Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
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.
Expected pay range
Expected pay range
This represents the median earnings for this career in the selected county or state. In the range shown, 25% of workers earned less than the bottom salary and 25% earned more than the top salary. Data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
About occupational health and safety specialists
Other 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
Tasks they perform
- Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
- 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.
Skills they need
- 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.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- 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.
- 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 Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- 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.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Licenses and Certifications
How to decide which one is right? That depends on an individual’s career path, specialty, and resources.
Certifications
Certifications may be available for this career and can help build knowledge and skills in specific job roles. Explore available certifications (external link opens new tab)
Similar careers
View careers in the same field as occupational health and safety specialists.
Environmental Engineers
Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
Better pay
Median salary for this career is higher than the median salary of all careers in the county selected. Salary data is provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
In demand
In demand careers have high-growth, high-demand, and emerging jobs critical to Texas. They are based on economic indicators like in demand industries, labor market trends, and economic conditions, provided by the Texas Workforce Commission.
Additional career information and resources
Learn more about occupational health and safety specialists with these helpful sites.
- American Board of Industrial Hygiene (external link opens new tab)
- American Chemical Society (external link opens new tab)
- American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (external link opens new tab)
- American Industrial Hygiene Association (external link opens new tab)
- American Society of Safety Engineers (external link opens new tab)
- Board for Global EHS Credentialing (external link opens new tab)
- Board of Certified Safety Professionals (external link opens new tab)
- Health Physics Society (external link opens new tab)
- National Fire Protection Association (external link opens new tab)
- National Safety Council (external link opens new tab)