open discussions and understanding where the safety person is coming from is important."

"continued buy in of the need for safety oversight, increased benefits"

"Better pay"

"Better pay"

"pay what they are worth"

"I don't know"

"Management positions need to be more aware of what a safety program can do for an organization. Safety and health professionals will have better retention if they feel they are making a difference and not spinning their wheels. It's not the fact that we don't want to stay, it's the fact that we are under appreciated and looked at at just costing money."

"HSE professionals usually move on because of the lack of support from the organization."

"More training and more pay."

"Have leadership commitment match wordspeak. Provide actual resources autonomously from profit centers to ensure safety program funding is consistent even during slow periods."

"Getting a realistic idea of the safety culture in the interview process"

"Increase in benefits and pay."

"More money."

"Better communication."

"Take their advice"

"1. Provide opportunities to interact and influence leaders within the organization. 2. Encourage company management to manage EHS as a respected part of the business 3. Implement an "off-the-shelf" EHS software managements system = makes it easier to gather information, analyze it, track to closure, engage management, show performance, etc. 4. Allow the professionals to focus on the prevention and cultural aspects instead of reacting to the latest injury or spike in recordable rate. 5. The EHS professional should report to a well respected position or department function and not be buried down in the org chart which indicates it is not a valued function."

"Geniune support from within the management structure and fair treatment with regards to pay and work/life balance."

"Show that safety does save money if done correctly."

"Advancement and pay equal to other functions"

"Management support"

"Respect"

"Better pay and training in my case."

"Additional support staff. Budget support for projects. Upper management support to implement required programs. Competitive salary. Merit increases."

"More pleasant work environment, better benefits."

"Increased position levels, compensation and bonus plans. Continuing Education paid for."

"Improved pay"

"Continued training on industry updates and modifications. Certified training opportunities in various areas of safety and health. When a person accomplishes a training goal and is awarded a certification of completion, it can keep them better engaged and keep them reaching for more and better goals of certification."

"Higher pay and stable work environments."

"Increase their value to the organization. Mandatory standards don't cut it"

"Increase pay, pay for continuing education, encourage continuing education, have management on the same page with their safety programs."

"Amount of pay."

"small businesses need to improve their atmosphere to want to keep their employees. Increase pay, 0ffer better benefits, improve morale."

"Get the younger safety professionals to understand they need to respect the Foreman and people in charge, do not blast into a company and demand the crew stop what they are doing and tell them they have to do it in a different way."

"Competitive pay, bonus structure commensurate with engineering professions. Higher quality training."

"Upper Management Support and Communication of Support."

"Pay and flexibility for employers"

"Education opportunities, pay increase."

"Executives need to stop paying lip service to safety and health. The law is the law, and you don't get to pick and choose what laws you want to follow. Or at least, not without consequences."

"by making positive changes in peoples lives even if that means one at a time."

"Be recognized for there work with better compensation."

"Not sure. Compensation would help."

 

Going forward, what skills will be most important for safety and health professionals to be hired and promoted?

"Education and hands on Business skills. "Soft" people skills. Selling skills. Knowledge of regulations and work experience. Once obtained ASSE and BCSP membership and certifications for advancement. management of people skills"

"Due to the shortage of safety professionals, many of us agree that we can teach and train safety concepts and requirements. The skills that are more difficult to develop are: learning how to influence others, learning how to understand the business side of things (not just safety side), and project management. The ability to work with other people and to listen to their ideas."

"CSP Cert or equivalent see 19 above The ability to gain the trust of the work force and mangement. Process Safety, Incident Investigation, Safety Culture Certification"

"Enthusiasm for safety, ability to work with people and communicate ideas"

"OSHA 30 customer service training train the trainer training Besides the obvious that there needs to be training the individual needs to have people skills with the ability to sell safety to higher ups that do GET it"

"Communication skills are essential to success. Injury Illness reduction through incident investigation and corrective actions. Ability to lower Worker Comp premiums for employer"

"Well rounded. Good Communication Skills Knowledge of Rules and Regulations Conflict resolution Problem solver"

"Safety culture and environmental. Flexibility, personable (not just a techy) and credentials (GSP, ASP, CSP)"

"Root cause analysis, and accident investigation"

"Knowing the regulations and company policies. With strict changes to both in recent years, the employee needs to be able to catch up quickly to company policies in order to succeed. Bachelor Degree, Certifications, experience as a technician level before moving into a coordinator/administrator level in an organization. Communications, Team building, leadership, hazard identification Basic business skills, Safety, Health & Environmental knowledge/Certifications, Communication skills, Technology skills Engineering, management, and project management focus. As jobs are mechanized, the focus will be more on system quality and efficiency. Also, I believe food safety will become a more prominent function within the safety profession. Education is key but nothing replaces practical experience. People can get the basics of most jobs down in six months to a year. Safety takes every bit of five years."

"Schooling and certifications Communication and interpersonal skills."

"Knowledge of regulations, time-management skills, project management skills, ability to work alone and with a team. Ability to present to employees and write effective programs."

"1. Complex problem solving skills 2. Team building and networking skills. 3. Extensive knowledge of safety rules/laws from an international perspective. 4. Ability to successfully integrate ES&H into a single function and add fire risk reduction/preparedness and Industrial Hygiene to the skill set. The most valuable skill is influencing people without authority. The strength to lead people without being authoritative is the largest resource in advancing my career. People skills are always important in Safety and Health. A strong grasp of general business skill is important to understand why things are done the way they are done within a certain organization. Mechanical aptitude is a plus. Ergonomics is becoming more prevalent and hazard awareness and communication skill will always be needed. The ability to be resilient and not take things personally is a soft skill that must be developed it the EHS professional wants to keep his or her sanity."

"Communication and leadership STEM knowledge People skills (conflict management, team building, influencing skills) Ability to think outside the box to create new ways to comply Writing skills (be able to write for all levels of the business; understand and be able to write all types of papers) Communication skills (be able to format your message for the person you are talking to - CEO to trucker)"

"Online/computer Effective Communication"

"Computer and Communications skills are a must for all sections of the safety field. Then depending on what area of focus one gets into such as math/statistics; environmental/ science; People skills. Management skills and internal politics."

"Safety is a 'passion' more than a 'job' you go to everyday; some one with a strong knowledge base and experience with the business they are working for(agriculture, oil, railroad); and a good 'manager' of time and people keeping up with osha standard changes then implementing them Communication to all levels of the organization with the ability to communicate risk potential at the executive level. The ability to give quality training to new employees. Turnover is very damaging to a safety program. A great skill would be to provide quality training to new employees."

"How to handle conflicts with workers and still maintain positive atmosphere and attitudes Willingness to continually improve with knowledge, education, and skills. Certifications."

"good question ??????? I knowledge of the field in which they would like to be a Safety Professional in, is a must. To myself, experience with many situations and types of people. Public speaking, self starting, professionalism."

"Investigation skills, computer skills, ability to run department without road blocks."

"Strong Risk Management exposure. If a safety professional cannot identify risks and impact of risk takers (the "I will do whatever it takes" employee) they are missing the foundation of safety management programs. Those in safety have to be the SME for the entire business/corporate setting."

"Leadership management Financial undersatanding Field experience coupled with environmental testing."

"Flexibility, listening, coaching and influencing change. 1) Accident investigation / Incident analysis 2) hazard recognition and avoidance practices. 3) Knowledge of regulatory standards (OSHA, DOT, etc). In that order. interpersonal self driven mindset Certificate A desire for others safety and a willingness to learn new things Construction safety, environment and hygiene safety skills, hazardous chemical safety. Personal development and technical skills must self promote"

"Adaptable Eager to learn Business Management background Degree or ASP at minimum"

"CSP certification. Or at a minimum some safety certification of some sort. Experience is also important, maybe in a trade or the like Learning operational objective such as Lean manufacturing and combined it with the safety function. Hands on, the safety people need to understand and use the safety equipment. General business skills, leadership skills, and knowledge of safety regulations I feel that mentoring is an essential tool that would have helped me when I was starting out. Management, understanding of the standards, and clear understanding of what is expected. If a company is clear about what they want from a safety program it makes it easier for the Safety Professional to achieve that goal for them. Able to technically and professionally innovate. Must have some background in environmental. Going trend seems to be EHS is consolidated."

"Understanding business and their role in helping the organization succeed BCSP certifications, college degree, and experience."

"Business acumen and interpersonal skills. communications experience in the trades"

"solid experience and good base education"

"know the regs patience perseverance confidence communication and marketing skills Ergonomics, Emergency Management, Workplace Violence I see more and more need to have not only the S&H part, but also the E. The more knowledge one possesses in environmental, the better the market they have. Leadership skills. The ability to listen, be an active participant, listen to the other side of the story and be willing to lead."

"Environmental background injury case management incident investigation Requires must be OSH Courses, at least 24 semester hours, basic industrial Hygiene and Environmental laws knowledge. Most employers want that wider knowledge to view/crossover when required. The employers would rather hire an employee that at least has body of knowledge (not expert) in all three fields, but can provide guidance to the Director and HQ Level Facility directors."

