Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
O*NET files this work under Occupational Health and Safety Specialists: people who review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. On the six-type interest model it reads ICR, meaning research, analysis and working through hard problems comes first, followed by orderly work with data, records and clear procedures. The preparation level is considerable preparation, typically a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. O*NET’s skill data points to writing, speaking, and reading comprehension as the ones to build. Expect to recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials. If you want research, analysis and working through hard problems, keep it on your list. If you need creative work with room for original expression, it may feel thin.
What they do
Review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. May conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals. May be employed in the public or private sector.
Main tasks
- Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
- Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
- Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
- Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
- Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
- Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
Skills
- Writing
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Systems Evaluation
- Systems Analysis
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You enjoy working out why something happens, not just what happened.
- You like clear rules and getting the details right.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on writing and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You lose interest when a job asks for long stretches of analysis.
- You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.3 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code ICR takes the three highest, and Investigative comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Chemical Hygiene Officer
- EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer)
- Health and Safety Analyst
- Industrial Hygiene Consultant
- Industrial Hygienist
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.