Health and safety engineers combine knowledge of engineering and of health and safety to develop procedures and design systems that protect people from illness and injury and property from damage.

They typically work in offices but may also spend time at worksites. Their responsibilities include conducting inspections; studying loss-incidence data and injury reports; reviewing blueprints, manuals, and procedures; collecting samples from the field for laboratory testing; recording findings; preparing presentations for employer review and approval; and setting up safety training programs for supervisors, staff, and workers.

Health and safety engineers are employed in a variety of industries—for example, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, insurance firms, and government agencies, such as the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission. They work primarily in offices or laboratories and design, inspect, or plan ways to protect people from illness, injury, or property damage at worksites.”

Health and safety engineers develop procedures to protect people from illness and injury caused by problems in the design, manufacture, and operation of machinery, cars, buildings, and other products. They also help to ensure that certain chemicals and other processes cause minimal harm to the environment. Implementing their recommendations sometimes involves changes in workplace practices. Health and safety engineers typically work for consulting firms that provide engineering services for a wide range of industries. They may also work for government agencies, research laboratories, or others directly involved with health and safety issues.