"Certifications. Experience. Developing people from within. Safety professionals need to better understand business, risk management and the realities that are experienced in the field. Only by understanding the obstacles that are in the path to completing or supporting safe work can a safety professional hope to overcome them."

" Communication skills are of primary importance in todays world - A working knowledge of regulations and how they apply - Interpersonal communications - a person needs to be able to positively interact with the facility employees in order to receive buy-in when it comes to safety."

"Consistancy Behavioral science based training."

"People skills. Understanding regulations. Analytical skills. Communication skills, and a good understanding of the business you are involved in. The most important skills to have are salesman skills to deal with people. You really have to be a salesman to sell safety to upper management. Operational knowledge coupled with real-life health and safety experience. Understanding of business, risk analysis techniques, data mining capabilities"

"people skills, comunication, training skills. Ability to research. Ability to think critically and conduct analysis. Ability to effectively communicate up and down an org chart."

"Cross functional experince"

"Recognized industry certifications, such as ASP, CSP, CHST, etc. Ability to conduct thorough investigations and provide recommendations to improve work safety without compromising production. Fluent in computer operations, to include mobile applications and the ability or vision to adapt current, outdated processes to more efficient, mobile or electronic applications. Not being satisfied with the "status quo". A modern safety professional must be committed to improving the company’s safety program. You must be able to have a vision of the future within the company and be willing to fight for change. Changing a company's safety culture is one of the hardest things to do. In order to be successful, you must be able to lead that change."

"I personally lack the skill level that I feel I need with computing. Excel and Access are the main two items that I personally need more training and experience with. Auditing skills are also important as are people skills. To get folks to go along, you have to win the over. Masters Field experience Regulatory. BBS Knowledge of OSHA regulations by qualify and skilled trainers. A safety professional who can also conduct in house training is a very valuable employee. This employee can keep employees safe and save organizations money."

"Being an effective coach and mentor to all employees. Without it, you cant deliver the message effectively."

"Ability to speak and interact with people face to face. Ability to communicate effectively at all levels (front line employee, management, regulatory agencies) Ability to track, analyze and understand safety data - and turn that data into action plans for prevention Ability to stay on top of safety training - and up to date on new regulations, etc. Being a people person - knowing that safety is a personal choice for everyone and each person has their own "why" behind their choices on safe behaviors The ability to see the whole picture yet still be able to focus in on the details"

"Understanding local laws and rules as they relate to federal regulations."

"The ability to communicate with management at their level. Engineering, (manufacturing or construction) or hard science degree in addition to a S&H degree. Stay away from the 'online education' boom. The people trained this way have no field/site application skills. Hands on practical knowledge knowledge/training and communication skills More pints of education on it There should be more focus on coaching skills, and management practices. Most Safety Professionals have knowledge of the regulations, but lack the interpersonal skills to get the message across. Social and interpersonal skills Computer skills Technical - regulations and their application Knowledge of Safety Through Design The importance of Wellness Familiarity with Lead Indicators and how to track / implement / improve They need to be organized. The way companies are putting emphasis on another designation like the CSP, CIH or CHMM would be what I would suggest getting."

"Field experience with classroom training I know that safety professionals are trained in safety, but having knowledge of H.R. and a more working knowledge of the company they are applying too would certainly make them more attractive to several different sized companies."

"CHST, ASP training skills Be instructors for OSHA classes, CPR/FA, AHA writing, investigation, Safety Committee member. Certification and education are key. Their people skills in working with all levels and ages of employees and management. It seems that a degree is beneficial. It used to be that it did not matter if the safety professional had a degree or not, as long as they had a passion for safety. That is changing."

"Proper training in their respective industry and authority given by upper management to fill the gap between production and safety. Many positions are now seeking candidates with ISO14001 familiarity and also metrics. H&S professionals need the requisite technical knowledge - however, in today's competitive environment, H&S professionals MUST be good business managers and communicators. Must be able to develop solid business cases, that are compelling and very direct. Must be able to translate H&S requirements and gains into business terms. hmmmmm"

"Business skills, technical knowledge"

"Hands on"

"Flexibility. Adaptability. Good communication skills. Knowledge of industry and safety certifications"

"A good understanding of the continuous improvement models, just culture and the ability to develop safety teams that can work effectively together at all levels of the organization. Professionals that are well rounded in experience."

"Education Good communication"

"Professionalism Training and knowledge of the field Communication skills Outgoing personality I have discovered that some basic investigative skills, and record keeping have become very important. Most importantly, becoming very personable and understanding has pushed me further. It earns respect. General Safety with a little more focus now on Health and Wellness. Keeping our staff safe is great, but, going forward, we need them healthier to help prevent injury and promote faster healing from injury and illness Communication and training skills. Experience in the field. willingness to listen and learn from those doing the job Personality leadership charisma character General OSHA knowledge. Set standards to inspect and uphold. A culture that promotes safety at all levels, upper management to temp helper - safety should be the first thing discussed at every meeting."

"Knowledge of Work Practices, Interpersonal Skills, Behavioral Safety. Communications skills and conflict resolution skills. Setting and living up to expectations of yourself, executives, and employees. Creating the culture and establishing respect. Degrees and certifications seem to be the way the company's are hiring even vs. experience. They need to be well rounded in all aspects of safety."

"Leadership Skills. Management and business knowledge. A general understanding of the financial aspect of a business."

"Acceptance of the safety professional by fellow employees and willingness of employees to foloow safety programs and policies."

"Regulatory compliance knowledge, especially demonstrated by past employment history; good communication skills with employees at all levels; innovated approach to compliance (especially where every employee has some ownership in keep the workplace safe); and a good work ethic including the ability to prioritize projects. continuing education"

"Persuasion skills, confrontation skills Degrees, designations (CSP/ASP) and experience. I believe increased understanding and experience within sustainability will be an important skill for H&S professionals. In addition strong communication skills will be important. Presentation and public speaking."

"Understanding of OSHA laws, IMPACT and other recordkeeping databases, passion for the industry, tenacity to get the job done and conviction of safety principals Communication, training, and flexibility. good employee relationships and showing our worth"

"Experience, designations, certifications, credit for speaking engagements, understanding that a degree in health and safety does not make the safety professional either. This is truly a field where on the job training can be obtained that exceeds what many people coming out of college have and that needs to be understood. Understanding business and foreign language especially Spanish. math, science, physics, legal skills, writing skills, financial skills, interpersonal skills, industrial hygiene, IAQ knowledge, etc."

"Communication, Perseverance Great work ethics and good people skills."

"Book smarts is good but common sense and application is what counts."

"People skills, psychology, sociology; Political Science, Education, teaching skills, writing ability, communications - oral, written, electronic; business law; insurance & contracts; risk management; conversant in ISO level standards; SPANISH SPEAKING ABILITY; problem solving skills, negotiating ability. I can look up the safety rules in a book, so technical knowledge will be less critical. People management might be more important. Social skills, team building and leading skills, presentation skills, etc."

"ability to learn. This job is always changing. having working knowledge of the trade being performed Additional certifications: CSP, CHMM, CIH, COSS Educate yourself as much as possible. adaptability technological prowess Business management skills - Will allow them to talk the language that management teams understand vs. articulating compliance requirements that are mostly misunderstood by management. knowledge and experience in the field that they support. They need to know what people do and understand the challenges."

"Computer and social media. CHST, DOB Certs Business ."

"Real life work and business experience."

"Good communications skills, verbal and written. While technical expertise is important and mandatory in some safety roles, the ability to effectively communicate is by far the most important trait for a safety professional to have, regardless of industry. It does not matter if I am an expert on the technical side of things if I can't communicate with employees in my organization to understand the operations and how that technical information may apply. By the same token, the safety professional also needs to have the ability to communicate the why and how of things that do need to be done to all levels in the organization."

"know how to write procedures, work instructions, 1910 regulation requirements"

"OSHA NFPA Statistics Engineering Safety Risk Assessment The CSP examination is a higher level examination that is more for engineering professionals. There should be another certification that is safety specific and more comparable to the most safety jobs and professions. I think you really need to be a salesman/saleswoman. In this line of work you need to be able to sell it to every person with whom you work. Safety needs to be bought into by everyone, if its going to be effective. If your safety culture is weak it will bend and break when times get difficult. Knowing how to change cultures, manage change, and lead people without direct authority up and down the organization. Legal knowledge. I feel I have to be a walking 29CFR1910 regulations book. Also need to be good at training others."

"Ability to perform a variety of tasks. experience-experience-experience and communication hazard recognition and engineered solutions Ability to work with people and teaching skills. Safety is not a police activity it is about teaching employees a new way of doing things and supporting a company culture. Training"

"Knowledge and loyalty to one brand. I have been with the federal government for 36 years but have often thought of jumping ship when I did not feel valued by getting a raise. I have had my pay frozen 6 times while in federal service for a total of 9 years without a raise."

"Ability to be well versed in multiple areas and no necessarily a specialist, including knowing environmental 1. Communication to management and personnel. 2. A practical application of standards (not just the black and white book approach). 3. Ability to adapt. 4. Ability to prioritize and time management skills."

