Workplace health and safety is a critical issue for businesses. Without proper health and safety practices, companies may receive OSHA citations and face increased workers’ compensation claims. This makes it essential to hire knowledgeable professionals with safety certifications.
A career in health and safety can be rewarding for various reasons, including that you gain the ability to protect workers and improve business operations. In this guide, we’ll explore how safety certifications benefit safety professionals and why you should get a safety certification.
1. Health and Safety Professionals Are In Demand
As regulations tighten globally and locally, the demand for health and safety professionals has greatly increased by 58% in the first half of 2022. With the government highly determined to reduce the number of workers injured on the job each year and companies wanting to reduce the costs that arise from occupational injuries, qualified safety professionals have become a critical position to fill.
Two certifications that can make you a high-demand qualified candidate include those you obtain for a Certified Safety Director (CSD) and a Master Safety Professional (MSP). By sitting for the CSD and MSP exams, you can gain certifications that indicate your credibility and professional knowledge.
2. Competitive Salaries
You can earn an impressive salary depending on your location, particular role, and years of experience. According to the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), the median base salary for occupational health and safety professionals is $98,000 per year. In their study, they found that professionals with a minimum of one safety certification earned around $20,000 more than those without.
3. Improve the Company’s Reputation
Another benefit of safety certifications is that you will play a significant role in maintaining and improving the company’s health and safety record. This can help it gain stronger recognition and more popularity within the industry. Companies with a good record of health and safety are more likely to receive higher-profile projects, making it essential for these companies to hire health and safety professionals with safety certifications to achieve further success.
4. Exciting Career Prospects
One of the best safety certification benefits is the employment opportunities associated with careers in this field. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are around 17,200 job openings for occupational health and safety professionals each year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this number to grow by 13% from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than the average growth for all occupations. There is a high demand for qualified full-time professionals with safety certifications that qualify them to assist in various general industry businesses such as:
- Food production and manufacturing
- Textiles
- Industrial manufacturing
- Chemical industry
5. Enhanced Job Satisfaction
One of the biggest benefits of safety certifications if you enjoy helping people is that it’s an important role. You ensure the safety of everyone in the workplace by evaluating health and safety hazards and developing strategies to reduce risks. This lets you make a huge difference in the workplace by reducing the number of injuries and fatalities, and you improve the job satisfaction for other employees in the company.
Obtain a Safety Certification with the National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP)
Companies will always need to ensure the health and safety of employees, making it essential for them to hire a qualified individual with a safety certification. Now that you understand why you should obtain a safety certification, your next step should be to find the correct professionals to help you attain one.
We recommend working with NASP to obtain your CSD or MSP safety certifications. CSD Certifications qualify you to create safety strategies based on technical knowledge and workplace evaluation, while an MSP safety certification qualifies you to develop and implement a health and safety program for the workplace. We encourage you to contact the experts at NASP today to obtain your ideal safety certification for a practical approach to workplace safety.
