Process Safety Engineer Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

By | August 16, 2023
Process Safety Engineer Job Description
Process Safety Engineers ensure all manufacturing equipment are safe for users.

Process Safety Engineer Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides exhaustive information of the job description of a process safety engineer to help you learn what they do.

It highlights the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities that majorly make up the process safety engineer work description.

It also presents the major requirements that most recruiters commonly expect applicants for the process safety engineer role to meet to be hired.

Please, read on to increase your knowledge of the process safety engineer career.

What Does a Process Safety Engineer Do?

Process safety engineers design and analyze pieces of manufacturing equipment to ensure the safety of those who utilize them.

Their job description involves evaluating the risks associated with manufacturing processes and helping to develop safe manufacturing protocols.

Process safety engineers find employment with construction firms, manufacturing companies, and oil companies, etc.

They serve as a resource for technical staff in the application of the company’s Loss Prevention Standards, Responsible Care Standards, and Process Safety procedures.

They are responsible for providing process technology support to operating plants, as well as ensuring that process engineering standards and procedures are met during the development, design, and construction phases of a project and improved upon as necessary.

Process safety engineers are also responsible for risk management. They make possible multiple qualitative Process Hazard Analysis using techniques such as HAZOP, What if, etc.

They also assist with data collection for Quantitative Assessment (QRA) tools.

The process safety engineer work description also entails reviewing Risk Assessment Screenings for Management of Change (MOC) and organizing and delivering effective and efficient Process Safety Trainings (PSI, MOC, TC&S etc.) as needed for stewardship of processes.

It also involves assisting Incident Investigation teams in investigating and classifying process safety incidents, as well as providing support in the development of process tools and action plans to close identified Process Safety gaps.

Process Safety Engineer Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The process safety engineer performs various functions, working collectively and collaboratively with other project engineers to provide loss prevention and risk management support for major growth projects in the organization.

Their primary responsibility is to guarantee safety for people utilizing various equipment, improved safety, higher yields, better production rates, and higher attainment in the organization.

Shown in the job description example below are the major tasks, duties, and responsibilities that the process safety engineer typically performs:

  • Champion a culture of Process Safety excellence at the company
  • Manage and conduct the HAZOP program, as well as track and assist with any resulting recommendations
  • Supervise the application of Process Safety elements as per project development stages
  • Perform risk analysis and coach others on the use of risk analysis techniques
  • Provide project support, including support for process engineering to the full development of process packages, application of modeling software, and design of relief devices
  • Collaborate with teams to discover and implement long-term process improvement efforts
  • Perform audit of process safety management systems and execute risk mitigation corrective actions.

Process Safety Engineer Job Description for Resume

If you are making a resume for a new job having worked before as a process safety engineer, or are currently holding that position, you can easily and quickly create the job or professional experience part of the resume utilizing the sample job description above.

As someone who has some work experience as a process safety engineer, you will need to show that in your resume if it is related to the new position you are seeking to effectively convince the recruiter that you can effectively handle it.

The above job description sample provides the major duties and responsibilities of a process safety engineer that you can apply in making the professional experience section of your resume.

Process Safety Engineer Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

If you are seeking the job of a process safety engineer with an organization, the recruiter may want you to meet a list of requirements to be qualified to access the position.

This is to enable them find the right candidates for the role who can effectively carry out the obligations, objectives, and purpose of the position.

Shown below are major requirements job seekers may have to fulfill to be considered for the position of a process safety engineer:

  • Education: Applicants for the process safety engineer role are commonly required to have a minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering
  • Certification: They require certification such as the Certified Safety Professional (CSP), the Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST), and Associate Safety Professional (ASP) to progress into management positions
  • Knowledge: Employers seek individuals with minimum of 2-10 years of engineering experience supporting Operations and/or Projects, such as plant or process engineering, project design, execution, engineering and/or technical service roles
  • They must have solid understanding of process safety elements, practical knowledge leading hazard assessments and exposure to industry API Codes and Standards
  • It is also important that they are familiar with Management of Change (MOC), Risk Management, and Process Hazard Analysis (PHA) risk assessments
  • Process Safety Engineers should also be fluent in managing and evaluating the applicability of technical safety/risk studies in projects. It is also essential that they understand process hazards, failure mechanisms, and safeguards
  • Collaborative skills: The job of a process safety engineer requires that they work with cross-functional teams, so it is vital that they can work with people with various backgrounds
  • Communication skills: It is essential that applicants have effective verbal and written communication skills to excel in this position. It is necessary for influencing, engaging, and facilitating workgroups, as well as in managing interfaces with engineering consultants, construction, operations, and others
  • Multi-tasking skills: They should be able to manage different simultaneous efforts, prioritize on work with most business impact, and also eliminate non-value added work
  • Critical-thinking skills: it is vital that process safety engineers have the technical skills to discover hazards to lives and property in the workplace before they cause material damage or become a threat
  • It is also crucial that they have the mental capacity to take into account processes from multiple systems when designing solutions for organizational operations, and to also anticipate a range of human reactions to the changes they propose.

Process Safety Engineer Salary

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, fines for potentially dangerous equipment can be very expensive; so it is essential for organizations, especially in the manufacturing and construction sectors to employ process safety engineers.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the national average salary for a process safety engineer is $76,050- 155,000 annually.

Conclusion

To hire a Process Safety Engineer, recruiters’ need to publish the job description for interested individuals to learn about the duties of the job to decide if they will be able to perform them.

To help you to quickly make the perfect description for the vacant process safety engineer position in your organization and attract the best candidates for the role, you can apply the sample job description provided above.

This post will also be helpful to you if you are interested in getting into the process safety engineering career; it gives you the information you need to learn a great deal about what the role does.