Careers in Work Health and Safety

Workplace Health and Safety is essential for the health and wellbeing of all employees across a wide range of industries. Pursuing a career in Work Health and Safety will put you at the forefront of creating a happy and healthy workplace.

When you enrol in Foundation Education's BSB41419 Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety, you're embarking on a journey that will provide you with the skills and knowledge essential for excelling in your new career.

Discover where a WHS qualification can take you

The skills you’ll gain in Work Health and Safety are highly versatile, so there are many pathways you can take to a successful and rewarding career. Let’s find out just a few of the directions to get you started.

Work Health and Safety Officer

Work Health and Safety (WHS) Officers oversee the safe and compliant processes of an organisation. They are responsible for identifying hazards and assessing risks to health and safety in the workplace and implementing safety protocols that prevent the risk of injury or accidents from occurring. WHS Officers are essential for keeping the safety of an organisation’s people at the forefront and ensuring employees are always operating within a WHS-approved environment.

Work Health and Safety Representative

The primary role of a Work Health and Safety Representative is to represent the health and safety interests of the members of a workgroup. They liaise with the staff to identify issues pertaining to health and safety and then raise these concerns with management. A Work Health and Safety Representative is responsible for giving workers a voice regarding health and safety matters at the workplace.

Human Resources Assistant

A Human Resources (HR) Assistant reports to the Head of HR to aid with the day-to-day duties and functions of the HR department. Their responsibilities may include providing clerical and administrative support, assisting with recruitment, processing payroll, coordinating meetings, supporting new employees with the onboarding process, handling requests and complaints and helping to ensure smooth communication between the HR department and all employees.

Essential skills for Work Health and Safety

Work Health and Safety Officers observe, assess, and report on the safety performance of a workplace and assist with developing procedures that meet safety guidelines. To be successful in doing this, they need the following skills:

Industry Knowledge – to work competently within different industries
Communication – for effectively delivering content to staff both written and verbally
Observation – to identify possible risks or hazards
Organisation – for handling relevant documentation that will educate employees.

What to expect from a career in Work Health and Safety

When it comes to Work Health and Safety jobs, you will have the choice of deciding which industry to work in, or you can pursue added responsibilities in your current job. Some of the industries you can apply your expertise and skills to include manufacturing, construction and retail.

No matter which industry you choose, your duties and responsibilities will include:

Conducting safety briefings for staff
Providing advice on work-related health and safety risks
Investigate accidents at the workplace
Ensuring a workplace complies with safety standards and legislation.

Work Health and Safety industry insights

While all industries must provide a duty of care to reduce risk in the workplace and protect employees from harm, some industries require it more than others. For those interested in a career in Work Health and Safety, this also means there is more room for employment.

As well as being one of the most employable industries in Australia, a report from WorkSafe revealed that the construction industry is one of the highest-risk industries, comprised of the highest-risk sub-sectors including: