by Carl Bunton 3 years ago 
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), also known as Work Health and Safety (WHS), is a specialised field that involves the management of health and safety risks at workplaces. OHS consultants coordinate and implement health and safety protocols and systems all sorts of organisations from offices to manufacturing facilities.
These consultants assess and identify risks while putting in place the required safety controls. They offer advice related to occupational health and accident prevention to employees and management – such as to check out these lift trucks and reduce risks of back injuries when transporting goods. OHS consultants can also highlight health and safety law compliance issues and ways for management to resolve them.
With further training and relevant experience, OHS consultants can also become auditors who carry out inspection of the level of compliance with OHS standards at the workplace.
If you are looking to pursue a career in this field, it is important to know how long it takes to obtain the qualification necessary to become an OHS consultant.
Qualifications required to become an OHS consultant in the USA
The right academic foundation can go a long way in helping you become an OHS consultant of repute. The process starts with you getting a Bachelor’s degree (typically BS) in one of the following courses:
- Occupational health & safety
- Industrial hygiene
- Health physics
- Other physical sciences
A Bachelor of Science (BS) course in OHS in the USA takes 4 years to complete.
A Master’s degree isn’t mandatory to become an OHS consultant, but you can choose to pursue it – this will add two more years to your education. If you want to specialize in a particular aspect of OHS and wish to become an industry expert, you can choose to pursue a PhD as well. This can add anywhere between 5 & 10 years to your training.
Professional certifications in Occupational Health & Safety
Any individual studying to become an OHS consultant, must be professionally certified by one of the leading OHS bodies in the country. You can either take up the Certified Safety Professional certification by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP) or the Certified Industrial Hygienist certification by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH).
To be eligible for either of these certifications, you mandatorily need to complete a minimum of 4 years of work experience, where you must gain on-the-job experience in activities that are performed by OHS practitioners.
Most individuals who want to become OHS consultants in America, complete their Bachelor’s degree, then work for 4 years and finally take up their Certification. It is only after this that they choose to pursue a Master’s degree.
Overall, you can be certified as an occupational health & safety consultant in 8 years. This is much shorter than other courses, such as medicine. Any additional academic programs you enrol into, can be completed simultaneously, along with your work. Many universities in the US offer both on-campus and virtual courses.
Where to study to become an OHS consultant?
There are many academic institutions which offer courses in occupational health and safety. The top 5 schools you can consider are:
- Columbia Southern University – The university offers a B.S. Occupational Safety and Health, where students can choose from 10 different electives in the field of OHS. Students have the option of choosing to study the course via distance education.
- University of Connecticut – Here, you can pursue the Occupational Safety and Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program, which covers a wide spectrum of health and safety issues in today’s work environment. The course has been specially-designed by reputed OHS practitioners in the US.
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania – This university offers a BS in Safety, Health, and Environmental Applied Sciences, Safety Sciences. You can also pursue a Minor in Safety, Health, and Environmental Applied Sciences and if you’d like to consult for the energy sector, can take up a Certificate in Shale Gas Energy. Students who want to pursue a Master’s or PhD in occupational safety sciences, can do so here.
- Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania – Here, you have the opportunity to enrol into a Bachelor’s course in Safety Management. The course is compliant with all the requirements of the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP). The University has an on-campus student’s organization called American Society of Safety Engineer, where you can network with experienced OHS practitioners, academicians and peers.
- Murray State University – This school has a robust list of OHS programs, such as the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health, Occupational Safety and Health Minor, Master of Science in Occupational Safety and Health (with specializations available in Safety Management, Industrial Hygiene and Environment) and a dynamic Certificate in Emergency Management.
Universities and colleges that offer these courses may conduct a number of tests and assessments to determine your eligibility for the course and to identify any learning support needs. Becoming an OHS consultant is easier if you already possess a degree in health science or occupational health and safety. Knowledge in chemistry, physics, English, biology and mathematics can help you complete your vocational training in OHS sooner.
However, if taking a full-time course isn’t possible, the other recommendation is that you request access to a workplace-sponsored qualification in occupational health & safety. Many organizations are partnered with universities and can provide you the resources to access education.
How Professional liability insurance helps you get ahead
While OHS consultancy can be a rewarding career, the responsibility of ensuring the safety of an organisation’s employees and management rests entirely with you. Keeping employee health in mind should be the primary responsibility. This means that a consultant would have to be aware of different kinds of hazards in different industries. However, he would also have to be in the know regarding the safety protocols that could ideally save lives. For instance, if a firm from the manufacturing industry seeks the help of an OHS consultant, the latter should be in a position to advise him on how to increase the safety of the employees by using safety gear like gloves (which, by the way, can be sourced from unigloves.co.uk/) and vests.
That said, people seeking to establish a career in this field must know that there are inherent risks involved in this profession. Some of them are mentioned below:
- An employee suffering an injury at the workplace after you have consulted with the company.
- Property damage as a result of workplace accidents or injury
- Employees being unable to work due to an emergency that the consultant did not warn them about.
As an OHS consultant, you could face claims related to repair or replacement of damaged property, medical expenses to treat injuries and compensation. These costs are typically prohibitive, particularly when you are starting out as an OHS manager or consultant.
The recommended way to protect yourself against such risks is to purchase Professional Liability insurance. This type of insurance offers comprehensive financial protection and takes care of the medical expenses or property repair/replacement costs, giving you maximum peace of mind and confidence to get ahead in your career. Visit BizInsure to purchase Professional Liability insurance for OHS consultants.