Health and Safety Professional

Health and Safety Professionals review, evaluate and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical and biological agents or ergonomic factors. They have expertise in applicable regulations, codes and industry best practices. They may conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals.

There is a broad variety of health and safety roles that support the oil and gas industry’s commitment to the well-being of people and the environment.

Specializations include:

• Emergency Response Planners design and implement emergency response plans, training and exercises. A key aspect of this role is to continually improve the company’s capability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from an emergency event.
• Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Advisors/Coordinators are responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the company’s HSE strategy. They conduct inspections, implement controls on industry projects, recommend procedures and provide training.
• Occupational Health Nurses design and implement programs to improve the health and well-being of workers. They conduct pre-placement, fitness-to-work and medical surveillance assessments and provide disability case management. Occupational Health Nurses assess, treat, follow up and refer employees for medical aid and care relating to non-occupational and occupational illness or injuries. They also provide routine health services and first aid to staff and respond to emergency situations such as workplace accidents.
• Medics provide on-site emergency medical services within the oil and gas industrial environment, tending to both urgent and non-urgent medical needs.
• Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Officers conduct workplace inspections and investigations to detect unsafe or unhealthy working conditions and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Process Safety Engineers develop safety strategies, programs, processes and plans to ensure safe working conditions within company facilities.

Education: Educational requirements for Health and Safety Professionals vary:

• Emergency Response Planners typically require a petroleum engineering degree (or equivalent technical diploma or certificate), previous experience in the oil and gas industry, and training in emergency response management.
• HSE Advisors and OH&S Officers typically require a post-secondary degree, as well as knowledge of operational processes and the related risks, legislation and standards.
• Occupational Health Nurses typically require a Bachelor of Nursing degree with additional training and certification for occupational nursing.
• Medics typically require a license as an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Emergency Medical Technologist-Paramedics (EMT-P), Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) or Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP).
• Process Safety Engineers typically require a post-secondary diploma or degree in an engineering discipline (e.g., chemical, mechanical, electrical), a minimum of 15 years combined applicable academic training, certification and related experience, or accreditation in a safety discipline (e.g., CRSP) and strong technical expertise in process safety (e.g., hazard identification or safety management systems).

Employment: These roles are found in both onshore and offshore environments and are typically employed in the exploration and production (E&P), oil sands, oil and gas services, and pipeline sectors of the oil and gas industry.

Example titles: Emergency Response Plan (ERP) Planner, Medic, Safety Training Specialist, Process Safety Engineer, Treatment Room Nurse, Emergency Medical Responder/Technician (EMR or EMT), Industrial Medic, Safety Advisor, Health & Safety Business Partner, Primary Care Paramedic, Paramedic