Ensuring Safety in Construction
Construction Site Safety And Health Officer
Need a competent and qualified Site Safety and Health Officer for your construction project? If so, TITAN Consultants provides industry-leading professionals ready to ensure your job site meets the highest safety standards. Moreover, each Site Safety and Health Officer we deploy holds the necessary certifications and field experience to comply with all federal, state, and project-specific requirements. As a result, your project maintains strong compliance and proactive hazard control. With TITAN, you’re not just filling a role; instead, you’re securing dependable safety leadership that supports your team and strengthens overall project safety.
- Five years of experience in USACE, NAVFAC, and VA projects as SSHOs
- OSHA 30-hr Construction DOL card
- Active First Aid / CPR / AED
- 24-hrs Fall Protection Competent Person per EM 385-1-1 requirements
- 8-hour annual safety continued education
According to the EM385-1-1 (March 2024), a Site Safety and Health Officer (SSHO) must always be at the work site to oversee safety and occupational health management, surveillance, inspections, and enforcement for the Contractor. It is important to note that the Contractor’s Quality Control (QC) person cannot serve as the SSHO on most projects despite having safety inspection responsibilities as part of their QC duties.
The SSHO must meet the following requirements:
1st Level:
- Experience: Worked on similar projects.
- Training: Completed a 10-hour OSHA construction safety class or equivalent within the last three years.
- Competent Person Training: As required.
2nd Level:
- Experience: A minimum of 3 years of safety work on similar projects.
- Training: Completed a 30-hour OSHA construction safety class or equivalent within the last three years.
- Competent Person Training: As required.
3rd Level:
- Experience: A minimum of 5 years of safety work on similar projects.
- Training: Completed a 30-hour OSHA construction safety class or equivalent within the last five years.
- Additional Training: At least 24 hours of formal safety training each year for the past five years.
- Competent Person Training: As required.
4th Level:
- Experience: At least ten years of progressive safety work, with at least five years of experience on similar projects.
- Training: Completed a 30-hour OSHA construction safety class or equivalent within the last five years.
- Additional Training: At least 24 hours of formal safety training each year for the past five years.
- Competent Person Training: As required.
5th Level:
- Certifications: Must be an Associate Safety Professional (ASP), Certified Safety Trained Supervisor (STS), and Construction Health & Safety Technician (CHST).
- Experience: At least ten years of progressive safety work, with at least five years of experience on similar projects.
- Training: Completed a 30-hour OSHA construction safety class or equivalent within the last five years.
- Additional Training: At least 24 hours of formal safety training each year for the past five years.
- Competent Person Training: As required.
Per the Government Safety Requirements specifications within most Prime Construction Contracts,
the primary roles and responsibilities of the SSHOs include:
- Conduct daily safety and health inspections, maintaining a log of inspected areas, dates, hazards, corrective actions, and completion dates. Submit daily reports to the QC Manager.
- Conduct mishap investigations, complete accident reports, and report near misses.
- Use and maintain OSHA’s Form 300 to log work-related injuries and post Form 300A on the site safety bulletin board.
- Attend pre-construction, mutual understanding, three-phase quality, and progress meetings.
- Review, approve, implement, and enforce the APP and Accident Hazard Awareness (AHAs) for compliance with EM 385-1-1.
- Maintain applicable safety reference materials on-site.
- Establish and maintain a safety deficiency tracking system.
- Maintain a list of hazardous chemicals and their Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
- Maintain a weekly list of high-hazard activities and be prepared to discuss details during Quality Control Progress Meetings.
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We are proud to have worked in the following states:
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We are proud to have worked in the following countries:
Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
Guam
Korea
Japan
Afghanistan
Brazil
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The site safety and health officer (SSHO) is ultimately responsible to ensure and enforce government and prime contractor safety policies while work is being performed on the construction project.
You cannot replace experience with education in this profession. But to start as an SSHO, the best certification to start with should be your OSHA 30-hr, First Aid, CPR, 24-hr fall protection competent person, and EM 385-1-1 40 hr. These courses will prepare the SSHO in how to read and enforce the required safety policies.
You should first begin your path by supervising operations as an HSE Manager or SSHO in general industry or construction industry. You will need to first establish 5 years of documented safety supervisory experience. During this time, you should begin taking OSHA 30-hr, CPR, First Aid, 24-hs fall protection competent person, and EM 385-1-1 40 hr course. After these are complete, you should be qualified to work as an SSHO on some USACE and NAVFAC construction projects. Therefore, you can pursue opportunities on federal construction sites and, more importantly, support projects that require strict safety compliance. Ultimately, this qualification helps you advance your career while contributing to safer and more compliant jobsite operations.
Like all positions, pay rates vary depending on the level of responsibility, hours worked, and project complexity. Additionally, they may fluctuate based on required certifications, site conditions, and overall risk level. Consequently, higher responsibility and more complex projects often command higher compensation.
Not all projects are the same; therefore, qualification requirements can vary. Generally, the more complex the construction project, the more advanced qualifications and experience may be required. But most construction projects require the SSHO have: 5 year’s continuous safety experience (construction or general industry) as a supervisor or manager, OSHA 30-hr card issued by the Department of Labor (DOL), 24-hour fall protection competent person (per EM 385-1-1), active first aid/CPR card, and 8 hours of continued experience annually in construction safety.
Some projects may have multiple sites; therefore, it may not be feasible for a single safety supervisor to be present at each location to enforce safety requirements.In such cases, many prime contracts require multiple SSHOs—typically one per worksite or, alternatively, the prime contractor may assign Designated Representatives (DR) or Collateral Duty Safety Officers (CDSO). Subsequently, these assigned personnel report directly to the SSHO and, therefore, provide their findings and safety reports to ensure continuous oversight and timely hazard resolution.. As a result, communication remains consistent, and hazards are addressed promptly. In conclusion, this structure ensures that safety is continuously monitored and, as a result, effectively enforced across all construction sites. Moreover, it provides clear accountability and, therefore, helps prevent hazards before they occur. Consequently, workers remain protected, and projects maintain full compliance with safety standards.
Conduct daily safety and health inspections and, in addition, maintain a written log detailing inspected areas, dates, identified hazards, corrective actions, and completion dates. Then, submit the daily report to the QC Manager for government review.
Conduct mishap investigations and, furthermore, complete accident reports while promptly reporting all near misses.
Use and maintain OSHA Form 300 to log all project-related injuries and, moreover, post and update Form 300A on the site safety bulletin board.
Attend pre-construction meetings and, additionally, participate in mutual understanding meetings, three-phase quality control meetings, and regular progress meetings.
Review the APP and Accident Hazard Analyses (AHAs) for EM 385-1-1 compliance and, therefore, approve, implement, and enforce all safety plans and AHAs throughout the project.
