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Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
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.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $44K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $58K
Median Salary: $76K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $95K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $112K
Demand
Core Tasks
Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
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.
Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
Coordinate "right-to-know" programs regarding hazardous chemicals or other substances.
Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
Conduct safety training or education programs and demonstrate the use of safety equipment.
Analyze incident data to identify trends in injuries, illnesses, accidents, or other hazards.
Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
Investigate health-related complaints and inspect facilities to ensure that they comply with public health legislation and regulations.
Collect samples of hazardous materials or arrange for sample collection.
Inspect specified areas to ensure the presence of fire prevention equipment, safety equipment, or first-aid supplies.
Maintain or update emergency response plans or procedures.
Provide new-employee health and safety orientations and develop materials for these presentations.
Maintain inventories of hazardous materials or hazardous wastes, using waste tracking systems to ensure that materials are handled properly.
Conduct audits at hazardous waste sites or industrial sites or participate in hazardous waste site investigations.
Develop or maintain medical monitoring programs for employees.
Perform laboratory analyses or physical inspections of samples to detect disease or to assess purity or cleanliness.
Prepare hazardous, radioactive, or mixed waste samples for transportation or storage by treating, compacting, packaging, and labeling them.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Education and Training
84%
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
84%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Chemistry
80%
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
80%
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
79%
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics
78%
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Biology
77%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Engineering and Technology
75%
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
74%
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
72%
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.
Top 10 Skills
Speaking
80%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening
78%
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
78%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking
78%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
78%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Judgment and Decision Making
75%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Social Perceptiveness
75%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Systems Evaluation
75%
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Monitoring
73%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Writing
73%
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Top 10 Abilities
Deductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
80%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Oral Comprehension
80%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Problem Sensitivity
80%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Written Comprehension
80%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Near Vision
78%
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Flexibility of Closure
75%
The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Information Ordering
75%
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).
Top 10 Work Activities
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
92%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Getting Information
90%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
89%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others
89%
Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
89%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Analyzing Data or Information
87%
Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
Documenting/Recording Information
87%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
86%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
86%
Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
85%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
Advise communities or institutions regarding health or safety issues.
Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
Design public or employee health programs.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Consult with others regarding safe or healthy equipment or facilities.
Conduct health or safety training programs.
Prepare healthcare training materials.
Test facilities for environmental hazards.
Develop emergency procedures.
Monitor the handling of hazardous materials or medical wastes.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Analyze laboratory specimens to detect abnormalities or other problems.
Investigate safety of work environment.
Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
Analyze operational data to evaluate operations, processes or products.
Work Context
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Investigative
96%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
77%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Realistic
58%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Social
58%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising
39%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
19%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
96%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Cooperation
92%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Attention to Detail
90%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability
90%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Adaptability/Flexibility
88%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others
88%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Initiative
88%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Analytical Thinking
86%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Leadership
86%
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Persistence
85%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
Support
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions
74%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence
72%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
