A career in Work Health and Safety (WHS or OHS) can be wide and varied. From entry level safety officer positions to executive level management roles, safety is a big part of every organisation, large and small. And, of course, safety investigators play a key role in compliance, auditing and the investigation of incidents.  

A search of the website Seek (seek.com.au) revealed over 51,000 advertised positions in WHS in the country at the current time. A lot of these are in the resources sector, but every government and private/corporate organisation places WHS as one of its key roles.  And with significant legislative compliance obligations, every organisation needs to ensure that safety is a key priority. After all, the health and welfare of people should always be the number one objective.  

Recent amendments to WHS law across Australia – relating to minimising psychological and psychosocial risk – are an example of how important WHS is. This new legislation now puts a positive duty on employers to ensure the psychological and welfare risks of employees are assessed and managed appropriately.   

Investigators play a key role in WHS because they engage in the audit process (that is, checking for compliance) and investigate incidents and near misses. This is vital to determine cause and make recommendations that incidents don’t happen again. And, no 

different to any investigation function, the skills of analysis, gathering evidence, taking statements and conducting interviews are paramount. 

That’s why here at the Professional Investigators College of Australasia (PICA) we’re proud to introduce our new BSB41415 Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety to our scope of accredited courses. We’re also excited to give our students of safety opportunities to study many WHS short courses that will accompany the certificate.  

PICA’s WHS and Security expert, Dave Northcott, said this course suite will provide students with the relevant qualifications to commence a career in WHS, and also give those in the industry real world professional development.   

“Combined with our many other investigation-specific modules, this cert IV in WHS will give students the best practice, most up to date training in safety compliance and investigation,” Mr Northcott said. “Our mission is to produce the best WHS staff and, as always, provide career pathways for our students.”  

So if you’re already involved in WHS, or a looking for a new challenge, why not consider a Certificate IV in Work Health and Safety? There’s plenty of roles on offer, and lots of opportunity to make a difference!  

For investigators wanting to expand their skill set, WHS training and development provides the perfect opportunity.