Types of Engineers

Safety

Are you interested in designs that keep people safe?

Safety engineers are certified professionals who apply math, science, and engineering principles to the design of systems with inherent safety and fail-safe features. Safety engineers often work as members of project teams, advising on proper handling of chemicals and compliance with applicable regulations, conducting safety drills for personnel, assuring that procedures are documented, and performing myriad other tasks designed to assure the safety of industry personnel and any nearby residents. Each day, hundreds of thousands of oil and gas personnel work around highly flammable materials, sometimes high above the ground or out in the middle of the ocean, yet the oil and gas industry has an enviable safety record—one of the best among industries in the US. The number of engineers with primary responsibility for safety is expected to continue to grow. Something as simple as the design of a hand-railing on a stair can be crucially important when you’re on an offshore platform hundreds of miles from shore.

Solar

Are you interested capturing the world’s most abundant energy source?

Solar engineers focus on creating systems that put the sun’s power to work for the planet’s energy needs. They study the properties of solar radiation and how to build and test devices to collect solar energy and use it as electricity, for heating water or in other valuable ways.