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Date: 06/30/2025

Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

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.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
    • Analyze incident data to identify trends in injuries, illnesses, accidents, or other hazards.
    • Conduct audits at hazardous waste sites or industrial sites or participate in hazardous waste site investigations.
    • 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.
    • 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 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.
    • Conduct audits at hazardous waste sites or industrial sites or participate in hazardous waste site investigations.
    • Develop or maintain medical monitoring programs for employees.
    • Inspect specified areas to ensure the presence of fire prevention equipment, safety equipment, or first-aid supplies.
    • Maintain inventories of hazardous materials or hazardous wastes, using waste tracking systems to ensure that materials are handled properly.
    • Maintain or update emergency response plans or procedures.
    • Investigate health-related complaints and inspect facilities to ensure that they comply with public health legislation and regulations.
    • Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
    • Analyze incident data to identify trends in injuries, illnesses, accidents, or other hazards.
    • Collect samples of hazardous materials or arrange for sample collection.
    • Perform laboratory analyses or physical inspections of samples to detect disease or to assess purity or cleanliness.
    • Write reports.
    • Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
    • Provide new-employee health and safety orientations and develop materials for these presentations.
    • Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
    • Coordinate "right-to-know" programs regarding hazardous chemicals or other substances.
    • Write reports.

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    N/A
    Workplace Documents
    N/A
    Graphic Literacy
    N/A

    Abilities

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    Knowledge

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • 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.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • 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.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 76960/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 37/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 5,760
    • Yearly Projected Openings 630

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Investigative: People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Integrity
    • Attention to Detail
    • Concern for Others
    • Dependability
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
    • Air pollutant samplers
    • Air samplers or collectors
    • Air sampling pumps
    • Air velocity and temperature monitors
    • Anemometers
    • Audiometers
    • Barometers
    • Chemical absorption gas analyzers
    • Chromatographic detectors
    • Colorimeters
    • Compressed air gun
    • Decontamination shower
    • Desktop computers
    • Dissolved oxygen meters
    • Dosimeters
    • Eyewashers or eye wash stations
    • Fire extinguishers
    • Flame ionization analyzers
    • Flowmeters
    • Gamma counters
    • Gas chromatographs
    • Gas detector tubes
    • Gas detectors
    • Geiger counters
    • Goggles
    • Handheld thermometer
    • Hazardous material protective apparel
    • Laboratory balances
    • Laboratory flasks
    • Leak testing equipment
    • Liquid leak detectors
    • Lux or light meter
    • Manometers
    • Medical tape measures
    • Moisture meters
    • Multi gas monitors
    • Notebook computers
    • Pasteur or transfer pipettes
    • Peristaltic pumps
    • Personal computers
    • Photometer
    • Pressure indicators
    • Psychrometers
    • Respiration air supplying self contained breathing apparatus or accessories
    • Respirators
    • Rotameters
    • Safety shoes
    • Sample holders
    • Sampling syringes
    • Single gas monitors
    • Soil testing kits
    • Spectrofluorimeters or fluorimeters
    • Spirometers
    • Toxicology test kits or supplies
    • Turbidimeters
    • Vibration testers
    • pH meters

    Technology

    • Cloud-based data access and sharing software
    • Compliance software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Web platform development software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

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