If you’re passionate about ensuring safe work practices, maintaining safe work environments, and coaching others, you can succeed as a Construction Safety Officer (CSO). Helping others, that’s what a career in safety is all about. Some go into it because they have a background in trades and need to do something different. Others have family ties to construction or the desire to join a growing industry. Whatever your reason, here is a good place to start:

How do I become a Construction Safety Officer?

The first step to a career in safety is to decide which path is right for you. You could become a First Aid Attendant by taking Occupational First Aid courses, or you could elevate your career by earning a degree through formal education.

If a career as a Construction Safety Officer (CSO) interests you, we suggest looking at job postings and imagining what your day might look like. What would you enjoy about the job and what would you not? If you’ve settled on it, Trade Safety Coordinator and Construction Safety Officer courses are the place to start.

Courses filled with students with varying backgrounds, personalities, and objectives can be described as microcosms of construction sites which make them the best place to start. Step one will be to enroll. Step two will be to show up, both physically and mentally. The courses will consist of classroom work and assessments to gauge your understanding. No construction experience is necessary for the courses but active listening skills are.

What’s the Universal Health and Safety Advantage?

All Universal Health and Safety instructors have worked in the field and know what it takes to succeed. Their approach is to provide you with tools and support specific to your needs because no two students are the same, each of us learns in our own way. Whether one-on-one overviews, quiet spaces, breaks, or additional time, they will guide and accommodate you through lessons and assessments. You can expect all materials to be provided, new training equipment, and resources to take home. And once the courses are complete, they will help place you at your first work site.

Temporary placements are a popular way to start a career in safety since they allow you to learn about a lot in a little time. Through temporary placements, you can visit a variety of work sites and work with a variety of people to earn an understanding of real world practices and how they differ from textbook theories. This is a great way to figure out what path you’d like to venture in the industry.

What are typical career paths?

As work provides experience in crisis and change management, CSOs hone in their transferable skills and various career paths begin to open. Additional training is always a good idea. Universal Health and Safety offers courses including Traffic Control, Fall Protection, Train the Fit Tester, or advanced Occupational First Aid. CSOs may also look to advance their careers as superintendents, project managers, instructors, or consultants.

What’s the best part of the job?

CSOs typically love working with people. The education aspect of their job—the part when they get to teach others how to identify and mitigate hazards to stay safe—is always rewarding as is having a job that allows you to physically see the difference you’re making. Construction sites become a representation of your work and when everybody goes home safely, you know you’ve done a good job.

If a career in safety could be right for you, check out our upcoming courses or contact us today!