Geophysicist to mine health and safety engineer
A geophysicist already meets 20% of what the mine health and safety engineer role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
73/ 100
1 How much of what a mine health and safety engineer is expected to do is already part of a geophysicist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the mine health and safety engineer role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A mine health and safety engineer role treats 3 of its required skills as things a geophysicist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- address problems critically
- geology
- prepare scientific reports
What stands in the way is 11 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 4 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A mine health and safety engineer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a geophysicist background worth leading with.
- already held prepare scientific reports communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held geology natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held address problems critically communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held electrical engineering engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 4 carried skills, including the 3 the mine health and safety engineer role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 18 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn mine safety legislation required
- still to learn electricity required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- optional, not held impact of geological factors on mining operations optional
- optional, not held mining engineering optional
- still to learn develop health and safety strategies in mining required
- still to learn manage emergency procedures required
- still to learn supervise staff required
- still to learn investigate mine accidents required
- still to learn maintain records of mining operations required
- optional, not held inspect mine safety conditions optional
- optional, not held monitor employee's health optional
- still to learn prevent health and safety problems required
- still to learn ensure compliance with safety legislation required
- still to learn train employees in mine safety required
- optional, not held present reports optional
- optional, not held troubleshoot optional
- optional, not held health and safety hazards underground optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a mine health and safety engineer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 prevent health and safety problems practise this
- 02 investigate mine accidents practise this
- 03 maintain records of mining operations practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 4 skills that carry over
- already held address problems critically skill
- already held geology knowledge
- already held prepare scientific reports skill
- already held electrical engineering knowledge
7 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held impact of geological factors on mining operations optional
- optional, not held inspect mine safety conditions optional
- optional, not held mining engineering optional
- optional, not held monitor employee's health optional
- optional, not held health and safety hazards underground optional
- optional, not held present reports optional
- optional, not held troubleshoot optional
17 held skills the mine health and safety engineer role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advise on geophysical procedures skill
- not needed by the target role archaeology knowledge
- not needed by the target role assess potential gas yield skill
- not needed by the target role assess potential oil yield skill
- not needed by the target role conduct field work skill
- not needed by the target role document seismic research skill
- not needed by the target role electronics knowledge
- not needed by the target role engineer seismic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role geography knowledge
- not needed by the target role measure reservoir volumes skill
- not needed by the target role operate seismic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role perform electrical geophysical measurements skill
- not needed by the target role perform electromagnetic geophysical measurements skill
- not needed by the target role perform gravity measurements skill
- not needed by the target role physics knowledge
- not needed by the target role seismic measurement techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role use measurement instruments skill
6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn mine safety legislation required
- still to learn electricity required
- still to learn safety engineering required
- optional, not held impact of geological factors on mining operations optional
- optional, not held mining engineering optional
- optional, not held health and safety hazards underground optional
Common questions about this move
Can a geophysicist become a mine health and safety engineer?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A geophysicist already covers 20% of what a mine health and safety engineer is expected to do: 4 skills carry over, 3 of which the mine health and safety engineer role treats as required.
What skills does a geophysicist need to become a mine health and safety engineer?
11 required skills are missing, plus 7 optional ones. They fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by engineering, manufacturing and construction. The single most important is prevent health and safety problems.
How hard is the move from geophysicist to mine health and safety engineer?
Its learning distance is 73 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.