"I think having solid management skills, both program and people based is a big advantage. Also, I think people need to have a good general safety knowledge base upon hire and can then expand or develop any specific needs as the person and job responsibilities change."

"Many organizations require their Safety Professional to also have Environmental Management experience. Knowledge of the standards and regulations customized to that employees state; excellent communication skills; experience with technology and innovative ideas. The technical skills are the minimum requirement. Relationship building, partnering, influencing, understanding finance and the ability or willingness to dig deep to understand the business (not just the technical safety side) through job shadowing, understudying, etc. The ability to think outside the box, outside of this is the way we have always done it, and to be open to new ideas and suggestions. You also have to be open and approachable, because part of the job is being a counselor and talking with your employees about what they are experiencing and the concerns they have. The ability to read the rules, translate them into terms others can understand and then communicate them in a way that captures interest and willingness to follow them. The ability to empathize with people and listen for the message - take a breath before speaking even if it's a sensitive situation. Drill Sergeant tactics don't work on today's work force - you cannot yell at people. Depending on the type of field they're working safety in, furthering education may be critical to advancement. Most of all - the ability to wear many hats on any given day. Cheerleader, politician/lobbyist, nurse, word-smith, artist. And the ability to do it all while smiling. Training and Inspection."

"Public speaking, MS excel, and good knowledge of process Training and retraining with certifications. Willingness to be flexible to the work environment. Adaptable to change. Ability to think outside the box and get involved with coming up with solutions to problems not just asking others to fix a problem identified by the safety department. Good communicator Realistic expectations Ability to relate to all types of personalities and people at all levels in the organization. Cause Evaluation experience"

"People skills. Ability to communicate with other individuals throughout organizations (from the hourly laborer to top management). Ability to be able to identify safety issues & challenges and how to address these & work through to resolution."

"One invaluable skill will be to be able to work with management to maximize profit but keep costs down. A strong safety culture with a focus on prevention can assist. They must have good communication skills. To be able to communicate with all the workers not just the upper level. Certifications, - ASP/CSP, IH. Also being able to think outside the box to deal with new and different problems, specially the problem children that each organization often has to deal with. People skills and the ability to get upper mgt to own safety. future S&H professionals must be adept at communications and getting people to understand not only the "How, but the Why" Bachelor's degree in safety and health. I personally do not have that credential and it limits me on job prospects. I have the experience and training credentials, mainly my CHST, that deems me a qualified person, but that degree holds me back. Most companies are not just looking for quality knowledge and experience, they really want the bachelor's degree. Some even note it can be any degree. A good mix between technical skills and people skills. If you only have one or the other, you will not be successful education and training Being universal to the type of organization that they are working for. Willing and able to step into the game of the job. For example: I am a safety coordinator for this organization. However, I have some knowledge in the construction field, Quality Control background on the products we make, and extensive knowledge of the warehousing environment at this facility. Having a history of all aspects can help. communication skills knowledge about the job Exsperiance A strong understanding of safety culture. Regulations and programs are fine, but the safety and health of an organization begins with the employees and their actions. Better training on how people think rather than what regulations require will be important. A safe culture will pay dividends over an organization that stresses compliance. Both written and oral communication skills, flexibility, ability to research and learn about new hazards that are unknown or mostly unknown at this point Business and legal education"

"Willingness to get certifications or degree. Future professionals need to have interpersonal skills, MicroSoft office skills, and a willingness to help others. Passion to help others I believe safety professionals should be well spoken and good at speaking in front of others, within a group, etc. Working well with others, being personal are traits that fit most positions! A passion for people and their safety, including their families, regulatory compliance, courtesy and respect for others. Be genuinely concerned for the safety and health of workers, get appropriate education and training. Continue to expand your experiences. Be personable. Someone who is highly driven and intelligent are a good starting point. I personally hire folks who are able to articulate their thoughts and whom can build relationships. Relationships are the foundation of all accomplishments. Strong, consistent communication with all levels of management, employees, and regulatory agencies. Good management skills, understanding the business and being able to align the needs for safety ethics with business prosperity."

"College degree, field experience, certs (OSHA, CSP, FA/CPR instructor, etc)."

"Knowledge and experience applying law to the workplace. Communications!"

"Strong technical skills paired with great interpersonal skills knowledge. With the ever changing rules, it is the most impoortant Safety, environment, security, and health are often combined in some manner. HR still has a lot of additional duties in safety. If employers are to continue in this mode, safety professionals with some skills in those areas can work to change it from the inside! Understanding of regulations affecting the safety profession"

"the most important skills are being in the field. The best education for a safety professional is to go to night school and work in the field so they can apply what they are working on in the class room."

"people skills, public speaking, OSHA 30hr, conflict resolution"

"Attention to detail, honesty, trustworthiness. Craft experience and/or knowledgeable of the work scope. Experience and a good college education, but not allowing the education to over-shadow the experience. The ability to speak and relate to others is the most important skill a safety professional can have. I cant tell you how many times I have heard from workers what a jerk the last "safety guy" was. Only a person who is honest, meets the workers where they are at, and has a mindset of "firm but fair" will have a truly successful safety program."

"Dealing with conflict, the regulation part of the job is manageable, but dealing with the people & convincing people to make EHS a top priority is hard. Be able to develop good relationships with all employees and be a great communicator. Develop the skills to gain the confidence in what you say and do and gain the mutual respect that is necessary to achieve compliant responses from the employees. Know the subject matter very well before making decisions and recommendations. Communication Pollutants evaluations and ergonomic studies communication skills, soft skills, small team dynamics, problem solving, ability to spend a lot of time in the field and manage other aspects of the job. time management! Being an industrial hygienist/safety professional. Being well rounded with the ability to continue to learn Basic business and finance knowledge. It is often surprising how many EHS people are not able to write a clear capital request for funding of a project. This includes a clear rationale that non-EHS staff would understand. Iinter personal skills would be beneficial to help change cultures in the work place. Knowledge of the workforce and workplace"

"I believe that professionals need to understand the business more in depth and have a better understanding of relationship building and risk when it comes to the company they work for. ? Getting certifications. Having a good understanding of regulations, having good interpersonal skills, being able to get certifications and additional training. Strong technical science and safety/IH base, project management skills, basic understanding of occupational psychology, influencing skill development, etc, Team player, hands on, work with the employees not against them. We safety professionals are here as resource to the company and it's employees. In depth knowledge of 29 CFR 1910/1926. Able to resolve complex regulatory issues. Good communication skills."

"People skills, motivaton skills, presentation skills people skils risk assessment related to financials metrics data analysis compliance auditing The best skills are: to roll with the flow as regulations change, understand how to do properly research, and be able to make connections with those in the field. ability to relate to other departments ability to analyze data and interpret trends Keeping current with technology both for the safety person and the users, good quality training in all safety areas. Writing, communicating, ability to understand and explain policies, codes, and regulations without resorting to violation approach to safety support."

"Communication & marketing skills. People skills Ability to recognize and explain the interface of safety & health into the overall business -- and explain the benefits of this interface. Technical certs with the practical knowledge of how to apply them and ability to teach understanding to someone leld people/coaching skills - get rid of the safety cops"

"The ability to write and speak well. You can have all of the expertise in the world, but if you are unable to communicate it won't matter, particularly when it comes to upward mobility within an organization. Learn about organizational behavior, industrial psychology, management skills...along with the safety and health training. Become professionally certified (CSP, CIH); more and organizations are demanding certification along with tenure in the field. Communication skills, business savy competence (financial analysis), Regulatory comprehension ability to facilitate training Great people skills aligned with exceptional technical skills. Flexibility. Ability to communicate in writing and verbally with all employees."

"Well rounded knowledge, a broad spectrum of health, safety and environmental training and experience as well as an ability to communicate well with those that you interact with - more specifically the 'working' folks. You have to relate and be respected. The ability to take dry regulation and make it a reality in the workplace and the skill to convince senior leadership to invest in safety. Professional certification. Critical thinking and written communication. Broad technical knowledge needed, not just safety, but environmental, fire code, building code, etc. Know more than one area. Cross functional skills Leadership skills business skills communication skills"

"Communication and work ethic. I see a downward trend in new hires (not EHS, just general). Leveraging technology. Communication skills Years in the profession. Always obtaining new professional certifications and advancing knowledge in the current industry. I think skills that are important for hiring or promotion are being able to work independently and interdependently. Employees must learn to be leader. They must learn listening and communication skills. A person can not just write a policy and think people will follow. You must train people. You also have to learn to make decisions on the fly and be able to look at situations from various angles. You can not look it just from the safety point of view. An ability to understand the mission of the employer, and how they can build a Safety & Health program that supports that mission. Having the ability to sell safety and health as an investment and good business practice. For a business to succeed, the business model requires: 1) Producing a product on time; 2) Producing a quality product; and 3) Run operations in a safe manner. Not meeting any of those goals will result in loss."

"Certifications, experience, and an ability to work with many different personality types. I think that will be determined by the level of education and certifications as well as their communication skills."

