Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Cargo Safety Officer
💰 $45,000 to $70,000 per year
LogisticsCargo SafetyTransportation Compliance
🎯 Role Definition
The Cargo Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring that cargo operations—whether air, sea, road or rail—are executed in full compliance with safety, regulatory and company standards. This individual monitors and manages cargo handling, dangerous goods, special shipments, third‑party handling agents, risk assessments, incident investigations and fosters a culture of safety across the logistics network. With strong technical, regulatory and operational knowledge, the Cargo Safety Officer protects operational integrity, ensures safe working conditions and supports seamless freight movement.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Cargo Operations Coordinator / Cargo Agent
- Logistics Safety Analyst – freight or warehousing
- Safety or Compliance Officer in transport or hazardous goods handling
Advancement To:
- Senior Cargo Safety Officer / Cargo Safety Manager
- Regional Cargo Safety & Compliance Manager
- Director of Safety, Security & Cargo Operations
Lateral Moves:
- Dangerous Goods Specialist / DG‑Cargo Compliance Officer
- Logistics Quality & Safety Manager
- Transport Risk Manager – Freight & Cargo
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Conduct comprehensive safety audits, inspections and risk assessments of cargo operations including loading, unloading, storage, handling of dangerous goods, heavy/oversized shipments and special cargo.
- Develop, update and implement cargo safety policies, procedures and guidelines in accordance with international and local regulations (e.g., International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Regulations, International Maritime Organization (IMO) IMDG Code).
- Oversee daily cargo handling activities, monitor cargo flows, ensure safe staging, securement, movement and storage in warehouses, yards and transport vehicles.
- Investigate cargo‑related incidents, near‑misses and non‑conformities; identify root causes, document findings, track corrective actions and ensure lessons learned are implemented.
- Monitor and measure cargo safety performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), produce dashboards and reports for senior management with actionable insights for improvement.
- Provide safety training, briefings and awareness programmes for cargo staff, handling agents, third‑party vendors and contractors to embed strong safety culture and adherence to standards.
- Review and approve cargo loading plans, lifting plans, method statements, risk assessments and ensure safe cargo operations in loading/unloading of containers, palletised units, oversized or special shipments.
- Coordinate with cargo operations leadership, logistics, warehousing, transport and maintenance teams to integrate safety requirements, manage deviations and ensure that operations are executed safely.
- Maintain and manage a comprehensive cargo safety documentation system including inspection checklists, audit records, training logs, incident reports, equipment certificates and regulatory filings.
- Conduct vendor and subcontractor safety assessments, monitor their compliance with company standards, contract requirements and cargo handling performance expectations.
- Conduct regular reviews of cargo handling equipment (e.g., forklifts, reach stackers, cranes, trucks, conveyors), ensure maintenance, inspection records and safety function are up to date and compliant with standards.
- Manage the safety aspects of dangerous and special cargo categories (DG, lithium batteries, hazardous materials, perishables, live animals, oversized loads) ensuring packaging, documentation, transport mode and transit meet all regulatory requirements.
- Lead emergency preparedness and business continuity initiatives specific to cargo operations including spill control, containment, fire, security breach, dangerous goods release, natural disaster response or major incident.
- Champion continuous improvement in cargo safety by analysing trends, initiating process improvements, introducing automation or digital solutions and reducing incident frequency or severity.
- Ensure compliance with occupational health, safety and environmental (HSE) regulations in cargo areas, promote safe work practices, PPE usage, hazard elimination and safe material handling.
- Act as liaison with regulatory authorities, inspectors and auditors (e.g., customs, aviation authorities, port authorities), prepare for and support audits and regulatory inspections in cargo environments.
- Facilitate change control processes and safety screening whenever new cargo handling processes, equipment or technology are introduced—assess risk, approve rollout and ensure safe implementation.
- Drive culture of safety across cargo teams, lead safety committee meetings, share best practices, recognise safe behaviours, and escalate unsafe conditions or behaviours proactively.
- Participate in budget planning for cargo safety equipment, training programmes and monitoring technology; present business cases for investment in safety enhancement initiatives.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship for junior safety officers or cargo handlers on safety policies, investigations, handling procedures and best practices in logistics safety.
Secondary Functions
- Support ad‑hoc data requests, exploratory analysis of cargo safety metrics and emerging risk signals within the freight supply‑chain.
- Contribute to the cargo operations safety roadmap by recommending system upgrades, digitisation of inspections, predictive analytics and standardisation of global cargo handling processes.
- Collaborate with operations IT, business units and engineering to translate cargo safety requirements into system workflows, software modules or equipment specification changes.
- Participate in shift‑handover planning, safety briefings, and coordination across global cargo terminals to ensure consistent safety standards.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Expertise in regulations for cargo safety, dangerous goods, DG transport, import/export compliance, air/sea/road multimodal cargo handling.
- Skilled in conducting hazard identification, risk assessments, audits, incident investigations and root‑cause analysis in cargo operations.
- Strong ability in reviewing and approving cargo loading plans, lifting plans, method statements and safe work permit systems.
- Proficiency in monitoring and interpreting safety performance data, trending, KPIs and using dashboards or analytics for safety decision‑making.
- Competence in developing and delivering safety training programmes, awareness campaigns and competency assessments for cargo teams and vendors.
- Strong documentation and record‑keeping skills including audit reports, safety logs, equipment certification, inspection checklists and regulatory submissions.
- Knowledge of cargo handling equipment and infrastructure: container yards, warehousing, forklifts, cranes, trucks, conveyors and related inspection/maintenance regimes.
- Skilled in managing third‑party vendors and subcontractors with regard to safety compliance, contract safety performance and vendor audits.
- Ability to lead emergency response and continuity planning specific to cargo operations: spill response, fire, dangerous goods release, security breach.
- Familiarity with budgeting and business‑case development for safety investments, equipment procurement, system upgrades and training programmes.
Soft Skills
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal): able to report to senior management, liaise with regulators, and train frontline staff.
- Leadership and influence: able to drive safety culture, lead meetings, hold stakeholders accountable and motivate others toward safe behaviours.
- Analytical thinking and problem‑solving: capable of interpreting safety metrics, identifying patterns, diagnosing root causes and proposing solutions.
- High level of integrity and ethics: trusted to handle sensitive safety incidents, regulatory reporting and promote compliance over shortcuts.
- Adaptability and resilience: able to operate in dynamic freight environments, shift priorities as needs evolve and respond to emergency situations calmly.
- Team‑oriented and collaborative: able to work cross‑functionally with operations, maintenance, logistics, and vendors to ensure safe outcomes.
- Attention to detail and precision: ensures documentation accuracy, inspection completeness and adherence to procedures.
- Proactive and improvement‑focused: continually seeks to enhance safety practices, identify risks and implement preventive actions.
- Time‑management and prioritisation: can manage multiple terminals, tasks, audits and training programmes simultaneously.
- Coaching and mentoring: able to guide, develop and support junior safety staff and cargo handlers in safe work practices.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
Bachelor’s degree in Logistics, Supply Chain, Occupational Health & Safety, Engineering, Transport Management or a related discipline.
Preferred Education:
Bachelor’s degree plus relevant safety certifications (e.g., NEBOSH, IOSH, DG certification, aviation/port safety qualification) or master’s in Safety / Logistics Management.
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Occupational Health & Safety / Safety Management
- Logistics / Supply Chain / Transport Management
- Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Safety)
- Aviation or Maritime Operations
- Risk Management