What does a Safety Manager do?
A safety manager works to prevent workplace accidents and promotes health and safety awareness and education to fellow employees. They are responsible for making sure that employees follow health and safety laws and creating policies for a safer work environment. They must take measures to identify potential workplace hazards and improve existing conditions.
You must have at least a bachelor's degree in Safety Management or a related field to work as a safety manager. Risk management and health and safety management certification are often required. You must be knowledgeable of company, state and federal workplace health and safety laws. You must also be able to assess potential hazards and act safely and quickly in the event of an incident.
- Create and implement workplace health and safety plans and procedures
- Evaluate health and safety practice and procedures for risk assessment and following legal guidelines
- Conduct accident prevention training and health and safety training
- Inspect equipment for unsafe workplace conditions
- Monitor employee conformity to safety laws and policies
- Investigate accidents and incidents to find cause and take prevention measures for further incidents
- Handle worker's compensation claims in the event of a workplace accident
- Suggest solutions, improvements and prevention steps for safety issues
- Certified in risk management and health/safety management
- Thorough knowledge of health and safety laws and guidelines
- Extensive attention to detail to distinguish safety hazards
- Ability to provide detailed reports and develop safety procedures
- Good understanding of data analysis and risk assessment
- Good organizational, leadership and motivational skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to recognize when safety conditions need improvement
- Ability to prioritize tasks especially when handling an accident or incident
Safety Manager Salaries
Average Base Pay
Safety Manager Career Path
Learn how to become a Safety Manager, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Safety Manager Insights
Rue Insurance“This is one of the best companies I have worked for and I am excited to what the future holds!”
Biogen“Biogen did a great job changing my internship to online and I had the best co”
Apexon“I was waiting for an opportunity to enter into the field which will help me build my career and professional.”
US Energy Development Corporation“Many opportunities to take on new challenges/topics and development of breadth and depth in career experience.”
United Safety“Long hours if you're not able to stand for 12 hours this is not for you”
CPB Contractors“No opportunity for pay rises despite working well above the job that was discussed in the interviews.”
Turner Construction“Work life balance is not a thing on large scale projects I have been a part of.”
ICON“It provides a good learning platform for those who want to venture into drug safety career.”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of safety managers
The typical day of a safety manager includes developing, assessing, and maintaining policies and procedures that help reduce risk and keep employees safe from harm in the workplace. Safety managers provide training and guidance for workers and ensure that the workplace is in compliance with OSHA regulations.
Safety management is a good career for individuals who are meticulous, detail-oriented, and thoughtful. One advantage of being a safety manager is that this job has a direct impact on others. Safety managers play an integral role in protecting workers from potential hazards and safeguarding the health and safety of those they work with.
The average salary for safety managers is $7,000. This increases with experience and seniority. Safety managers may make more when they're overseeing a larger crew or a particularly hazardous type of worksite. You may also command a higher salary with a lengthy track record of maintaining a low number of injuries and incidents.
Working as a safety manager requires constant vigilance. One of the challenges of being a safety manager is maintaining a sharp eye even through repetitive tasks such as conducting workplace inspections. Though very demanding, this job has notable rewards in the form of reduced accidents and injuries among workers.