"For professionals with little to no experience, obtaining a OSHA/MSHA 10 or 30 is a wonderful start and a great introduction to the important standards/regulations. I found that obtaining my OSHA 511 was extremely beneficial in obtaining my current position. My personal belief on getting hired or promoted is showing evidence of quality work that deserves the advancement/promotion, this also gets me into trouble with taking on more than I can chew at times, considering i am technically part time."

"Soft skills -- handling conflict, persuasion, presenting material, etc."

"Life stories! I feel that scars can tell a story. What is the path taken to get you where you are today? A fraction of an inch can determine a life long story or a life ending statistic. Personal communication skills Communication, strategic planning, technology Certifications - the more degrees and certifications that you have the better your chances for promotion. IT/Computers. The world has left some of my colleagues behind because they are not computer literate. computer communication education/certificate programs General management As outlined in Federal govt hiring process / qualifying competencies Practical experience. OSHA compliance, mechanical or construction background, team leading, interpersonal skills. Behavioral safety, Loss Control & Risk Management, some experience on HR and EEO will be helpful. Working with many personalities within the organization. Diverse skills Environmental skills and a good base knowledge of general safety regulations and practices."

"Have an understanding of the field your are representing."

"-Be well rounded. It is important to know some about HR, WC, etc. Even if it is not a lot, it helps you with working with those departments and those executives. In addition, in an age where everyone is forced to wear more hats and do more, there are still a lot of companies that combine these departments. The ability to communicate with personnel based on their strengths and understanding their weaknesses. It is very difficult to place a square peg into a round hole; over the years I have seen where change has been attempted to be implemented by forcing a new process down someone's throat with poor results. Safety and Health professionals need to be able to understand their audience and be able to communicate with multiple personalities."

"BCSP certifications, Manufacture competent person training in fall protection. Communication skills for one on one conversations with management and workers Continued competence within the general S&H subject areas, and expansion into specialty elements such as IH, management systems, sustainability, and so on. Working knowledge of OSHA DOT EPA FMCSA SQF HACCP Strong computer skills, good writing skills as the profession has turned into a paperwork nightmare. In the construction safety arena you must be a good speaker, coach and mentor to gain the trust and respect of craft workers. Board Certification having a sense of urgency multi tasking Able to lead a team and promote critical thinking effective communication, science background, leadership (versus management) skills, passion, and drive. Experience with both safety and health programs but also management experience."

"Compliance understanding, the ability to negotiate and deal with OSHA, and a relaxed attitude that is not typically expected from safety professionals. communication and technical People skills are critical in this role. You have to know how to handle educating in a professional manner without making it a "personal attack" on the individual, a "Hector the Inspector" type mentality. If you have a passion for teaching/training individuals and have the right people skills, this field can take you a long way in life. Be more aware of OSHA rule changes and how they affect the workplace that you are in Communications and people skills."

"Field experience. I cant tell you how many meetings I have sat in where all the Safety Professionals were very book smart but zero field experience. I would rather have the field experience than the education. Field experience will always outweigh book smarts A general business degree will be almost as important as the technical degree The ability to influence both upper management and employees. Having the ability to gain buy-in and build trust is invaluable in this field. Problem solving and being an innovative thinker will also take a safety professional far. We must be able to find solutions that are safe while still thinking about the job that needs done."

"Core compliance knowledge of general industry and construction safety OSHA requirements. Seems to be a greater push to integrate continuous improvement systems to EHS management (whether successful or not remains to be seen). In my opinion, we need to get back to the basics of core compliance detail to ensure successful programs and processes. Interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively are very important. Being able to demonstrate problem solving skills is also high on my list. finance and personal interaction"

"Having the ability to work in many different fields."

"extensive knowledge in hazard recognition and risk management, and personal interactive skills I have found you have to be focused on injury prevention, not just compliance. You have to have project management skills to implement engineering controls to separate employees from the hazards in the workplace. You also have to have compassion for your employees, so that they know you do what you do because you care about them. Broad knowledge of all areas of safety, environment, risk management, loss control and industrial hygiene. besides safety background, working with people can be difficult and they should have some experience with managing projects/people Practical training: utilization of equipment and ability to prepare technical reports. More field experience."

"Safety oriented degrees and real life training. Social and leadership skills"

"Hands on"

"people skills, communication, flexibility, and experience"

"Training and experience - most experienced folks in the workforce prefers not to hear it from the 'new guy' who isn't familiar with their industry. Regulatory interpretation, communication skills."

"An understanding of the way the business operates On-the-job experience; education; management and leadership; negotiation; risk management; fiscal management"

"Diversity of knowledge. Knowing the compliance of safety and the knowledge of management systems- so safety can be a part of the over all business plan and not a separate focus by itself. How to meet the site needs in a short time allowance. Lean manufacturing may up profits, but it has taken a toll on our safety. We must be able to meet all demands within the time restraints and not check a box which is a potential citation, fine, worker injury or death."

"Leadership skills, communication skills, ability to work well with others, create positive environments where safety and health and grow."

"In the public school system there are very few training opportunities available to learn about school safety throughout the USA Good communication skills People skills - the ability to talk to and relate to all types of employees. Public speaking and presentation skills - especially as it is related to training Enhanced computer and technology skills so they can take advantage of these benefits"

"Must have excellent communication skills at all levels. Hazard identification and elimination methods are a must. Genuine caring for the team members with a balance for business. Employees need to partner with safety professionals to work together for the company."

"the ability to find common ground within the standards. Too often a lot of safety people view it as black and white. Leadership"

"Utilization of technology as well as understanding how technology in the workplace can contribute to potential exposures for worker injuries as well as fires/explosions. Heavy emphasis on supporting operational needs. Providing effective solutions to minimize risk and maximum employee safety; rather than providing a information on a deficiency."

"People - procedures, policies, paperwork do not prevent problems. People prevent problems. People need paperwork, procedures and policies, but those need to be built around the people so they make sense. not sure A good skill set beyond safety knowledge will include communication, analytics, problem solving, and project management."

"Soft skills of presenting, communicating, and project collaboration. Knowledge is power that drives confidence to motivate peers Functional job skills are essential to have as well as the educational side. Someone coming out of college may not have the skill set to collaborate with managers, hourly workers, and peers. This is something that is lacking in educational programs I've been involved with. The focus is on the individual in the global arena with limited collaboration, problem solving skills, coaching, and effective communication."

"Unfortunately the skill that does not seem to be taught that would be extremely valuable to the Safety and Health professional is learning to have an understanding of and ability to speak financialese and legalese. EHS professionals get solid material learning to build a safety culture and put safety management techniques in place and these are critically important, but if safety professionals in today’s business are not able to collect data and build a strong financial case they may not get the buy in to move forward and implement safety programs. Understanding basic legal and regulatory costs and implications are critical as well. Safety and health professionals must learn to take raw data and convert it into information that sorts out the accident types, causes, and costs to identify trends and create solutions. ability to effectively communicate is vital...knowledge of our federal and state regulations and the ability to gain compliance with staff and have an effective safety culture in place is very important for a successful safety program Well rounded professionals are needed. I had a learning curve after my education to catch up on environmental concerns and industrial hygiene. My education primarily focused on worker behavior and conditional safety as opposed to the science aspects of the profession. Basic business sense along with a great knowledge of their companies procedures and manufacturing processes understood."

"Having the skill to walk that line between safety and production in a pleasant and trustful way, while keeping true to the safety of the employee. The safety professional knows that winning over the employees, with management on board lowers injuries, visits from OSHA, and increases production."

"Strong understanding of the OSHA rules and consensus standards impacting the specific industry and the ability to motivate and direct safety culture improvements within an organization at all levels. Interpersonal skills, communication besides the fundamental safety skill set Business Management experience Leadership skills such as effective communication, influencing, team development and strategy development"

"Blend of people and business skills. Very strong organizational skills and considerable time to devote to job. Pay to match that commitment. Interpersonal communication skills are most important. With the widespread and growing use of smart devices, the face to face interaction is being endangered. Direct person to person communication is always going to be the most effective means to convey a message and share passion/vision with others. Teaching skills, communication skills, and knowledge of the industry they would like to work in. Make available real world mentoring programs in various fields. Safety regulatory training skills will be needed. Construction is booming - New graduates need do and have internships to receive real life scenarios. They will not get this in any class room, I can teach book smarts not street smarts. In construction world and general industry this is what you need."

"Education followed by practical experience. Professional certifications should follow this path as well."

"Technical knowledge and the ability to apply that knowledge to real world solutions. Do not be the 'safety police', be a safety consultant to the trades. Communication skills."

