Safety Engineer

Overseeing the safety of various products is the major responsibility of a safety engineer. These safety tests may be completed in the laboratory or in real-world conditions and include both correct and incorrect use of the product or item in the test to address any potential safety concerns. A safety engineer is very critical in the development of a new product both from customer safety and company liability aspects. All new products must pass rigorous test with regards to safety issues and their compliance to state and federal regulations for the various types of products.

As a safety engineer tests the various products he or she is required to keep very specific documentation based on the products performance in the tests. The safety engineer must know what standards to apply to the product to keep it in compliance with safety laws. This includes researching and monitoring changes to the various regulations on all levels. In addition to completing or overseeing the safety tests the safety engineer must also prepare written documentation to support the finding of the test and be prepared to meet with clients, production teams and other types of engineers to address and problem solve any problems identified in the safety testing process.

A safety engineer must be able to focus on both the small details of the project as well as the larger picture of the production. He or she may also be required to suggest modifications to the project or even participate in planning and evaluation meetings with clients and project teams. Good communication skills, understanding of regulations and good research skills are essential for a safety engineer.

Common work activities include:

• Reviewing specifications for products and researching current regulations for safety testing on each different type of product or item.
• Overseeing or completing product tests as required either in a lab or out in the actual working conditions the product will be used in.
• Keeping accurate records of data obtained by the test and compiling it into reports that can be used by the production teams.
• Meeting with production teams, clients and managers to discuss modifications to the project to address any safety issues discovered.
• Testifying in court or civil proceeding with regards to the safety testing if required.