Choosing a Career
in
Occupational Safety and
Health
Brought to you by:
American Society of Safety Engineers
Protecting people, property and the environment since 1911.
How Did the
Occupational Safety and
Health Profession
Begin?
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire
Saturday, March 25, 1911
The Triangle Shirtwaist Fire

On March 25, 1911, a fire broke out at the Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory on the 8th, 9th and 10th floors of the Asch
Building in New York City.

146 women and men who worked sewing ladies’ blouses
were killed because of unsafe working conditions, broken
fire escapes and locked exit doors that prevented workers
from escaping.
The American Society of Safety Engineers

In October of 1911, the American Society of Safety
Engineers (ASSE) was founded to address
occupational safety and health issues, while
protecting people, property and the environment.

People began focusing on the safety of workers and
businesses began to recognize the need for
professionals who could help identify hazards and
develop solutions to keep workers safe.

ASSE and its more than 32,000 members around
the world still work to this day to make sure that
millions of workers go to work and return home
injury and illness free each day.
What is the Occupational Safety and
Health Profession?

Safety, health and environmental
(SH&E) professionals prevent
harm to people, property and the
environment by applying
principles from engineering,
education, psychology,
physiology, enforcement,
hygiene, health, physics and
management.

SH&E professionals use
appropriate methods and
techniques of loss prevention and
control and work in all industries
worldwide.
What is Safety Science?

Safety science is the term used for everything that
goes into the prevention of accidents, illnesses, fires,
explosions and other events that harm people,
property and the environment.
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Areas of safety science include:
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Chemistry and Biology
Physics
Ergonomics
Environmental Sciences
Psychology
Physiology, biomechanics and medicine
Engineering, business management, economics, sociology
and geology
What do SH&E Professionals Do?

SH&E professionals have many roles and responsibilities
and do at least several of the following:
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Hazard recognition
Inspections/Audits
Fire protection
Regulatory compliance
Health hazard control
Ergonomics
Hazardous materials
management
Environmental protection
Workers’ compensation
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Training
Accident and incident
investigations
Advising management
Record keeping and
evaluating
Emergency response
Managing safety programs
Product safety
Security
Planning, engineering out risk
Where do Occupational Safety and
Health Professionals Work?

SH&E professionals work in a wide range of sectors,
including manufacturing, transportation, mining,
government, schools and hospitals.

Examples of companies that employ SH&E professionals
include Disney, NASA, Hasbro, Sara Lee, Kraft, GM, CNA,
AON, Madison Square Garden, GE, Chevron, Nike, CBS,
Toyota and many other companies.
Industries Where SH&E
Professionals Work

Based on a 2008 study by
the Board of Certified Safety
Professionals (BCSP), SH&E
professionals work in the
following industries:
◦ 38.3% in manufacturing
◦ 18.8% in Insurance and
Finance
◦ 10% in Professional, Scientific
and Technological Services
◦ 8.8% in Public Administration
and Government
◦ 8.4% in Construction
◦ 5.2% in Mining
◦ 5.1% in Utilities
Choosing Occupational Safety and
Health as a Career

Choosing occupational safety and health as a career path
can be very rewarding. The field is expected to grow by
9% in the next ten years.

Salaries range from approximately $30,000 to
$150,000+ for highly qualified individuals.

The personal rewards from knowing that you help people
return safely home each day, injury and illness-free will
be a wonderful testament to the importance of your job!
How You Can Get Involved

While you’re still in school, there are many things you can do to prepare yourself
for a career in occupational safety and health.

You Can:
◦ Learn about ASSE Chapters and Student Sections in your area, attend meetings
and talk to SH&E professionals about their careers.
◦ Order copies of the free ASSE “Your Guide to a Career in the Occupational
Safety, Health & Environmental Profession” brochure by contacting
customerservice@asse.org or downloading it from the
www.asse.org/newsroom/ site under press kit.
◦ As you learn about incidents and disasters in the news, think critically about
how these could have been prevented.
◦ Do a science project on worker safety and health, traffic safety, fire prevention,
etc.
◦ Check out ASSE’s NexSteps career resources at www.nexsteps.org to view
SH&E job openings and learn about what positions are available in the field.
Choosing a College Program

If you decide the occupational safety and health profession is for
you, the next step is to choose a college program.

Consider SH&E degree programs from accredited colleges and
universities.

For more information on higher education accreditation of school
that have SH&E programs, you can visit:
◦ ASSE’s listing of colleges that offer degrees in safety and related
programs at www.asse.org
◦ The Council for Higher Education Accreditation at www.chea.org
◦ The U.S. Department of Education at www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation
◦ The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) at
www.abet.org.
The American Society of Safety Engineers

Founded in 1911, ASSE is the oldest professional safety
society with more than 32,000 occupational safety, health
and environmental professional members worldwide. For
more information and a copy of our free “Guide to a Career
in the Occupational Safety and Health Profession,” please
visit www.asse.org/newsroom for an electronic version or
contact ASSE Customer Service at
customerservice@asse.org.

ASSE is celebrating it’s 100th Anniversary as a Society in
2011. Please visit www.asse.org for more information about
upcoming events and ways you can get involved!
LS PR 9/2010