"educating themselves in safety Communication is the key in all facets of our profession and being able to talk up and down the organization is critical to being successful. The standard skill set may be added to; but it has not had anything removed. Will need expertise in additional field in order to wear an additional hat, such as: environmental, security, wellness, etc... being proactive...having a strong work ethic to ensure that follow up and perseverance is a key function Certifications Flexibility and resilience. I think hands on experience in the field helps greatly. I do incident investigations for my company, and the more training/experience I gain, the more adequate I feel to do my job well. Sicologycal !.. It is extremely hard for Safety Professionals to learn the specifics of all the job disciplines that affect their jobs and ultimately the jobs of those they protect. I think more safety people should come from trades people who have experience in the jobs they perform. Many safety professionals struggle with the electrical and mechanical knowledge needed to perform their jobs properly. I have been an IBEW Electrician, a Building Code Official and a Safety Officer each one is like learning a new trade. Skills and knowledge in the disciplines and work environments that they serve are essential. To work with all levels of management and employees to gain a better understanding of what happens out in the field so can apply the OSHA regulations in a more realistic approach that work is performed safely and workers healthy. Information systems (computer skills), database management, communication, and project management. Understanding of safety management system (development and implementation), speaking skills / training, and external certification (CHMS, CSP, etc...)."

"Good base of technical knowledge including science and math. Communication skills both verbal, and written are essential. New hires must understand their employers or client businesses and be open to new ideas. Management skills outside of EHS Problem solving The safety professional needs to have excellent communication skills as a big part of their job is working with people. Listening to employees is the key to understanding. Also need strong knowledge of regulatory requirements, chemical safety, process safety and industrial hygiene. Excellent communication and problem solving skills. Good people skills are a plus as well Civility, technical expertise, communications Multi-tasking Practical experience, knowledge and application of OSHA regulations, presentation skills, interaction skills, knowledge of communicating messages from the executive to employee level. GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS Good computer skills, knowledge of occupational illnesses and injuries and their causes, good written and oral presentation skills, strong technical base in chemistry, ergonomics, machine guarding, and industrial hygiene, and an ability to sell safety and environmental compliance as a value-added process."

"People skills"

"Management/business skills, a strong environmental program, and be able to with all employees, regardless of pay level within the organization. Understanding of the role is working with people. Soft skills Safety professionals need not only the knowledge of safety, OSHA and regulations, but they need to have an understanding of the business. Knowing the business side and how operations work gives them an upper hand in accomplishing what needs to be done. It also makes negotiating with upper management more successful. hands on experience relative to that particular industry Versitility Knowledge and flexibility being capable of communication at all levels Safety fundamentals, business and law People skills and salesman skills. Solid science backgrounds are necessary to have an appreciation for the field and the complexities. Chemistry, biology, statistics, problem solving, and regulatory processes are very helpful to the field. Get more involved and have that push forward attitude to safety."

"Field experience and tact. Attitudes towards safety are myriad and a good professional needs to approach safety on an individual basis not as a sweeping doctrine in order to garner support and earn buy in. Not everyone is the same and they can't be treated the same."

"Personal skills, if you can't get buy in then it doesn't matter how good the program, policies, or procedures are Many people I have worked with fit into 2 different categories. There are the safety Gestapo's and the Educators. This field would benefit from training those in safety to become better business partners with the operational side of the business operations which would result in a better balance between the Gestapo's and the Educators. Problem solving. knowledge of the standards. ability to apply that knowledge in the field for results. ability to think on one's feet. interpersonal skills. large network of co-workers. Linking leading indicators to reduced injuries, claims and costs 1. Leadership 2. Influencing 3. Collaboration 4. Communication 5. Partnering Solid understanding of regulations and how to integrate safety management systems into upcoming technological advances Experience, and being able to do more with less. Soft skills, financial skills, technical skills Management skills, buisiness skills, communication skills pratical"

"Certification or salesmanship"

"Sales and marketing. Some finance/budget training."

"Relationship Building. The relationship is always more important than a single issue. You can win the skirmish, but lose the war if you do not always think about the relationship first. Communication and people management skills"

"Situational and environmental awareness training to either introduce or enhance the skills needed to be a solid voice for safety and security in the work place. This day and age, security in the work place and being proactive to such is a very useful skill. It may not be used very often, but even if only used once, it can make a significant impact/difference in any number of peoples lives on any given day."

"Being a generalist vs a specialist. jack of all trades Mentoring, education, training"

"not sure Personable, strength in counseling and HR backgrounds."

"Science and Engineering skills, knowledge of Risk Management and business impacts associated with H&S performance Communication, business acumen, technology use."

"OSHA basics and ability to look at hazards and to be strong enough in character to do what must be done and fight for worker safety. CAP, CSHO, M.S. in Safety."

"Soft skills and emotional intelligence. passion is a definite must in this field, it should not be just because. The passion of one is better than 99 with an interest. Knowledge of risk assessment and risk management. Hazard identification is key to peoples safety and managing those hazards to promote quality of life after the employees career is over. know the field of where they will work. Be universal for the company. Do the best to stay on top of their program and push forward to accomplish the goal of safety."

 

What can be done to attract new people to the profession?

"Pay, good career path. We need to get into the schools and let people know of a Loss Control career. While recruiting may be focused towards those in safety programs, candidates should be sought from other departments too, such as business, engineering, education, etc. Knowledge of what a good and satisfying jog it is. college outreach"

"I feel we need to increase our visibility with the college campuses. Colleges with safety programs can help by promoting the profession. Potential students need to understand that safety professionals are getting paid well these days and there is a shortage. When I first became a safety officer, there were few college programs offering to provide degrees in safety management. Now this has changed substantially. This is a start."

"money and benefits Practical, OJT, Intern (not necessarily college grads). Training and meaningful; certificated OSHA achievement and training not just CSP types (the CSP and similar education certifications are not orientated to a practical day to day work environment for most safety professional out in the field. CSP and similar types have become a “circle the wagon, protective, academia focus” certification. Get word of safety professions out to high school students Raise starting salary Better payment"

"Unsure...I was an admin assistant at the location and they needed a safety person so I was able to switch jobs"

"promote job satisfaction knowing you've done something worthwhile for others each day. I don't know"

"raise pay"

"Spend more time in HS and colleges discussing profession. More job security and better pay."

"More safety and health programs in the smaller universities and state colleges. Intern programs."

"More coverage of profession in media"

"Offer tuition forgiveness. I have no idea. Sometimes it feels like a thankless job and hard to get anyone interested in the field. Intern/mentor programs. Provide information about the job field to students. Having access to education for the field of Safety would help. There are not many local schools that have safety specific degrees. Professional status - licensure through a state board I'm unsure. Of all the jobs I have had I never heard this until I got involved in safety - "I wouldn't want your job.""

"More pay Attraction doesn't seem to be the problem as much as new kids don't want to work."

"Mentoring programs, advertising undergrad and graduate EHS degree programs."

"1. Emphasize the "service to humanity". 2. Better elaborate on the financial and personal rewards of the profession. 3. Increase financial compensation, especially in the area of performance bonuses. 4. Allow time and financial support for professional development activities and memberships. I had no idea that this type of profession existed. I believe outreach into schools would help."

"Identify individuals interested in science and service industries Move away from compliance officer role to Risk reduction leader role. Sell the need for creative thinking with strong STEM knowledge. Sell this career as a people job, not a paperwork job. Have a mentor program in place, cross train, excellent safety culture in place"

"Hire more than one safety person at a company allows new talent to start at a lesser experienced position. However, when there is only one person that's going to be hired, more experience is better."

"$$$ benefits. Promote the safety administrators personal rewards of helping people preserve themselves and helping employers maintain their most important asset, people/workers. Increase the pay and athority of the safety professionals."

"Safety profession is probably the least talked about profession in some states - ND being one."

"Communication to the high school level with more programs at the college level and the need for certificate programs for those working in helath care to move from other internal positions. I grew up in a small rural area. I didn't know about the profession until I was an adult. We need to promote and advertise the benefits of our trade in schools."

"Offer training on what it means to be safety professional Use the existing Safety Professionals to promote safety in their respective industries."

"less hours worked The benefits and resources in the safety field Share the success stories and impact a safety professional has on a company. Recruitment at colleges and universities"

"A better pay scale. Safety managers have a high responsibility but are looked at more like a cost center. We try to limit exposure but don't necessary show a profit."

"Strong mentoring programs with internships to build the experience and confidence necessary for safety leadership"

"Somehow create a friendlier environment. Work to get rid of the "no one likes the safety guy attitude". Increase the pay to reflect that of others with the same responsibilities. Increase the number of colleges offering degrees within safety."

"Better information on what people in these jobs actually do. What they provide to the workforce. I think more technician level safety professionals will be needed (as compared to safety specialists or safety engineers). I believe that more emphasis needs to be put on the BCSP's CHST and OSHT credential. Not everyone can become a CSP or a CIH. Many qualified tradespeople and operations people would make excellent technicians. If they choose, they could advance from technician to the specialist level. better and more opportunities for higher learning platforms."

"Promote Safety Coordinators instead of hiring outside of the company New pay for performance structure Financial security and management appreciation update regulations"

"Have those of us still excited about our profession go out to job fairs, schools, etc."

"Industry promotion, attractive pay & benefits Get away from being a compliance cop. Have specific curriculum to get a degree in Safety and during college orientations have that as an option. na Career Fairs, more colleges that offer safety degrees locally here in the Houston Area. More emphasis on safety as a profession that not everyone can do well."

