Safety is?

Maybe that is not a very good lead-in but the question comes up on an occasion asking about obtaining a safety education and what it will do for you. The question came up today as I was speaking to the Denver Federal Safety & Health Council as to what can a person be able to do with a degree in safety, whether a 2-year or a 4-year was not discussed. In other words, can a person then work in environmental or pipe-line, or the mines?
Sometimes it might be worth while having a series of courses that were very specific to the area someone would desire to work in. But I think that would be almost impossible. Even in aviation we can't get too specific. Jim was my boss while I was in the service. One day he comes in the office and states that there was a bird strike on a KC-135 and it needed to be investigated. I looked around and stated that no flight guys were there and he responded coolly that I would be the one doing the investigation. Whoa, I am an explosives and nuc guy. But "safety is safety, so go for it." That started my involvement in every other discipline of safety. I learned the makeup of birds and what to look for in a strike. I dissected birds, participated in aircraft crashes, worked on ground issues before I transitioned into the ground side.
It all came to light when I found out that when someone would call the command and ask a question I would get a call and asked my opinion and that was handed off as the answer. Interesting - the SME, jack of all trades so to speak.
I have had my time with individuals that don't quite grasp how someone can be knowledgeable on issues of safety in other disciplines. It is a matter of study and keeping in touch with what is happening in safety - all safety.