You can do a degree in a subject, such as:

• occupational safety, health and environment
• environmental health

You might also be able to apply to do a postgraduate qualification in health and safety, if you have a degree related to a particular industry. Examples include construction, engineering or manufacturing.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
• a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

You can apply to do a Safety, Health and Environment Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

You can also do an Environmental Health Practitioner Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

These can take between 2 and 4 years to complete and combine on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

You could study for a general health and safety qualification while you're working, or to improve your chances of finding a trainee position.

Topics will include:

• health and safety in the workplace
• monitoring risks
• legal regulations
• carrying out health and safety assessments

Courses are often flexible with options to study part-time or online.

You can take approved health and safety courses through:

• NEBOSH
• IOSH

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to use your initiative
• the ability to work well with others
• persistence and determination
• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• knowledge of public safety and security
• knowledge of teaching and the ability to design courses
• excellent written communication skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

As a health and safety adviser, you could:

• develop safety policies and procedures for your organisation
• advise and train staff on health and safety good practices
• make regular inspections and report issues to managers
• do risk assessments
• investigate and record accidents in the workplace
• work closely with relevant inspectors and trade unions

Your workplace will depend on your industry. It is likely to combine office-based tasks with on-site and off-site training and inspections.

You could work in an office.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.

You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.