"Jobs and growth potential Pay and a clear career path."

"Better define the role. It's a constant battle of what the role of the Safety professional is within an organization. better pay"

"people think they have to have a certification in order to make money - not the case have to attract millenials ...honestly, have to make them care about others besides themselves ...that is just stereotyping - not all are like that. Help offer certifications and training. Tuition assistance also. Promote it more. I remember when I decided on being a safety professional, my friends and family asked if that meant being a professional crossing guard. People are just unfamiliar with what safety professionals actually do."

"Expand OSH program recruiting affords at high schools during open houses and career outlooks."

"Better pay. I recently had a conversation with a high school guidance counselor. They weren't even aware that the position exhisted. The problem isn't getting new people, it is getting new people to stay. Compensation levels need to increase."

"N/A I don't think much needs to be done. The profession seems to be growing at an acceptable level to me. - Promote it as an ability to be creative - safety doesn't always have to be boring. A highly creative person can make safety fun while making the points that are required to be made. We need to continue to push industry and the profession to expect advance degrees and certification requirements. Drive to want to keep employees safe Start at the MBA schooling that safety in a very integral part of any business operation. Whether it be in manufacturing, warehousing or office."

"Promote high performing HSE professionals to C-Suite executive positions. Not really sure. Pay as well as "operations". Promote the safety and health profession to colleges and universities including the opportunities for growth over the next 5 to 10 years."

"improve the safety cultures as a positive one Send managers with interest in safety to OSHA and EHS training."

"Oil price increase"

"Promote safety as a core function of the company. Show safety as a priority in actions, not just in words. Commit to providing training and development for the safety professionals."

"See response to Question 18. salary, benefits, status Offer better pay"

"Increase salaries and provide more opportunities for movement Show the above in Q 18 - Show the proactive culture of safety = job satisfaction (if management is behind safety)"

"Consistent support and understanding by top management."

"Somehow get the message out to undergraduates about the profession For young people, consider annual college loan rewards/bonuses for good performance in addition to cash. Stop promoting non-safety & health educated people into S&H positions. No one respects these people. No one wants to work under them. Flexibility and group effort education Variety of Oportunities Increase the pay rate for the entry level professionals. Marketing and internships. Not sure I think more communication with people about what the profession actually entails down to the nuts and bolts of the job as people see this when you look at other professions."

"recruit thru the schools Higher wages would probably be a factor, but even more important than money would be level of safety importance in individual companies."

"Those that join are I funded by strong leaders"

"Show safety professionals how they truly are part of the business, the impact they can have on the end-product, and the valuable work they can provide. Show them the value in the position."

"Mentoring, internships, and shadowing will greatly influence training for fresh Safety Managers."

"Must get into the high schools. Counselors are NOT very knowledgeable about the H&S profession and how it really is where science and people come together. Right now the climate is that of a pretty thankless job/career....."

"In the construction industry, we need to do more outreach to the construction management programs"

"Stable jobs"

"Better promotion to graduating high school students. More colleges/universities with degree programs. Depends on what industry and company. Everyone is different."

"Increase salary, and more information that explains the benefits and rewards of a successful safety culture. More ABET accredited colleges and university's. There should be at least one school per state teaching an accredited safety program."

"More autonomy to make decisions."

"I think that Safety should tie more in to Human Resources. I have been to HR Conferences and a safety conferences and have learned similar things at both. I think that making it a division of HR could impact the number of newcomers to branch off into the safety field. Open doors to more in-house training. I have noticed that the more education I receive, through the assistance of my company, the longer I WANT to stay. Along with added responsibilities and challenges. Competitive wages and benefits More exposure to the safety field. Stability pay more Money and focus and commitment by upper management Career days. College visits. Many persons do not know what a safety manager does."

"Recruit in high schools to increase awareness of safety profession. Encourage Universities to establish an OHS Curriculum Make it more lucrative. These younger folks are interested in titles and cash. I do not feel the profession is for everyone. People skills are a must and the ability to communicate and influence individuals at all levels to develop the desired culture. the attractiveness of the profession is more critical regarding the employment conditions when you are choosing where to work. As noted above. Encourage them with more technololgy within the safety profession. The pay gets people's attention just fine"

"Provide several layers of upward mobility along with competitive pay. Place safety at the forefront of every business. Safety should be managed by a professional and not just a Quality or HR Manager that has some free time to throw out training material. Occupational Safety and Health is a discipline and meeting compliance regulations is the bare minimum of the scope of work."

"Work with school administrators and job placement professionals to emphasis the shortage."

"Provide the support they need, pay More information about the field in colleges"

"Look at people who have a longer term (or want a longer term) relationship with the company. they are the ones who will be safety champions. Young persons are not eager to join the EH&S field. It take more than 5 years of field expertise to reach professional maturity and young professionals are not willing to invest the time or energy to achieve the professional maturity. I think greater effort to link with sustainability as this is an area of interest to younger people. Recognition of the profession as necessary and a best business practice."

"Demonstrate the entire company is involved with all aspects of HSE; it's not just a department. Better promotion in the secondary education fields. don't know it's a thankless job"

"Get rid of contracts and hire people directly"

"Not sure. Money is not the answer, but you need to make the profession more attractive. Continual recruiting. There are still many individuals out there who do not recognize safety as a career or profession. Not sure."

"Marketing. Money."

"Regulatory changes from enforcement to supportive educational roles."

"That's a tough one, because this is not a particularly glamorous profession. Probably by offering professional advancement in the form of taking advanced courses, degreed programs, certification tracks, etc. There are too many holdovers in this business who are content to basically rest on their laurels and sit there waiting for the time to pass. Plus, the average age of the profession is practically antique vintage, so you know they're going to be retiring soon, me included. I don't see the great inrush of kids who intend to step into their shoes. There has to be a way to incentivise the next generation, but it will be hard to outpace the millenials - I think possibly by offering professional advancement, but these kids may learn enough to qualify them to move ON! All thinigs considered equal it will likely not be a pay issue. Continue to strongly explain how important the safety professional can be to the bottom line of companies."

"not sure money Starting pay should be commensurate with the tasks that are being asked of the employee. We are expected to be an EHS generalist. We are filling what would have been 3-4 positions 15-20 years ago.Some employers ask them to do Quality, HR or Security also. many of the current practitioners arrived at safety and health more or less accidentally -- which is perhaps suggestive that we should have greater involvement in developing curricula and programs for re-training of 2nd-career professionals. Entry level opportunities to work with a mentor prior to assignment to their permanent assignment. Show the importance and results of improved safety by those locations that do have the position."

"Stop using safety professionals for a scape goat when things go wrong. assist with obtaining safety industry certifications Job stability ."

"Make all levels of professional certification attainable by and affordable to professionals without college degrees."

"Promotion of the safety and health field beginning at the high-school level. Most "young" safety professionals I have talked to did not even know safety was an area of study until they either started looking at college or even at the point they started college."

"More colleges having safety courses, even in the various majors. Since safety is interactive in all business. Better certifications that include not just industrial safety practices, but system safety practices that can be applied across industries. Education and development programs. Use innovative techniques to communicate that safety matters to each and everyone of us. Talk about why it's one of the exciting and at the same challenging professional career that you could select. Need to do more to attract women. I was always one of very few women in my OSHA 501 classes, etc. It is a very male-centered profession."

"describe what we do better"

"$$$$"

"See above comments."

"engage high school students Make the industry appear more specialized and rewarding. Currently, there is a strong opinion of non-safety personnel that "anyone can do safety." As such, many non-qualified (not just educationally speaking) are put into the safety position, which gives the industry a "unique" reputation. That reputation is typically not specialized or rewarding and doesn't seem to attract the right attitudes/people."

"Honestly, not sure about this question."

"Work through educational institutions to attract candidates and promote the Safety Profession. More consistent starting pay and presentations on the importance of EHS at universities and colleges. It needs to be marketed as more of a cutting edge, fulfilling profession. It is as cool and rewarding as being a doctor or a veterinarian - safety professionals actually save lives!"

"That's a tough question. Seeing the new people coming through the doors these days makes me wonder if anyone really wants to work anymore. They don't stay when they find out they are expected to actually work for a paycheck. Safety isn't an easy profession and I'm sure there are rare gems out there who will step in with innovations, but to attract them - I don't have a clue. Sometimes it isn't a money thing. Cost effective training and certification options."

"Advertising Training showing the value of the profession and growth opportuities Mention to them the value of being able to help others work safe and go home to their families each night. Increase pay"

"Not sure."

"See the answer to question 18. The corporate culture would need to be amended, so that the value in a good, strong safety program communicates a positive corporate image to the staff as well as to the consumers that are being served."

"Show them how each day is different and there are something exciting to deal with all the time."

"Show the impact you hold as a safety person with the employees you protect through training and procedure implementation. Start educating students early on in H.S. or early in college so they can learn about these types of jobs. training / professional development Show a recognition. Make those people like they're part of the team and not the bad guy would help. Compensate them for their worth to the company."

