by Brianna Crandall — November 12, 2010—The occupational safety, health and environmental (SH&E) profession is growing, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). Not only did November Money magazine’s feature “The 50 Best Jobs in America” list the “environmental, health and safety specialist” job as number 22, the “environmental engineer” job as number five, and, the “risk-management manager” job as number 14; but according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of SH&E practitioners is expected to increase nine percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
Additionally, the University of California San Diego Extension listed the SH&E profession among a “dozen hot careers for college graduates.” The 99-year-old ASSE, with more than 32,000 SH&E professional members located worldwide, has also seen a growth in membership and participation.
Safety professionals work in all industries around the world, says ASSE. They prevent harm to people, property and the environment by applying principles from engineering, education, psychology, physiology, enforcement, hygiene, health, physics and management. For instance, they work in media companies, universities, entertainment companies, food and pharmaceutical companies, oil and gas, automotive, railroad, construction, manufacturing and many more industries.
ASSE members note that investing in safety pays and contributes positively to a company’s bottom line. Businesses spend about $170 billion a year on costs associated with workplace injuries and illnesses and pay almost $1 billion every week to injured employees and their medical providers. In addition, a recent investment firm study in Australia of businesses showed valuation links between workplace safety and health factors and investment performance.
For ASSE occupational safety, health and environmental resources, visit the ASSE Web site.
