Industry Profile -- by Jennifer Bysterveld

In 1998, 126,400 Albertans were injured on the job. Of these, 37,600 injuries were serious enough to keep workers off the job beyond the day they were injured, and 105 were fatalities. Of all these injured Albertan workers, 6,858 (approximately 18%) were under the age of 25. In comparison to other Canadian provinces, these statistics are low.

The issue of safety is necessary in all aspects of our lives. The safety industry includes all those working to prevent or minimize injury and as such, this industry is rather vast. For the purposes of this profile, we will concern ourselves with those workers involved in providing and promoting occupational safety - the prevention of injury on the job.

The occupational safety industry is paying special attention to youth on the job. And they have good reason. Workers under the age of 25, are more at risk than any other group. Of the 13,000 new workers injured last year, one-third were under 25 years of age. Informing youth of occupational risks early on is the best prevention. Armed with this reality, the Worker's Compensation Board and Alberta Construction Safety Association launched a four month, $250,000 awareness campaign which wrapped up in June. The Heads-Up campaign promoted direct messages about the risks to new, young workers and took the form of radio, magazine and poster advertisements. WCB also awarded a grant of $120,000 to the Job Safety Skills Society for their Job Safety Skills for Young Workers Program. This is a three credit option for students in Grades 7-12. The modules look at personal safety, workplace safety practices and safety management systems.

In terms of employment, the occupational safety industry offers a promising future. It is reported that a majority of those currently working in this field are nearing the age of retirement. As the current workforce matures, opportunity is arising for a new, younger set of employees. The increasing importance employers are placing on health and safety in the workplace is another important contributor to the favourable employment outlook of this industry. The financial savings that can result from increased attention to loss prevention and risk management are reason enough for many employers to address safety issues with greater intensity. This may often take the form of creating new, in-house safety related positions, or adopting increased on-the-job safety training.

Listed below are a few of the most prominent careers in this industry:

Visit places of employment to detect unsafe or unhealthy working conditions and ensure compliance with the laws and regulations governing workplace safety.

• No standard education requirement, but generally one of:
• related college or technical diploma
• University degree with technical/science orientation
• journeyman certificate

British Columbia Institute of Technology offers a 2 year diploma Occupational Health and Safety

Ryerson Polytechnic University offers a 4 year Environmental Health degree specializing in Occupational Health and Safety

• Salary: $42,000 - $52,000/year

Occupational Health and Safety Coordinator

Inspect workplace, evaluate hazards, administer health and safety program and accident investigation; this position is often in-house for large companies.

• Bachelor of Science in Math, Physics or Chemistry; production-line experience is an asset

Safety Codes Officer

Inspect the construction and maintenance of structures to ensure compliance with relevant codes, standards and regulations.

• There are nine disciplines of Safety Codes Officers including: Building, Electrical, Fire, Gas Plumbing, Amusement Rides, Elevators, Passenger Ropeways and Boiler and Safety Vessels
• Each area has its own set of requirements for certification. Contact Alberta Safety Codes Council (http://www.safetycodes.ab.ca/) for more information on the specific requirements for each discipline.

Safety Officer

Facilitate the development, implementation and maintenance of workplace safety programs

• See Occupational Health and Safety Inspector
• Salary: $30,000 - $50,000/year

Vehicle Safety Inspector

Examine automobiles and trucks to ensure that they comply with government and industry regulations.

Must have:

• Interprovincial journeyman certification in automotive mechanics and heavy duty mechanics
• 5 years work experience as an automotive shop foreman
• Valid driver's license and be eligible for Special Constable status
• Salary: $39,000 - $48,000/year

There are many of useful sites related to this industry. Here are the best of the best:

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (http://www.ccohs.ca/)

Canada's National Occupational Safety and Health Website (http://www.canoshweb.org/)

Alberta Safety Council (http://www.safetycouncil.ab.ca/)

Alberta Construction Safety Association (http://www.acsa-safety.org/)

Alberta Trucking Industry Safety Association (http://www.albertatrucking.com)