Competition for health and safety professionals is ramping up, according to Stuart Vivian, health & safety recruitment manager at international sustainability staffing specialist Allen & York.

The firm says it has witnessed an increase in health & safety roles within the UK and the rest of Europe, particularly in the areas of renewables, retail and consultancy, while research from the Bureau of Labour Statistics anticipates 14% jobs growth for safety technicians over the next decade.

Meanwhile, the government has announced a large cut in the number of at-work inspections, while HSE figures provisional statistics reveal the 2010/2011 period saw an increase of 15% on last year’s low of 42 workplace deaths.

Vivian says: “Although the economy may be hurt by the large number of safety violations, employers, according to National Safety Council’s May issue of Safety and Health, have been forced to cut many safety support jobs. This puts more responsibility on those who remain and adds to their workload. While this condition may create job security for those safety professionals who remain, it also increases their stress. Health & safety professionals that remain and are newly placed within corporations therefore have to be the highest of calibre; professionals better able to deal with such stress and pressure become in demand.  

“More specifically, within construction, companies have to be constantly on guard to keep employees apprised of OSHA construction regulations and standards, construction firms therefore increasingly need to hire the best people available to train and oversee workplace safety on the job site.”