A consumer safety inspector is a person who inspects consumer goods and verifies there is no hazard to a product. This person will make sure that the organization is following protocol by the books according to safety and this position will provide lot of documentation. The products a consumer safety inspector will inspect include children's toys, clothing, imported goods, meat and other foods, drinks, and any other consumer good on the market.
One of the places you could work if you were to take a job as a consumer safety inspector is with the USDA which is the United States Department of Agriculture. However, there are many positions with the Food and Drug Administration and other federal divisions. As an inspector for the government you will be given specific training through the government. The training you will receive is nothing you will learn in a college degree and you do not need a degree to maintain a position like this. The important thing is to get hired and to work the required amount of on the job hours, go through training, and take exams to become certified.
When you want to find a job as a consumer safety inspector you want to apply directly to the federal organization you want to work for. This means that if you know who it is you want to work for then you should visit their website or call the organization and inquire about how to apply. Many of the federal inspector positions are contracted out through the government. You won't actually work for the government directly in government jobs because they contract most of their jobs out. You can ask the company who the contracting company is that hires their consumer safety inspectors. They are allowed to tell you because this is not classified information. You will need to submit your resume and your inquiry to the contracting agency that will do the hiring. If you can, apply directly to the USDA for a position and see if you can get in. It is easier to get hired as a contractor and then be considered later for the full-time position with benefits.
There are many duties of a consumer safety inspector you will be responsible for performing. Let's say you are looking at a slaughter house for sheep and steers. You will be required to ensure the regulated establishment produces a safe product. It is important to execute the appropriate inspection methodologies, determine if noncompliance is occurring with regulated requirements, document noncompliance and enforcement against noncompliance. You will be required to verify the meat and poultry slaughter establishments are sanitized up to standard by doing an analysis of the hazard and more. Unsanitary conditions will be inspected by you.
There is a lot of paperwork that is required as an inspector. You will need to review quite a bit of paperwork, observe the entire operations and verify the operations in person. The documentation you prepare must be in detail and you will have to discuss any noncompliance issues and what your actions were to enforce corrective action and enforcement. You will have to oversee activities on a regular basis. It is important that you pay attention to anything regarding consumer protection. Problems such as economic adulteration and misbranding are also issues you would need to document and be responsible for.
As a consumer safety inspector you will need to have excellent communications skills. You will be in direct contact with owners, plant managers, and other employees to discuss legal issues and regulatory requirements. You will have to discuss thoroughly the SSOP, HACCP, food safety plans, and other safety standards that must be met by different organizations.
The experience you need to work in a position of a consumer safety inspector is usually specialized. Again, this education is not something you will ever learn in a public education. You can usually get the experience from working in the specified industry. For example, if you are looking for a job in a poultry slaughterhouse you will need specialized experience of at least one full year of being responsible for a lower level than what you are applying for. The experience will require you have worked with Federal Meat, Egg Products Inspection Acts, Poultry, and more. You will need to know the federal regulations and laws related to consumer products and safety to ensure no product will harm a consumer. The last thing you want is for one of your approved products to be pulled from the shelves because the meat is infected.
If you are interested in becoming a consumer safety inspector you should know that this is a hard job to get. You should live in the area where you want to work or apply. If there is a slaughterhouse near you then you can talk to the owner and find out who they use for safety standards. You can apply through the USDA or another federal agency or find out which contracting firms are used too. The only way to get in is to get hired for jobs in the government and then build on your experience and pass the exams.