Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Careers
Occupational health and safety specialists help analyze different work environments to determine if there are any hazards in the area that could harm or impede employees. They help determine if a workspace is up to the regulation standards and provide insight on how to improve various locations, including factories, warehouses, and more.
An occupational specialist most often works full time with a traditional schedule. They often work in a company’s warehouse or factory location, but the job may include travel to other off-site work locations. Fieldwork may also be necessary to provide advice and management to various locations that are best viewed and evaluated in person.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Career Snapshot
Further details on a career as an occupational health and safety specialist is listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average yearly salary for occupational health and safety specialists.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have a Bachelor’s degree while 18% have a Master’s degree.
Occupational Health/Safety Specialist Education
A Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety is necessary to work in this field. A Master’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety can be acquired as well to work in more advanced roles.
Occupational Health/Safety Specialist Job Duties
In this job, you will create safety protocols and programs for the various job duties and clearance levels. You will evaluate the current safety measures and provide advice on how to improve them. You will make sure all machinery and operating tools are up to code, clearly labeled with safety warnings, and that the correct safety gear is available and being worn by all employees. This job may involve submitting reports, proposals, and hosting meetings to share the information you have gathered concerning the company’s safety program. You will also work closely with any worker’s compensation claims that are submitted at your place of employment to evaluate if it was the worker’s error or a design flaw in the safety system.
Occupational Health/Safety Specialist Salaries
According to the BLS.gov, this job commands an average annual salary of $70,000 in 2015 with the lowest 10% earning $40,890 and the highest 10% earning $102,980. An occupational health and safety specialist working at a global manufacturing company or with a Master’s degree has the potential to earn in the higher range of the salary or more.
Occupational Health/Safety Specialist Job Outlook
This job is expected to show 4% growth which is a slightly lower than average rate.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist Skills & Traits
| Safety Specialist Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Safety Specialists: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Active Listening • Complex Problem Solving • Critical Thinking • Speaking • Decision Making | • Problem Sensitivity • Deductive Reasoning • Inductive Reasoning • Oral Comprehension • Oral Expression | • Air samplers or collectors • Air sampling pumps • Gas detector tubes • Gas detectors • Liquid leak detectors | • Communicating with Others • Evaluating Information • Getting Information • Decision Making • Training Others |
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