5 Reasons to Choose a Career in Occupational Health and Safety

When many people think of health and safety in the workplace, they might envision workplace hazards like slips and falls. However, as the industry has evolved, there are new threats to workers’ health and safety emerging, especially in a post-pandemic world. From artificial intelligence to robotics and drones to workplace harassment – these are among the challenges that can threaten workers’ health and safety while on the job.

For example, with the shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, the feelings of loneliness and isolation from not going into the office were mentally taxing for people who were used to going to work every day and interacting with others. As remote and hybrid work is now the norm post-pandemic, the risk of loneliness and isolation might have lessened but there are now new challenges. Because work can be done at home, many people often extend their work day well beyond the norm, driven by the pressure to get tasks completed by a deadline, resulting in anxiety and burnout.

These new threats are, in part, driving the need for occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals in the workplace. According to the Government of Canada Job Bank, current and future job opportunities in Ontario for health and safety officers are forecasted as “good” for the 2023-2025 period.

If you’re passionate about any of the issues above and want to make a difference in your workplace, then a career in OHS might be the right fit for you.

We spoke with the Academic Coordinator for The Chang School’s Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, Chun-Yip Hon, as well as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP), Larry Masotti. Below are five reasons why you might consider a career in OHS. While these reasons are not ranked in any particular order and you may be stronger in one area than another, combined they paint a picture of what it’s like to work in OHS and the traits and skill sets that make someone a good fit.

You Have an Interest in Helping Other People

If you feel that your employer genuinely cares about you, then you’re more likely to develop stronger loyalty to the organization. OHS professionals can make that a reality for workers – and it can also be rewarding for them in return.

“The ability to help others is certainly a rewarding aspect of the job,” says Chun.

OHS plays a key role in creating a positive, safe work environment, which goes a long way toward recruiting and retaining the best people.

“If you show me you care, I’ll give you everything I can because I like it’s being reciprocated,” says Larry. “[Organizations] want to recruit and retain the best people. How do you do that? Show [employees] you care about them.”

Larry gives an example scenario: If you’re in a management role in the organization and in three days you know that one of your team member’s mother-in-law is moving into a long-term care facility by choice, it’s a happy but stressful time for that team member – the employee probably isn’t fully focused on work as they might be worried about their partner and how they’re coping. In this situation, they might be more likely to have an incident whether that’s in the workplace or driving their car going to or from work.

Larry says the supervisor could express empathy and show care for their team member by saying something like, “I know next week your mother-in-law is moving. I just wanted to let you know that I’m thinking about you.” He adds that this simple gesture gives the employee reassurance that their supervisor and, by extension, their company understands what they’re going through.

You Like Applying Theoretical Knowledge to the Real World

Working in OHS requires theoretical knowledge in a variety of subject areas, including chemistry and toxicology, mathematics, and law, says Chun. Chemistry and toxicology can be applied to hazardous materials in the workplace, while mathematics is used for calculating a risk assessment, and law helps with creating policies and making sure they adhere to provincial health and safety laws and are being enforced as such.

Chun explains how learners in the Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety can take what they’ve learned and apply it to real-life workplace scenarios.

“An individual who is pursuing a career in occupational health and safety would try to identify the type of hazard the risk is associated with and then develop ways to control that risk so that it’s no longer considered a problem in the workplace.

“They would improve the health and wellbeing of workers in that particular facility.”

You Crave Variety in Your Work

Another benefit of a career in OHS is that no two days are the same.

“One day you might be doing training sessions to share knowledge regarding a health and safety topic and the next day you might be doing a workplace inspection,” says Chun. “There’s a variety of different tasks that OHS professionals are responsible for.”

Chun adds that with OHS, you can also work in many different industries, from healthcare to manufacturing, as he’s done in his over 25 years of work experience.

“I’ve never regretted a single day that I’ve been doing it and I still enjoy it even though I’ve been doing it for so long,” he says. “There’s so many things you see and learn and there’s a variety of different things you get to do as well.”

You Are a Multi-Tasker and a Project Manager All in One

As a career in OHS differs from day-to-day, the ability to multitask is crucial. “Sometimes you’re working on a policy but then something urgent comes up and now you have to do an accident investigation right away,” says Chun. “You have to put aside the policy you were working on and start the investigation because that’s a higher priority.”

Chun adds that the policy also likely has a deadline that it needs to be revised by so being able to manage your time so you can fit in unexpected events like a workplace accident with deadlines requires project management skills.

You Have Excellent Communication Skills

We’ve covered some of the more technical skills required for a career in OHS but there are also “soft skills” that are crucial to possess.

“If you’re a person that’s very strong with your interpersonal skills, those will come in handy because you are dealing with people,” says Larry.

Chun adds that communication skills are necessary for translating very technical terms and language into simple, everyday language that people can understand.

“As with other specialty areas, with OHS there are a lot of acronyms and technical terms that are used amongst people with that background. But other individuals in the organization might not be familiar with that terminology,” says Chun.

“It’s important for an OHS professional to be able to communicate technical terms in layman's terms, which is especially important when you’re dealing with someone’s health and wellbeing.”

These are just some of the main reasons why you might find a career in OHS appealing. If you’re already an OHS professional looking to obtain your certification or get into a management role, we have pathways to help you achieve your goal.

Learn more about the Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety
Learn more about the Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety Leadership