| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Environment, Health and Safety |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Safety Manager |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in safety engineering |
Safety Engineer job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Safety Engineer
Department: Environment, Health and Safety
Reports to: Safety Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Safety Engineer applies engineering to prevent accidents, designing and checking safe systems, guarding, permits and controls at a plant or project. They carry out risk assessments, review designs and modifications for safety, inspect equipment, and support incident investigation. The role reports to the Safety Manager. A good safety engineer builds safety into equipment and processes, ensures hazardous work is properly controlled, catches engineering risks before they cause harm, and gives the site sound technical safety support.
Key responsibilities
- Carry out risk assessments and hazard studies for equipment and processes.
- Review new equipment, designs and modifications for safety before use.
- Specify machine guarding, interlocks and other engineering safety controls needed.
- Issue and verify permits to work for high risk activities.
- Inspect equipment, lifting tools and pressure systems for safe condition.
- Support incident investigation with technical analysis and root cause.
- Develop safe operating procedures for hazardous equipment and tasks.
- Support commissioning and shutdowns with safety planning and controls.
- Track and close engineering safety actions from audits and incidents.
- Advise the operations and maintenance teams on safe engineering practice.
Requirements
- Engineering degree with a safety qualification
- Diploma in Industrial Safety is an advantage
- Knowledge of safety standards and codes
- 3 to 6 years in safety engineering
KRAs and KPIs for a Safety Engineer
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Design safety | New equipment and modifications safety reviewed before commissioning |
| Risk control | Hazardous activities covered by risk assessment and permit with no critical gap |
| Equipment safety | Safety critical equipment inspected on schedule with defects closed |
| Procedures | Safe operating procedures in place for hazardous tasks in the area |
| Action closure | Engineering safety actions from audits and incidents closed on time |
| Incident support | Technical root cause completed for assigned incidents |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Risk assessment tools, Machine guarding standards, Permit to work system, Inspection instruments, Incident analysis tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior Safety Engineer, Safety Manager, EHS Manager
Interview questions for a Safety Engineer
- How do you review a new machine for safety before it is commissioned?
- How do you specify guarding and interlocks for a hazardous machine?
- How do you carry out a hazard study for a process?
- How do you plan safety for a shutdown or major maintenance?
- How do you do root cause analysis on an equipment related incident?
- Tell me about an engineering safety risk you designed out.
Managing a Safety Engineer in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your environment, health and safety team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a safety engineer do?
A safety engineer applies engineering to prevent accidents, designing and checking safe systems, guarding, permits and controls at a plant or project. They carry out risk assessments, review designs and modifications for safety, inspect equipment, and support incident investigation. They build safety into equipment and processes and catch engineering risks before they cause harm.
What is the difference between a safety engineer and a safety officer?
A safety engineer focuses on the technical, engineering side of safety: risk studies, machine guarding, design reviews and equipment safety. A safety officer focuses on day to day site safety: inspections, permits, toolbox talks and enforcing safe practice. The engineer designs safety in, while the officer keeps it in place on the floor.
What qualifications do you need to be a safety engineer?
Most safety engineers hold an engineering degree with a safety qualification, and a Diploma in Industrial Safety is an advantage. Employers look for knowledge of safety standards and codes, skill in risk and hazard assessment, machine guarding and permit to work, and the technical judgement to review designs and investigate equipment related incidents.