"Communicating the different aspects and cultural differences involved based on what area you reside. Most people are not aware of this type of position prior to working in an industrial setting. Personally I had no idea this position existed prior to working in industry where it piqued my interest. Find a way to inform people of this career opportunity earlier in their development. Emphasize the variety the jobs entails such as technical knowledge, interpersonal relationships, creative (when funds are short), office work and field work Focus on recruiting construction trades"

"Multiple ways to get into the profession exist and those that know how to are afraid to tell others due to the fear of losing there job. I think most young people aren't aware that companies have safety professionals and that there is a regulatory agency ensure employers provide safe work environments. Need to get safety professionals at college job fairs. Safety isn't a position that is recruited at that level. Well at least it wasn't when I graduated. Start with high school career days to inform them of the opportunities. Not many colleges and universities offer safety curriculums so going after a degree is difficult. Recruit at the college level and / or train and assist with education of those people with an interest and the potential to succeed. Job opportunity and adequate salary are both big needs for the current generation who is coming out of college. Unknown at this time To see the talent and opportunities, the challenge and diversity of work."

"More PR about safety. I didn't even know this was a career path until after I received my Bachelor's in Construction Management and worked as a CM in the field for 3 years."

"More Safety programs at local universities. Explain the benefits of having a safety action plan and why it is important to ALL employees."

"Gotta see it as more than paperwork I believe that it has to start somewhere within the high schools. Employer demand. Clear, long term opportunity. Many high level positions are filled by people who are not safety professionals. Awareness"

"not sure"

"show the potential in career diversity and high need for safety professionals."

"Pay and benefits. Increase the pay and benefits. I think a way to attract new and more people to the professional safety industry is to show that its an industry that encourages new ideas and techniques. In my experience people like to be listened to. They like their ideas heard and a lot of the times I hear really great ideas. In a constantly evolving industry the need for creative thinking, well spoken professionals is imperative."

"Encourage more students to look at EHS as a career Share the satisfaction that comes from providing support and guidance to help facilitate a safe work culture to complete projects without incidents. Promotion on college campuses and in high schools Retribute according to the competences acquired. Provide more options to achieve certifications in Central America, there aren't many options to get proper qualitification. Continue to make compensation competitive with other professions More marketing, didn't even know it was a job until halfway through college. No idea, this is not a very "sexy" position Emphazise the role the position plays in helping others and the environment. It's not about compliance, it's about the people being helped. Out reach at the schools Bring people from industry into the safety field instead of only looking for people with a safety training degree"

"Stop labeling Safety professionals as "cops" and get rid of the mentality that Safety professionals are there only to enforce rules and regulations. Good Safety professionals need to understand the business as a whole before they can effectively navigate or administer a program. Clarity in the educational desires of the positions ( I have a physics degree and work in hazmat/hazwaste because I kept getting beat out by retired military nuke workers without a bachelors). Outreach to university programs that meet or have the potential to meet educational requirements. Most people don't know safety exists until they get hurt or fined. Job security, pay, and location. I think there is already a strong attraction to the field for many young professionals. It is a strong alternative to some of the public health and community health programs in schools. Also getting out the word on these programs in colleges is important. Aim efforts at college campuses and perhaps even high schools to educate people about the HSE profession."

"Provide stable employment, a career ladder, and provide professional development opportunities."

"Education"

"$$ for education/certification Non-traditional pathways - does not always have to be a Safety Engineer More advertising Different professional organization for non-safety engineers - renaming ASSE Advertise how dynamic the field is and that it is ever evolving. It is not a field that gets easily boring over time but is in constant flux which helps to keep it interesting. unsure An honest acknowledgement nationwide that safety is a higher priority than production. Don't make regulations enforceable until the technology and infrastructure are in place for employers to comply. Pay and work lifestyle"

"More universities having curriculums in Safety & Health. Make the occupation more appealing. Industry, individually & collectively, pursue safety & health excellence. Seek highly trained & skilled professionals to lead safety & health for their respective organizations. mentor and educate on the type of future is available upgrade image - get rid of the dolts currently in the profession"

"Advertise, particularly to colleges and college age candidates. Continue to explore safety and health theory and research. Present it as the sophisticated field that it can be. Success stories and advertisements. not require a four year degree We need a lot more education of high school graduates regarding the benefits of a safety degree or degrees in science that will allow college graduates to enter safety and health training programs. Job fairs, high school fairs. Show people what we can do."

"I have no good answer - wish I did. Continue to promote it as a degree program in the schools, add in internships for real world experience, and encourage certification. Knowledge for upper management. Emphasis on cost effectiveness of having a designated safety professional on staff. More related college degree programs availble Highlight the science, engineering, personal skills and teamwork used in the profession more. Better compensation pay"

"Educate kids before college of the opportunities. I never even thought or heard of jobs in this profession when I was in high school thinking about what college or major to pursue. Safety internships, rotations with safety for new employees, etc. Not sure Not sure. Better advertising with local colleges and job recruiting. A way to attract new people to the profession could be better marketing or awareness of such professions. Helping people to understand what the job entails and the diversity of the job. I believe people do not understand the different avenues those in the field can do. There is so much diversity among jobs and companies, but I do not think this is shared information. Provide a government that is interested in protecting workers. I do not encourage others to join the profession; it is a thankless job, there are no funds for safety and health projects, and no matter what, managers believe safety is an overhead expense rather than an investment."

"Industrial training programs that identifies different scopes of work that may fit the persons personality. The employers need to offer them the opportunity to advance their careers and also have some kind of incentive plan regarding how long it will take to get to the different levels of experience for pay advancements."

"What attracted me to the HSE community is the continuous learning opportunities, being able to reach out and shadow the front line employees to interpret individuals' safety approaches. Another great aspect of a safety profession is being able to bring your own twist to the program. There is such a wide variety of HSE that relates to business management, legal, community outreach and employee outreach. Also making it easier for those to obtain certifications or jobs, not many colleges have an Occupational Safety Program so being able to get a good paying job in the safety field with my construction management degree is hard and often times discouraging."

"Having a professional development process is a great help. People coming out of the trades have a certain bias and need to be brought up to speed on safety theory. People coming out of a safety education program need to be taught maintenance and operations."

"I would focus on people that might have had life altering accidents. I got into safety by "accident" and becoming left-handed at age 34 changed my perspective and appreciation for life! No ideas I think continuing to promote the profession as an equal to top level management positions is critical. If there were promotional opportunities and better pay and benefits. We, as safety professionals, need to sell our programs through groups like ASSE. We MUST get involved. college and certificate programs, advancement training with the company. Federal govt Unsure. Not 100% sure that is needed. I've been noticing more and more people coming straight out of college with safety degrees. Stop promoting employees that were hurt on the job into safety roles, and allow current employees to be educated/train to become safety leaders, or offer incentives to those professional you want to attract. Change attitudes about safety so they are more positive. More college curriculum in EHS Hold job fairs and interaction with current safety professionals along with making people aware of the opportunities that are available."

"I do not know."

"Provide a stable position. The fact that in many cases Safety is one of the first things to be cut when finances get tight does not help attract new people into the profession. Also, safety really needs to get away from the "nerdy" reputation. It is not about that. It is about caring for others and wanting everyone to go home safe at the end of the day. Good question, in my years of working in safety I have grown tired of being the "bad guy", the one who says you cannot do this. It is for this reason I have added other responsibilities within the organizations I have worked for to become more of a team player."

"Overall support from management and financial package Show that it is not a dead-end type of job or profession. Ensure that the range of S&H specialties are identified and communicated adequately. Show the links between S&H management and other aspects of business (financial, operational, etc.). $ Safety professionals should always be looking inside their organizations for strong supervisors that understand HSE - they then can nurture them for future positions. Construction HSE is difficult and requires knowledge of the construction process. Hence why good Safety Professionals in this industry do their best to hire from within the industry. More financial support for college. More scholarships offered Discussing and demonstrating how broad safety is; this profession isn't just OSHA regulations and telling people no. Safety is a life style-- it's literally ensuring people stay ALIVE and healthy at work and ensuring they go home no worse for wear than when they arrived. Not sure."

"Promote the wide range of areas where safety professionals are needed. Education, recruiment Continue to promote safety and the value it brings to the quality of life for people and their families. Its a great career with competitive salaries, and room for growth in most places. Also, diversity is a huge factor. There is so many different industries within safety that you can try if you do not like one. I have personally worked in Insurance (loss control), health care and the electrical utility industry. better pay, better hours Believe there is plenty of personnel attracted to the profession, they just have a hard time getting hired in, especially new ones that have education but no experience"

"Long term employment contracts information on this profession is lacking making safety a true business priority will make safety professionals more like to become business leaders."

"Need to focus more on how safety professionals help their employers and communities solve problems rather than the "safety cop" that makes them take training and remind them to put on their safety glasses. Pay and opportunities for advancement"

"better incentives; more paid time off and quarterly bonuses You have to find people that care about others. This profession is about making a difference. If you do your job well and get the support you need from management you can ensure that people go home safely to their families everyday. Marketing by the universities, and certification boards,that offer Safety programs and credentials. NA Emphasize the technical nature of EHS work. Less politics in EHS. Pay scale going up."

