Health And Safety Officer
Snapshot
Health and safety officers execute plans for the improvement of work environments and cultures. They assess risks and interview employees to ensure the work environment is compliant with health and safety rules, as well as ensuring the interaction within the workplace occurs in a positive and productive manner. If employed in a healthcare facility the health and safety officer has to investigate infections spreading across a facility and advice all employees how to combat and prevent infections. Furthermore health physics is applied at facilities where people are exposed to ionizing radiation such as nuclear power plants and research institutions.
Health and safety officers play a crucial role in cultivating a secure and compliant work environment. Your days will involve assessing potential hazards, developing and implementing safety plans, and collaborating with employees at all levels to foster a culture of safety. Depending on the industry, this could include managing infection control in healthcare settings or applying health physics principles in facilities dealing with ionizing radiation. You’ll be a key advisor, ensuring workplaces adhere to regulations and promoting well-being.
- • Conducting risk assessments and identifying potential hazards.
- • Developing and implementing health and safety policies and procedures.
- • Investigating accidents and incidents to determine root causes and prevent recurrence.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Figures cover Health professionals — 68 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece and 5 more.
Longest-running shortage: Netherlands, 4 years.
Where it is regulated, your qualification would need formal recognition before you could practise.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
What these words mean
The four things this section reports
- Reported demand
- Whether employers report needing people in this job — a judgement published by a national or EU body, not a count.
- Where it is heading
- Which way employment in this job is expected to move over the coming years, from an official projection.
- Openings
- Roughly how many openings arise — from growth and from people leaving the job.
- Typical pay
- What people in this job typically earn where the source publishes it. Blank does not mean unpaid; it means nobody publishes it for that place.
A measure is left out when nobody publishes it for that place, rather than shown as zero.
Which way the market leans for you
- In your favour
- More openings than people looking — employers are competing for candidates.
- Balanced
- Openings and candidates are roughly matched.
- Competitive
- More people looking than openings — expect to compete.
- Mixed evidence
- Sources disagree, or the same occupation group is short in one part and oversupplied in another.
Every source resolves to one of these four, so there is a single vocabulary to learn. What differs is the evidence behind it, which is printed underneath each verdict — a measured ratio of openings to jobseekers, or an assessment published by a national body.
How this job compares with other jobs in the same country
- Strong
- Among the strongest in that country
- Good
- Stronger than most jobs in that country
- Mixed
- About typical for that country
- Weak
- Weaker than most jobs in that country
This is a rank within one country, not a score you can carry across borders — the registers behind two countries count different people, so the same number means different things in each. It is also why a job can be among the strongest in a country and still show as Competitive: it leads the field in a market that is crowded overall.
Where these come from
Every figure is published by a national statistics office, a public employment service or an EU body, and each card names its source and the period it covers. Some places are counted monthly, others assessed once or twice a year, so two places on the same map can be describing different moments — the date is always shown.
None of this predicts one person’s chances. It describes a market.
Reported demand · Typical pay · Where it is heading (United States, Ireland, Australia, Malta, United Kingdom)
| Reported demand | Typical pay | Where it is heading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Not reported | $90,150 2025-05 | +12.5% 2024–2034 · BLS 2024-2034 |
| Ireland | Not reported | — | +16.1% 2023–2035 · Cedefop 2026 * |
| Australia | Shortage reported Jobs and Skills Australia 2025 * | — | — |
| Malta | Shortage reported ELA/EURES 2024 * | — | — |
| United Kingdom | Not reported | £40,044 2025-provisional | — |
* Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS)
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Open Government Licence v3.0
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Future Outlook for health and safety officer
The outlook for health and safety officer reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could health and safety officer change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
Model-based estimate. Use it as a planning signal, not a guarantee.
Compare this to your profile
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- ensure compliance with environmental legislation
- follow standards for machinery safety
- educate employees on occupational hazards
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- advise on risk management
- draw up risk assessment
- monitor employee's health
Tasks most exposed to automation
No single task here is highly automatable yet.
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Healthcare & Human Services
A typical day as a health and safety officer
09 09:00 · Morning draw up risk assessment
10 10:30 · Mid-morning communicate health and safety measures
12 12:00 · Midday follow standards for machinery safety
14 14:00 · Afternoon monitor employee's health
15 15:30 · Late afternoon advise on conflict management
17 17:00 · Wrap-up advise on risk management
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
What you need to do this work
The skills, knowledge and tools this role calls for — and the traits and rewards that come with it.
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advise on risk management
Provide advice on risk management policies and prevention strategies and their implementation, being aware of different kinds of risks to a specific organisation.
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draw up risk assessment
Assess risks, propose improvements and describe measures to be taken at the organisational level.
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ensure compliance with environmental legislation
Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.
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communicate health and safety measures
Inform about applicable rules, guidelines and measures to avoid accidents and hazards in the workplace.
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monitor employee's health
Use health surveillance programmes to monitor the health of employees who are potentially exposed to hazards at work.
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follow standards for machinery safety
Apply basic safety standards and machine-specific technical standards to prevent risks connected with the use of machines in the workplace.
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monitor legislation developments
Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation.
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advise on conflict management
Advise private or public organisations on monitoring possible conflict risk and development, and on conflict resolution methods specific to the identified conflicts.
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present reports
Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
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educate employees on occupational hazards
Provide information and advice to employees related to the possible occupational hazards, such as industrial solvents, radiation, noise and vibration.
occupational health
The subfield of study of public health that focus on improving the wellbeing of individuals in the workplace for all the occupational profiles. It is concerned with health and safety in the workplace and prevention of hazards.
project management
The discipline of project management, the activities which comprise this area and the variables implied in it, such as time, resources, requirements, deadlines, and responding to unexpected events.
- assessment of risks and threats
- environmental legislation
- health, safety and hygiene legislation
- personal protective equipment
- quality standards
- technical drawings
- audit techniques
- employment law
- pollution prevention
Path to become a health and safety officer
What it typically takes to qualify: education level, where it is a regulated profession, and where to study.
Bachelor's or equivalent level
Regulated in 11 countries on record. Minimum EQF 3–7, depending on the country.
Reflects the EU regulated-professions database. Not legal advice — confirm requirements with the relevant national authority before relying on this for a career or immigration decision.
174 programmes in 19 countries teach the core skills of this job. Plus 110 short courses that build single skills.
A few examples, taught in the language of this page:
MSC OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY (PART-TIME)
University of Galway · Ireland
Diploma in Health and Safety at Work
South East Technological University · Ireland
Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health (online)
University College Cork · Ireland
Master of Science in Nursing (Occupational Health)
RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences · Ireland
Diploma in Developing Safe Environments in Health and Social Care
Munster Technological University · Ireland
College of Management & IT - CMIT · Ireland
These are 6 of 284.
Sources
- 1. Source: Europass Qualification Dataset Register (European Commission)
- 2. Irish course data from Qualifax (qualifax.ie), run by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI).
Growth Pathways & Similar Roles
Explore typical career progression paths, adjacent skills, and similar roles to plan your next transition.
Where does health and safety officer fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
For organisations
The data on this page, working for your students, clients and staff.
Frequently asked questions
What skills are most important for a health and safety officer?
What types of industries employ health and safety officers?
How does the role differ in a healthcare setting versus a nuclear facility?
Is there a shortage of Health And Safety Officer in Europe?
How much does Health And Safety Officer pay in the United States?
Is Health And Safety Officer a regulated profession?
Sources: ESCO O*NET ELA/EURES Cedefop BLS Data updated October 19, 2026 About our data