The Science of Safety: Building a Career in Protection and Preparedness
Sadly, everyone faces many dangers, whether they’re at work or shopping for groceries. It may not always feel that way, however, and that’s because many people work hard to mitigate these risks. This is equally true in industrial facilities, oil refineries, and small communities.
That’s because many people boasting strong critical thinking skills specialize in protection and preparedness. Industrial hygienists and safety specialists are excellent examples of individuals who contribute to making workspaces and communities safer.
On a bigger scale, local, state, and federal governments employ people who specialize in disaster prevention and response. Follow along as we take a deep dive into the science of safety and highlight some key careers built around it.
5 Vital Careers Built Around Protection and Preparedness
Most people know police officers and EMTs, but fewer people know how many protection-focused jobs there are. That’s because many of these important people work behind the scenes to prevent and respond to disasters. Whether it be in the workplace or your community, many people work to keep you safe, including:
1. Industrial Hygienist
Working in an industrial environment comes with many risks for everybody involved. Industrial hygienists are aware of this and build strong careers by addressing these risks. Many people have asked, “What is an industrial hygienist?”, and you can’t blame them.
Industrial hygienists are well-rounded problem solvers who protect workers and community members from industrial risks. This involves identifying and addressing ergonomic, mechanical, chemical, and environmental risk factors. As an industrial hygienist, you must have a well-rounded knowledge of all aspects of industrial operations.
They not only develop safe systems and protocols, but also help train workers about the risks around them. Industrial hygienists must also inspect a person’s or an environment’s exposure to hazardous materials and devise safe responses. Working as an industrial hygienist is rewarding, both personally and financially, as you make a living protecting others and improving work conditions.
2. Safety Specialist
Any industry that involves risks, which is most industries, relies on safety specialists. You can find safety specialists at construction sites, energy plants, manufacturing facilities, and beyond. Their job is to enforce compliance and ensure businesses provide safe work environments.
As a safety specialist, you must have a deep understanding of the regulations within many industries. These regulations and ideal safety standards vary between industries, so you must be adaptable and stay well-informed. Such regulations change with time, so you must stay up to date before each job site visit.
Safety specialists visit such versatile locations, from offices and hospitals to oil refineries. This job requires strong critical thinking skills, as you will often investigate job sites after accidents and dangerous exposures. Adaptability and communication skills are invaluable as a safety specialist, and you can make a big difference in this field.
3. Security Architect
Workers face many physical and environmental threats at work, but they also face cyber threats. This is truer than ever, as businesses continually lean further into digitization and automation. When left unprotected, a business is at major risk of data loss, financial theft, malware attacks, and more.
Security architects understand this better than anyone, and they protect businesses from cyber-attacks. They create systems and protocols to predict, identify, and address cyber threats before it’s too late. Security architects also often create response plans to minimize the damage caused by hacks and data breaches.
This often involves training employees about how to contain malware before it spreads within the company. Today, training workers on how to identify fraudulent and suspicious files and emails is essential, and security architects can handle that. By preparing and protecting businesses from such threats, security architects can prevent unnecessary stress, heartache, and financial losses.
4. Emergency Management Director
Local and state governments put as much into protection and preparedness as most businesses do. The difference is that local governments employ emergency management personnel to devise disaster response plans on a different scale. This includes responding to natural disasters, like wildfires and tornadoes, and evacuation protocols.
Emergency management directors oversee these processes and handle the planning and budgeting. This multifaceted job is unique in that emergency management directors have a big role in the local population’s safety. It involves navigating strict laws and regulations, and it comes with a lot of responsibilities.
Much like working in homeland security, emergency management directors have a profound duty to protect their fellow citizens. This career requires strong coordination, communication, and resource management skills. Community-minded individuals with a knack for planning and detail can enjoy careers in emergency management.
5. Community Engagement Coordinators
Emergency management directors handle the logistics surrounding local emergencies, and their work is important. That said, some people mistakenly overlook the community aspect surrounding such disasters, that is, until they experience it. Community management coordinators work closely with the people affected by natural disasters, chemical spills, and attacks.
They work closely with emergency management personnel and ultimately serve as middlemen between them and the community. Naturally, this job involves navigating stressful and often sad situations, but it’s quite rewarding. The ability to uplift a community in the wake of a terrible, negative event is quite empowering.
You Can Enjoy a Career in Safety and Protection
You’re not alone if you want to enjoy a career built around protecting those around you. Today, many people, including industrial hygienists, enjoy careers centered around protecting people. Many of these job titles, like safety specialist, focus on enforcing checks and balances to prevent disasters.
Conversely, emergency management directors work hard to ensure a swift, safe response to disasters. As long as you’re passionate, detail-oriented, and eager to solve practical problems, you can enjoy any of these careers.