"Better marketing Haven't given it thought"

"Holding employees accountable not the safety staff"

"incentives, support Demonstration that safety professionals are valued and respected as opposed to being scapegoats and "bad guys" making work more difficult. Unfortunately, these positions are borne out of injury or insurance demands. Attracting people to be in a position where they are not likely to be welcome or 'liked' is a difficult proposition. Promote the opportunities and positive aspects of working in safety."

"Eliminate some of the paper trails that are required to please the government"

"Take safety education to the grade school room and advance the school education into a trade school class at the senior level. Most positions are filled with Human Resource professionals. Increase awareness of profession at the college and high school levels."

"Provide paid training to stay current in the job focus Promotions by EH&S Organizations For internal people have management demonstrate commitment and value for safety efforts on sites. For external candidates, promote to high schools and colleges the benefits and satisfaction of being a safety professional"

"Internship programs for people new to the industry. It's hard to break into the profession with no experience. Offer training that shows them it is not impossible to learn what is necessary. Show the many resources offered."

"In my opinion it's more of a "calling" than anything. This isn't a profession that you leave at the door at quitting time. It is one the follows you on your days off, vacation, and after hours. Educating the public about this job."

"More needs to be published about they safety profession especially in high schools, trade and technical colleges. Safety professionals need to actively participate in Job Fairs and Career Fairs. Outline career paths showing the pathway as a H&S professional, including the transition to other facets within businesses safety professionals fulfill/move onto. I don't know. Share the passion. Passionless safety & health professionals are about as worthwhile and interesting as passionless professional athletes. let them operate in their field and not make them do everything else that needs to be done There are few programs, relative to other industries, where a student can get a well rounded degree in Safety. Offering educational incentives."

"Better connections between present industry professionals and prospective students. start in college Q18 is a starter. Provide a succession plan for each safety professional and be willing to stick to safety even in tough economic times."

"Strong safety cultures within companies may plant a seed of interest in individuals that can be fed and cultivated by involving employees in safety at all levels of the organization. Don't underestimate the value of asking associates to participate in safety activities that may be the impetus to drive interest. I think health and safety as a function must be treated with as much respect and importance as any other function (ie production, quality, etc.)...folks are looking for incentives like flex schedules, bonuses as a draw...reputation of the company super important as well Advertise Safety as part of the STEM programs going on in high schools and colleges. There are many aspects of being a safety professional that can easily relate to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Industrial hygiene is a key area that is growing. Also, many engineering firms (such as the one I work for) employ safety professionals to incorporate "safety by design". Show benefits and rewards for applying safety policies and procedures to a company"

"I think that having internships or apprentices is very important to the new people that are getting into the workforce. They need to experience the passion of the safety and health environment."

"Stronger value placed on the contributions safety professionals provide for the company and its impact on the core value. you have to demonstrate the importance of safety and how it affects an organization. Safety is an important function to the organization and it is an enjoyable career path. More advertising on the college level for young people to have this option as a career Ensure there is a more strategic view of safety. The tactical view makes people feel like it's the same thing every day."

"Integrated HR plans to encourage EHS role recognition, development and pay equal to other functional roles (quality, ops, etc.). Company's need to offer more training and offer staff support to attract more people especially if looking within the company to fill positions. Trade schools should offer a path to the profession also, not just an OSHA 10/30 course. Emphasize the importance of safety as a career within the company. Reach out to high school career development opportunities. Provide educational opportunities like college tuition scholarship's and grants. Use media to make the safety field more of a real career choice. There are plenty of positions to be filled in the EH&S field, there are only a few schools (Colleges) that offer Occupational Health and Safety degree's. The one's that do, do not offer real life scenarios in construction or general industry. There is only one college I know of that offers a Construction Safety Degree with a construction boot camp which gives the student a real life education and prepares them for the real world. This college is located in Keene New Hampshire - Keene State college. worth looking in to!"

"Double edged sword. Many are being attracted currently, yet the certifications through organizations such as BCSP are easily obtained with minimal experience. I believe that in order for one to gain the CSP or CHST certifications, they should be required to have 10 years verifiable work experience. This will help foster a partnership with the industry. There are too many 20 something year olds who have a professional certification that owners and insurance companies are mandating to construction companies, that have little experience. This leads to failure for the individual and a reduced perception of the safety profession in the industry."

"People in the construction industry must be willing to look for lateral moves from a craft or trade into safety. Perhaps a 'site' or 'job' function outside regular employment tasks. This allows on the job experience and training, preparing for a full-time transition. Do not know."

"not sure Young people are interested but in the instant gratification world we now live in it is not easy to keep them from leaving the field as opportunities come. We do not tell EH&S Professionals THANK YOU ENOUGH, sometimes that would be the one thing that keeps a young professional in the field. Co-ops Display and advertise the importance of Safety and sell the results of a good program Not sure"

"no input Mor LESS expensive Training Safety professionals are like Code Officials and Code enforcement officers, they are seen as costing companies more money. I think regulation needs to made to ensure the job security of these safety professionals. They should be federally protected with large fines for trying to influence their decisions. Show safety professionals in a positive light instead of watch dog type. People need to view safety as something they should just want to do for own well being and not be forced into. Safety professional shouldn't be the bad guy. Don't know. Promote the associate, bachelor and masters degrees in OH&S. Provide upward mobility and fair pay (comparable to the responsibility of the position)."

"Increase awareness of the profession. Use social media inform people of the many benefits to working in the safety profession. Tell real life stories to help illustrate the role that safety professionals have in various industries and their experiences that they have been associated with."

"Need for universities that offer a degree in occupational health and safety management. Undergraduates need support and information from the universities about possible careers in the field of health and safety. They outlook for the safety professional is amazing both from a professional standpoint and income. I believe if undergraduates were aware of the possibilities that more students would choose the safety profession. The colleges need to promote their degrees in safety Communications More accredited schools with programs and ways and more ways to certify people that been in the field for a while that don't have the post high school education but came up through the ranks. I honestly can't say. MORE WOMEN Establish better school curricula for safety engineering and industrial hygiene programs."

"Unknown"

"To attract new people to the profession, universities and colleges have to provide safety and health degree programs. Companies also need to start hiring from within or give someone external to the company a chance regardless of their experience or education. Leadership I believe the profession takes unique personalities and an overall general care for people and the workplace. People who do not share a general concern for life do not fit in with the safety professionals. It also takes talent to recognize these traits in employees. attractive pay and benefits No idea Increase education and awareness show trending upcoming income potential and job satisfaction based upon incident/injury reduction Betteriv level support Unsure Few universities have compliance track offerings. They teach sustainability concepts, but really don't go into the OSHA/EPA/DOT training track. We usually have to train the new hires from ground zero on the compliance issues. More advertisement at colleges."

"Get leadership to reverse the stigma around "the safety guy." Change the perspective to one of intermingled with operations versus running parallel to operations."

"Show how HSE can work with operations to improve overall morale and efficiency"

"Increase regulations. Increased OSHA presence. Increase the salaries 1. Market how transferrable the field of EHS is. You can work anywhere and for almost any industry. 2. Market...if you like a technical field and working with people to solve problems and prevent injuries and environmental damage 3. It is rewarding if you know you are protecting people and the environment Hands on training and interactions with young people considering getting into the field. Offer better compensation and perks such as flexibility and vacation time. Have more jobs available. Unfortunately Oil Price is a big factor. Job fairs Outreach education"

"Tell people what a safety manager does. Promote the positions. Keep it a scientific degree and less management skills. That part can come later."

"More marketing as a very important job. "You are saving lives, every day...you just don't know who." A lot of people equate OSHA with safety. Compliance is a smaller part of the job. Motivating employees to stay safe and changing the safety culture is an art. OSHA compliance is easy compared to that. Improve pay"

"This question I'm not too sure of the answer. An obvious option would be easily accessible on the job training and qualifying. As with some other industries, folks are either cut out for it or their not so much. Those that are, being able to get training without costing a big chunk, is an attractive aspect."

"More safety oriented college courses Certified courses in the university Mentoring"

"Not sure. Companies need to take off the wool on employers eyes about the real truth of their company safety track."

"have more companies offer internships"

"Competitive pay, bonus structure commensurate with engineering professions. Higher quality training. These aspects should be marketed in a professional campaign to recruit student talent. Safety is still treated as a position with little to no respect when non-professionals are assigned as "Safety Managers" in organizations. Needs to be viewed as important to overall business strategy."

"Current safety professionals need to visit high schools to speak about the profession. Promote from within. Let them see the job. That way they can be trained to supervise their last job."

"Show people what kind of opportunities a career in safety provides. share with them the benefits of a healthy successful life. show them long term concerns that will be of benefit to them. Better compensation Small and big companies identify the need for someone to steer the ship in the right directions with the support of employees and employers. Compensation for the people who try to accomplish this task. It can feel like a lonely position at times with very little thanks."