Learn About the Construction Safety Manager Job Description, Salary, and Requirements.
Construction Safety Manager Job Description & Definition
What Does a Construction Safety Manager Do?
In this profile, we’ll break down the Construction Safety Manager job description, salary, requirements, and more. Construction can be a physically challenging profession. Contractors work in situations which may expose them to different hazards. These hazards may include working at heights, working around sources of potential electrical shock or working with chemicals that may be toxic. Construction safety managers work with contractors to identify specific hazards on project sites and to develop solutions to eliminate or minimize the exposure to those hazards.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is responsible for establishing minimum standards for workplaces in the United States. They are also responsible for enforcing those minimum standards and ensuring compliance.
Construction Safety Managers provide a vital support service for construction crews. Construction crews continue to focus on completing jobs and delivering quality projects to the company’s customers. Safety managers help construction crews remain focused on completing projects in a safe manner.
Construction safety managers support construction crews by visiting project sites and assessing working conditions. They help identify safety related issues and risks on project sites. Once risks are identified, they work with the project leadership to design solutions to mitigate the exposure to those risks.
Beyond the duties that construction safety managers fulfill on project sites, they also work with the employees of the construction company to train each member on proper safety procedures. The type of training delivered by Construction Safety Managers is unique to the skilled trade or type of work that the construction company does.
Individuals who work as Construction Safety Managers are trained in and are familiar with the OSHA regulations that govern the type of work that their company does. In addition to being familiar with OSHA regulations, they are also knowledgeable in their specific trade. They are familiar with safety related issues that can impact their company as well as their crews working in the field.
Residential vs Commercial
The safety of construction workers is important for both residential and commercial contractors. There are common risks that contractors face whether they are working on commercial projects or on residential projects.
The amount of tradespeople working on a single commercial project may be significantly greater than the amount working on a residential project. The increased number of skilled tradespeople and laborers on a project site can increase safety related concerns exponentially. As a result, commercial projects may present a more complex project for a Construction Safety Manager to manage.
Both commercial and residential projects provide significant opportunities for individuals interested in a Construction Safety Manager career. Career advancement and increasing demand are some benefits of choosing this career path.
A Construction Safety Manager may be a full-time or part-time job. The factors that may impact whether this job is full-time or part-time include the seasonality of the construction company as well as the size of the construction company. This position offers opportunities for individuals to operate their own business as a Construction Safety Consultant who provides consulting services to multiple small businesses who cannot afford to maintain a full-time Construction Safety Manager on staff.
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Duties
- Preview projects and project sites before work begins to determine safety related risks.
- Visit active project sites to assess ongoing work conditions to ensure compliance.
- Work with project management teams and field workers to develop and implement solutions to safety related issues on project sites.
- Maintaining safety related paperwork including OSHA 300 logs.
- Maintaining safety training certifications including OSHA OTI.
- Training company employees on safe work practices.
- Disciplining employees and subcontractors who fail to comply with minimum safety standards.
Skills Required
- Good communications skills – the ability to communicate effectively both in the written and spoken word.
- Ability to listen – the ability to listen well and take in feedback from the employee perspective without passing judgment.
- Knowledge of OSHA standards and regulations pertaining to the specific trade or activity being managed.
- Good recordkeeping abilities – the Construction Safety Manager must be able to maintain good records of all safety related activities.
- Ability to access heights via ladders or scaffolding. A significant amount of construction work takes place at heights above ground level which require the Construction Safety Manager to be able to access the work to evaluate it.
- Knowledge of the specific skilled trade or type of work that their company does. This assists the Construction Safety Manager in being able to design and implement solutions for the company.
Education Needed
Some construction related firms may require an advanced degree in order to work as a Construction Safety Manager. However, small and medium sized firms may not require an advanced degree.
For small and medium sized firms employing a Construction Safety Manager position, a minimum High School Diploma or equivalent should be achieved. Additional training resources are available including OSHA training which can support a candidate interested in this career path.
Qualifications
An individual interested in the Construction Safety Manager career path should look for the following certifications:
-OSHA 10 and 30 hour certification.
-OSHA OTI Certification.
-Trade specific safety certifications.
-Leadership training and certifications.
Construction Safety Manager Salary
How Much Does a Construction Safety Manager Make?
$49,000
$72,000
$100,000
Construction Safety Manager Career Paths
Where Can You Go From Here?
Construction Safety Managers are a vital part of the management team for a successful construction company. They play the role of helping keep construction sites and workers safe during projects. If you are interested in exploring this career path, it is important to start working in the skilled trade so that you can begin to familiarize yourself with the technical aspects of the business. Learn how projects are set-up and how they progress.
Construction Safety Managers who chose not to go to school may get their start in different positions within their chosen trade. For example, a construction laborer or helper may advance to a mechanic and then choose to focus on safety on the construction site.
Workplace injuries are costly for both the employer and employee. Injuries increase the cost of workers compensation insurance coverage for the employer which reduces the net profit of the company. Skilled Construction Safety Managers can assist their employers in controlling the cost of doing business and help increase the profitability of the company.
Sample Resume
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Construction Cost Accounting, Construction Sales Representative, Project Manager, Superintendent.
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Sources:
- Payscale, Safety Manager Salary, on the Internet at http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Safety_Manager%2C_Construction/Salary (visited Aug 10, 2017).
