Ok straight forward question in the subject title; a close friends son asked me very recently, but I'm so out of touch with work/careers as I've been retired now for eight years after a very successful career in SH&E, initially with a global blue chip company & then 12 years running my own consultancy. This person would like to do likewise / similar. So is the current employment situation worth someone considering a career in H&S?

Im with Peter on this one - how long is a piece of string? There are plenty of H&S jobs out there on wide pay scales, but lots of people fighting for them. A lot will depend on if your friend is already in employment or is happy to work his way up. One big change i have seen in recent years is the creation of H&S apprentiships which give a new route into the profession. Those of us who have been in H&S for a while may feel jaded from time to time - but its given me a living for my working life and i dont see H&S dissapearing anytime soon. (sorry not spellchecked - hope not two many mistakes.)

Many thanks everybody. Yes, a lot of ifs, buts & maybe's. I was speicifcally involved in the construction sector, predominantly Sports Stadia & Associated training grounds, eg Wembley, Emirates, Olympics, Spurs & it was excellent work & well paid but they needed heavy tack in terms of qualifications, Arsenal wanted MSc which I was fortunate to get through my company when employed. Speaking & emailing those I worked with it appears Sports Stadia work is very quiet currently & construction is I'm told an 'absolute nightmare' at the moment, plenty of work going on but managing the constant stream of contractors, sub-contractors & different langauages of those working is making things difficult. My friends son has NEBOSH Cert as it was a requriment of him managiong contractors in his company & he's now thinking of Diploma but will have to fund this himself - think I'll tell him to stay with his company & see where he goes with H&S from within - the company is strong & pays well. Better the devil you know at the moment I think. Thanks again.

Yes, it is worth it depending on skills and experience. 

A lot of employers are wanting quite a bit more than just H&S for the posts they are offering so they need to be prepared to upskill regularly. Common requirements lumped in are training skills, Environmental knowledge and Quality Assurance. Also be prepared to pay for these yourself. Once gained though these can be routes to different careers if required.

Starting with smaller businesses  and a level 3 qualification may be the best way in and gain experience.

Perhaps an under-regarded attraction of working in health and safety is wherever I’ve worked I get to go everywhere and talk to everybody. You pick up all sorts of odd nuggets of knowledge and understanding about how people tick and places work that you’ll not get in a role that’s fixed in one part of the factory/office/site. This hasn’t helped me get every job I wanted but looking back it helped me get every job I needed.

 The employment situation will vary over time but this is a profession that offers a lot of different options. I’ve worked in central and local government, small business, multinationals, freelance and now in the charity sector. If I retire from my regular job in a few years, that variety of experience means I’ll still have the option to try consultancy or freelancing again.

Good luck to the young man.