One of the most important vocations in the world is health and safety.

There is an endless list of companies and establishments that effectively could not run without someone on hand to ensure the safe running of the building and the practices taking place within it.

Whilst not one of the most glamorous jobs available, health and safety attracts many potential workers as they will know there will always be a need in their sector and industry for people to fill jobs. Those that are interested, but have no real direction of where to look and what they need as credentials, will need to know the specific skills and the right background required, just like any other job.

Qualifications
As for most industries, the required qualification will depend heavily on which direction you wish to head into. For example, someone on the hunt to find nuclear safety jobs with Careers in Nuclear will need different credentials to someone looking to get into retail health and safety.

Initially, you would want to start with a short introductory course; if in the UK, you would look to the ROSPA and try to get a BTEC of some sort or for something a bit more experienced, a NEBOSH safety at work qualification. The latter will take around two weeks’ worth of full-time studying and in the long-term is essential, as is the further qualification of the harder diploma.

If you need to have knowledge in the industry you’re heading into, as you often do, then make sure to work up your knowledge base as employers will need you to know more than just health and safety. Your interviewer will be looking to make sure that have the personal skills and attributes that fit in with the company and the role you’re interested in.

Training courses
If you manage to get an entry-level job in health and safety, do your best to ask your employer to increase your skill-base with the odd training course. As with any training course, ensure that it is located somewhere you can easily get to and is a place that you will be able to relax so that you can concentrate purely on the course. Make sure that tutors have recognised accreditations and that the course itself has a positive track record, as well as a focus on training and doesn’t deviate from what you hope to achieve.

To be in health safety is to be in a very responsible and important role. It is also one that is very strategic; companies will turn to you if in a senior position to ensure the safe running of their practice and in some cases, your decisions will affect the direct safe working of employees in risky working conditions.

About the author: Sam writes for Careers in Nuclear where you can search for nuclear safety jobs, power station jobs and engineering jobs.

This is a guest post for TheEmployable