Jun 27, 2006
Martin A. David
Technology Schools Columnist
In the days before labor laws and unions, most companies didn't see industrial safety as an important topic. Today, some large corporations still think of risk management rather than accident prevention. When you earn a safety engineering degree, you'll learn to put people before profits and build industrial safety plans and accident prevention into the total picture.
Industrial Safety Means Accident Prevention
Today's industrial world is complex. Competition is fierce. Production and profits are important to company executives and stockholders. Most companies follow safety engineering rules and practices to some degree. Still, the newspaper headlines are filled with tragic stories. Coal miners die because accident prevention practices were not followed. Construction workers and people on factory assembly lines are maimed because of faulty industrial safety procedures. Corporations have actually done risk management studies to determine how many injuries and deaths are "acceptable" per unit of production.Accident Prevention Instead of Risk Management
When you earn your safety engineering degree, you'll learn the accident prevention and industrial safety measures that aim at turning the acceptable number or injured workers to zero. The job outlook for industrial safety specialists with safety engineering degrees is growing. The reason for this is the increasing public outcry over worker deaths and injuries, and the rebounding strength of some industrial unions. Corporations are realizing that industrial safety and environmental concerns are important parts of their risk management strategies. They are hiring people with industrial safety degrees to help improve the corporations' public images. Your industrial safety engineering degree will not only lead you into a growing career, it will also help you save lives.Source
Safety Engineers
About the Author
Martin A. David is a published author and translator. He is also a technical writer in the Silicon Valley. He currently manages the Technical Publications department of a thriving high technology firm.