Occupational Health and Safety Specialist or Technician
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist or Technician
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What Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians Do
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians collect data on, analyze, and design improvements to many types of work environments and procedures. Specialists inspect workplaces and enforce adherence to regulations on safety, health, and the environment. Technicians work with specialists to implement and evaluate programs aimed at mitigating risks to workers, property, the environment, and the public.
Duties
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians typically do the following:
- Inspect, test, and evaluate workplace environments, programs, equipment, and practices to ensure that they follow government safety regulations
- Design and implement workplace programs and procedures that control or prevent chemical, physical, or other risks to workers
- Educate employers and workers about maintaining workplace safety
- Demonstrate use of safety equipment and ensure proper use by workers
- Investigate incidents to determine the cause and possible prevention
- Prepare written reports of their findings
Occupational health and safety specialists examine worksites for environmental or physical factors that could harm employee health, safety, comfort, or performance. They then find ways to improve potential risk factors. For example, they may notice potentially hazardous conditions inside a chemical plant and suggest changes to lighting, equipment, materials, or ventilation.
Occupational health and safety technicians assist specialists by collecting data on work environments and implementing the worksite improvements that specialists plan. Technicians also may check to make sure that workers are using required protective gear, such as masks and hardhats.
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians may develop and conduct employee training programs. These programs cover a range of topics, such as how to use safety equipment correctly and how to respond in an emergency.
In the event of a workplace safety incident, specialists and technicians investigate its cause. They then analyze data from the incident, such as the number of people impacted, and look for trends in occurrence. This evaluation helps them to recommend improvements to prevent future incidents.
Work Environment
Occupational health and safety specialists held about 113,800 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of occupational health and safety specialists were as follows:
| Government | 20% |
| Manufacturing | 17 |
| Construction | 14 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 7 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 3 |
Occupational health and safety technicians held about 24,700 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of occupational health and safety technicians were as follows:
| Manufacturing | 24% |
| Construction | 9 |
| Management, scientific, and technical consulting services | 9 |
| Government | 9 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 3 |
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians work in a variety of indoor or outdoor settings, such as offices and factories or construction sites. Their jobs may involve considerable travel and fieldwork.
The work of these specialists may be strenuous and involve a lot of standing, squatting, and lifting. It also may be stressful, such as in cases of emergency, falling debris, or other hazardous situations. To minimize the risk of illness or injury, they use gloves, helmets, respirators, and other personal protective and safety equipment.
Work Schedules
Most occupational health and safety specialists and technicians work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Technicians may be on call to work weekends or irregular schedules in emergencies.
Getting Started
How to Become an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist or Technician
Occupational health and safety specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related field. Technicians typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation, and they receive training on the job. Some pursue professional certification.
Education
Occupational health and safety specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree in occupational health and safety or a related field, such as biology or healthcare and related majors. For some positions, a master’s degree is required. In addition to science, coursework should include topics such as ergonomics, safety management, and industrial hygiene.
Occupational health and safety technicians typically need at least a high school diploma to enter the occupation. High school students interested in this occupation should take classes in chemistry, biology, and physics. Some technicians earn an associate’s degree or certificate from a community college or university. These programs typically take 2 years or less and include courses in hazardous materials, fire prevention, and safety regulations.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Employers may prefer or require occupational health and safety specialists and technicians to have professional certification. This certification is available through several organizations, such as the Board for Global EHS Credentialing, Board of Certified Safety Professions, and National Association of Safety Professionals.
Obtaining certification typically requires graduating from an accredited educational program, completing work experience, and passing an examination. Maintaining certification usually requires completing a specified number of hours of continuing education.
Training
Occupational health and safety technicians usually receive some on-the-job training. They may learn about specific laws and regulations, how to perform inspections, and how to conduct tests. The length of training varies with the employee’s level of experience, education, and industry in which he or she works.
Occupational health and safety specialists sometimes receive on-the-job training. However, training is less common for specialists than it is for technicians.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Some employers prefer to hire occupational health and safety specialists who have prior experience in the industry. Specialists may gain this experience by working in a related occupation, such as health and safety engineer.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of occupational health and safety specialists and technicians is projected to grow 13 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 17,200 openings for occupational health and safety specialists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians will be needed in a variety of industries and government agencies to ensure safe working conditions that comply with regulations.
In recent years, employers have emphasized worker health, safety, and wellness. This trend is expected to continue, which should contribute to increased demand for occupational health and safety specialists and technicians.
Among the factors contributing to this demand are the adoption of new technologies, such as robotics, that require updated safety practices and the need to protect workers from climate-related hazards, such as excessive heat.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about credentialing in industrial hygiene, visit
Board for Global EHS Credentialing (BGC)
For more information about occupations in safety, a list of safety and related academic programs, and credentialing, visit
Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP)
National Association of Safety Professionals (NASP)
For more information about occupational health and safety, visit
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
To find job openings for occupational health and safety positions in the federal government, visit
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of occupational health and safety specialists and technicians.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Construction and Building Inspectors |
Construction and building inspectors ensure that construction meets building codes and ordinances, zoning regulations, and contract specifications. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $64,480 |
|
Environmental Scientists and Specialists |
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Bachelor's degree | $76,480 |
|
Fire Inspectors |
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|
Health and Safety Engineers |
Health and safety engineers combine knowledge of engineering and of health and safety to develop procedures and design systems to protect people from illness and injury and property from damage. |
Bachelor's degree | $100,660 |
|
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians |
Environmental science and protection technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination. |
Associate's degree | $48,380 |