August 2009

Safety at work is no accident. Just ask Simon McCrady.
He’s the health, safety and environment (HSE) director for the Fort McKay Group of Companies. The business has more than 400 employees in the region working in areas such as oil sands grounds maintenance, heavy equipment operation and truck driving.

McCrady leads a team of six HSE professionals who work hard to make sure all employees get home safe.
“At the end of the day, it’s rewarding when there are no workplace safety incidents, and everybody gets to go home to their families with all their fingers and toes attached,” says McCrady.

Workplace safety is a growing priority for companies in the Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo region. This has opened up many new career opportunities for occupational health and safety advisors (NOC 2263).
They develop—and put into action—workplace health and safety programs at local businesses.
“Companies can’t afford fines for injured workers or the cost of lost production. Safety gives a good return on investment,” says Robin Kotyk, chief operating officer for the Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA).

Not only that, but companies realize they have a moral obligation to ensure worksites are safe—for their employees, for the public and for the environment. “Companies have said, ‘We need to go farther to make sure worksites are safe and there are zero injuries,’” says Darryl Hass, vice president of Western Canadian HSE operations for ConocoPhillips, which runs an oil sands processing site south of Fort McMurray.

When it comes to getting a job as a safety advisor, experience and training count. Look inside this issue of the Labour Market News to learn more about careers in safety and to find out what skills employers are looking for.

Where is the work?
Safety advisors work in many industries across the region, from oil and gas and construction to manufacturing, forestry and transportation.

Most advisors work directly for a company in their safety department. Larger companies often have a team of safety advisors on staff, while smaller companies may employ only one or two safety advisors.

How can I get my foot in the door?
When it comes to starting a career as a safety advisor, having at least a few years of related work experience is important. It doesn’t matter what industry you want to work in. Employers want people who have field experience and an understanding of their industry, their operations, and how things work in the field.

“When we put out a call for safety people, we get a ton of resumés,” says McCrady. “Many candidates think they’re qualified to be a safety advisor when the only courses they have are CSTS (Construction Safety Training System) and OSSA (Oil Sands Safety Association). That’s not acceptable. You need to have more than that.”

For example, in the construction industry, safety advisors often start as labourers and work their way up into junior safety positions. After three years, they can take the National Construction Safety Officer (NCSO) certification through ACSA and move into a safety role (this is the minimum educational training most Alberta construction companies require for safety advisors). Companies often help pay for training courses.

In manufacturing, safety advisors may have experience on the production line. In oil and gas, safety advisors often have experience working on drilling or service rigs or mining operations. Hass, with ConocoPhillips, says there are many reasons industry experience is so important for safety advisors.

“You need to have a reasonable understanding of what the risks are of the work being done,” says Hass. “It builds credibility with the frontline workers who are out there doing the work, day to day. You can really speak knowledgeably to workers, to say, ‘I’ve been there, I’ve done that.’”

Angela Bester, manager of health and safety with Surespan Construction, got her start working in office administration before moving into safety.
“The company vice president asked me to be the company safety person. I think a lot of women have found their direction in safety from a similar experience, although not 100 per cent,” says Bester.

People with a background in other safety careers, such as paramedics or safety watch technicians (an entry-level job providing hands-on safety in industrial facilities) may also move into safety advisor roles with enough work experience under their belts.
Those with trades tickets or some form of post-secondary technical training are also well-suited to move into a safety advisor role. “We will also hire people who have some post secondary education, often in a technical field from SAIT, NAIT or Keyano College, backed up by occupational health and safety training,” says Hass.
Another way to gain some basic experience is to join your company’s safety committee.

Training options: How to pick the right path
With some field experience on your resumé, the next step is to get some formal safety training. There are many options, from short courses and certificates to post-secondary schooling. Different employers, in different industries, look for different levels of training. If you’re not sure where to start, call an employer or someone working in the safety field and ask them for advice.

“I would talk to somebody who is in the field right away, just to get a better idea of what direction you want to go in,” says Bester. “You really have to do your research and make sure this sort of job is for you. There’s a lot of stress involved, but it’s very, very rewarding in the end.”

See the sidebar (above right) for some formal training options. Besides formal safety training, many employers require a high school diploma, or equivalent.

What to expect on the job
Job duties can vary greatly from employer to employer, but there are some common tasks performed by safety advisors. They include:

• training new and existing employees on safe work procedures
• ensuring company safety programs are being followed
• conducting safety courses
• conducting company-wide safety meetings
• conducting or assisting with “tool box talks” at work sites
• evaluating work sites for potential safety hazards
• reviewing and developing health and safety initiatives, policies and procedures
• developing emergency plans
• developing environmental management plans
• performing safety audits
• writing and filing reports
• investigating accidents.

A typical work day
Safety advisors often spend much of their day in the field, throwing on their coveralls and safety gear and visiting work sites.

This could include everything from mining or construction sites to drilling rigs, workshops or manufacturing facilities. Work sites can be remote, so travel may be required. The rest of their time is usually spent in an office, doing paperwork or developing safety programs.
In larger companies, safety advisors may be more specialized, either working in the field or in the office.

Hours of work vary for safety advisors. Some field positions require 10 to 12 hour shifts. Other safety advisors work regular office hours. They may also be on-call for emergencies.

Skills you’ll need in order to work as a safety advisor, certain skills are needed to do the job well. At the top of the list is good communication skills—being able to talk to people, and knowing when to listen. “A lot of people come into safety with the attitude that they’re safety cops,” says McCrady. “But you have to work together with other staff. Within the company, everybody has to work together to accomplish safety.” The challenge for safety advisors is creating a safety culture at work. This means inspiring workers to make safety a top priority—not because they have to, but because they want to. “You have to sell safety to people. A lot of workers have the attitude ‘I’ve been doing this for 20 years and we’ve never had a problem.’ So good people skills are very important,” says McCrady.

Safety advisors should also feel comfortable talking in front of people, from field crews and sub-contractors to supervisors and top executives, but this is something that can be learned over time. “Quite often you’ll have to get up in front of crowds. It could be 10 people or 100. You need to be comfortable speaking in front of that group and speak with enough conviction to get your message through,” says Hass. It’s important for safety advisors to be non-confrontational and open to ideas from other employees. “Just because you have an idea in your head about how something should be doesn’t mean it’s the right way,” says McCrady. “Pay attention to the people who know how to do the job and learn from them. Get their cooperation.” Safety advisors shouldn’t just walk around job sites quoting government regulations, adds Bester. “You should also provide solutions on how to make things safer,” she says. “You need to have flexibility in order to help people see the bigger picture.”
Other skills employers look for include:

• ability to work with diverse groups of people
• ability to motivate and encourage a positive attitude towards safety
• excellent problem solving skills
• ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• detail and results oriented
• organized
• good record keeping and reporting skills
• computer skills
• time management skills.

Other job requirements
Because safety advisors visit worksites regularly, they must have a valid driver’s licence and clean driving record.

Many companies also require employees to pass drug and alcohol testing.

A rewarding career choice
Hass got into safety because he cares about people and wants to make sure people are safe at work. This is what motivates most safety advisors to do their job. “It’s so fulfilling because I’ll go home at the end of today and I’ll know that no one got hurt on our watch, and I’ll be real proud of that,” he says.

The information in this issue of Labour Market News was current as of the date shown. Employment outlook, salaries and educational programs may change. Please verify the information with additional sources before making career or business investment decisions. Contact us for more information.