Careers > Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

$78.57K Median Salary 7.8K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 6.9% Job Growth

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About This Career

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.

Reported Job Titles

Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Chemical Hygiene Officer, Environmental Health and Safety Officer, Environmental, Health, and Safety Officer (EHS Officer), Industrial Hygienist, Industrial Hygienist Consultant, Safety Consultant, Safety Management Consultant, Safety Officer, Safety Specialist

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

Click on skills to find related courses.

Abilities

Deductive Reasoning

Inductive Reasoning

Oral Comprehension

Oral Expression

Problem Sensitivity

Written Comprehension

Written Expression

Near Vision

Flexibility of Closure

Information Ordering

Speech Clarity

Speech Recognition

Far Vision

Category Flexibility

Mathematical Reasoning

Perceptual Speed

Number Facility

Originality

Visualization

Fluency of Ideas

Selective Attention

Speed of Closure

Knowledge

Education and Training

English Language

Chemistry

Public Safety and Security

Law and Government

Mathematics

Biology

Engineering and Technology

Customer and Personal Service

Physics

Mechanical

Administration and Management

Computers and Electronics

Psychology

Production and Processing

Building and Construction

Personnel and Human Resources

Skills

Speaking

Active Listening

Complex Problem Solving

Critical Thinking

Reading Comprehension

Judgment and Decision Making

Social Perceptiveness

Systems Evaluation

Monitoring

Writing

Systems Analysis

Active Learning

Instructing

Mathematics

Learning Strategies

Operations Monitoring

Quality Control Analysis

Coordination

Persuasion

Negotiation

Operations Analysis

Service Orientation

Time Management

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software

Presentation software

Compliance software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Office suite software

Cloud-based data access and sharing software

Operating system software

Word processing software

Internet browser software

Project management software

Web platform development software

Tools

Air samplers or collectors

Gas detector tubes

Air sampling pumps

Liquid leak detectors

Gas detectors

Moisture meters

Air pollutant samplers

Eyewashers or eye wash stations

Soil testing kits

Audiometers

Decontamination shower

Anemometers

Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters

Flowmeters

Fire extinguishers

Chromatographic detectors

Manometers

Photometer

Dissolved oxygen meters

Respirators

Geiger counters

Peristaltic pumps

Psychrometers

Barometers

Laboratory balances

Compressed air gun

Spirometers

Dosimeters

Medical tape measures

Acoustic ear muffs or defenders

Chemical absorption gas analyzers

Pressure indicators

Notebook computers

Rotameters

pH meters

Gas chromatographs

Handheld thermometer

Sampling syringes

Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories

Flame ionization analyzers

Laboratory flasks

Goggles

Vibration testers

Gamma counters

Safety shoes

Turbidimeters

Toxicology test kits or supplies

Desktop computers

Sample holders

Single gas monitors

Personal computers

Multi gas monitors

Colorimeters

Lux or light meter

Pasteur or transfer pipettes

Hazardous material protective apparel

Air velocity and temperature monitors

Leak testing equipment

Abilities

Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Originality: The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Visualization: The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Fluency of Ideas: The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

Knowledge

Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Chemistry: Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Biology: Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Engineering and Technology: Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Physics: Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
Mechanical: Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Psychology: Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Production and Processing: Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Building and Construction: Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Personnel and Human Resources: Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Skills

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Technology Skills

Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
Compliance software: ESS Compliance Suite; Mannus Compliance: EHS; Primatech AUDITWorks
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; SAP software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint
Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Web platform development software: Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP

Tools

Air samplers or collectors: Aerosol meters; Air quality dataloggers; Microbial samplers; Thermal desorption tubes
Gas detector tubes: Sorbent tubes
Air sampling pumps: Gilibrators; Personal sampling pumps
Liquid leak detectors: Liquid leak testing equipment; Refrigerant leak detectors
Gas detectors: Combustible gas detectors
Moisture meters:
Air pollutant samplers: Particle sensors; Particulate monitors
Eyewashers or eye wash stations: Emergency eye wash stations
Soil testing kits:
Audiometers:
Decontamination shower: Emergency shower stations
Anemometers: Thermoanemometers
Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters: X ray fluorescence XRF analyzers
Flowmeters: Electronic bubble meters; Electronic pump calibrators; Mass flow meters
Fire extinguishers:
Chromatographic detectors: Photodetectors
Manometers:
Photometer: Aerosol photometers
Dissolved oxygen meters: Dissolved oxygen monitors
Respirators: Half-face respirators; Respirator hose masks
Geiger counters: Geiger-Muller counters
Peristaltic pumps:
Psychrometers:
Barometers:
Laboratory balances: Electrobalances
Compressed air gun: Compressed air guns
Spirometers:
Dosimeters: Passive dosimeters
Medical tape measures: Medical measuring tapes
Acoustic ear muffs or defenders: Protective ear muffs
Chemical absorption gas analyzers: Passive samplers
Pressure indicators: Pressure meters
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Rotameters:
pH meters: pH monitors
Gas chromatographs: Gas chromatographs GC
Handheld thermometer: Handheld thermometers
Sampling syringes: Microliter syringes
Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories: Self-contained breathing apparatus
Flame ionization analyzers: Flame ionization detectors FID
Laboratory flasks: Volumetric flasks
Goggles: Safety goggles
Vibration testers: Vibration monitors
Gamma counters: Gamma radiation survey meters
Safety shoes:
Turbidimeters: Turbidity monitors
Toxicology test kits or supplies: Mold sampling equipment
Desktop computers:
Sample holders: Sample vials
Single gas monitors: Carbon monoxide sensors; Mercury vapor analyzers
Personal computers:
Multi gas monitors: Electrochemical gas monitors
Colorimeters:
Lux or light meter: Light meters
Pasteur or transfer pipettes: Laboratory transfer pipettes
Hazardous material protective apparel: Personal protective suits
Air velocity and temperature monitors: Air flow calibrators
Leak testing equipment: Smoke generating tubes

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