Occupation

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

Human Advantage 74%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.4 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

Collect data on work environments for analysis by occupational health and safety specialists. Implement and conduct evaluation of programs designed to limit chemical, physical, biological, and ergonomic risks to workers.

Also Known As: Advisory Industrial Hygienist, Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), Construction Safety Consultant, Consumer Safety Technician (Consumer Safety Tech), EHS Advisor (Environmental, Health, and Safety Advisor), EHS Coordinator (Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator), Environmental Health Technologist +26 more

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Core Tasks

  1. Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists.
  2. Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment.
  3. Train workers in safety procedures related to green jobs, such as the use of fall protection devices or maintenance of proper ventilation during wind turbine construction.
  4. Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise.
  5. Maintain all required environmental records and documentation.
  6. Provide consultation to organizations or agencies on the workplace application of safety principles, practices, or techniques.
  7. Inspect fire suppression systems or portable fire systems to ensure proper working order.
  8. Verify availability or monitor use of safety equipment, such as hearing protection or respirators.
  9. Recommend corrective measures to be applied based on results of environmental contaminant analyses.
  10. Prepare or review specifications or orders for the purchase of safety equipment, ensuring that proper features are present and that items conform to health and safety standards.
  11. Prepare or calibrate equipment used to collect or analyze samples.
  12. Conduct worker studies to determine whether specific instances of disease or illness are job-related.
  13. Plan emergency response drills.
  14. Examine credentials, licenses, or permits to ensure compliance with licensing requirements.
  15. Review records or reports concerning laboratory results, staffing, floor plans, fire inspections, or sanitation to gather information for the development or enforcement of safety activities.
  16. Educate the public about health issues or enforce health legislation to prevent disease, to promote health, or to help people understand health protection procedures and regulations.
  17. Prepare documents to be used in legal proceedings, testifying in such proceedings when necessary.
  18. Collect data regarding potential hazards from new equipment or products linked to green practices.
  19. Maintain logbooks of daily activities, including areas visited or activities performed.

Supplemental Tasks (7)

  1. Help direct rescue or firefighting operations in the event of a fire or an explosion.
  2. Test or balance newly installed HVAC systems to determine whether indoor air quality standards are met.
  3. Confer with schools, state authorities, or community groups to develop health standards or programs.
  4. Collect data related to ecological or human health risks at brownfield sites.
  5. Conduct interviews to obtain information or evidence regarding communicable diseases or violations of health or sanitation regulations.
  6. Perform tests to identify any potential hazards related to recycled products used at green building sites.
  7. Examine practices at green building sites to determine whether adherence to green building standards alters risks to workers.

Education & Training

Job Zone 3 Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Bachelor's Degree
48%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
19%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
10%
Some College Courses
10%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.
5%
Master's Degree
5%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft SharePoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software

Software (22)

  • Brady Lockout Pro
  • Database software
  • Email software
  • Graphics software
  • Industrial Scientific iNET
  • Presentation software
  • QuestSuite Professional
  • Remedy Interactive iMitigate
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Statistical analysis software
  • TapRooT
  • Teleconferencing software
  • Web browser software
  • Word processing software

Tools & Equipment (75)

  • Aerosol meters
  • Aerosol photometers
  • Air compressors
  • Air flow calibrators
  • Air quality dataloggers
  • Airflow indicators
  • Anemometers
  • Carbon monoxide sensors
  • Cascade impactors
  • Combustible gas detectors
  • Cyclone samplers
  • Data acquisition equipment
  • Data loggers
  • Diffusive air samplers
  • Digital cameras
  • Digital video cameras
  • Dry-gas meters
  • Dust collectors
  • Electrobalances
  • Electrochemical gas monitors
  • Electronic bubble meters
  • Electronic pump calibrators
  • Electrostatic precipitators
  • Flame ionization detectors FID
  • Flow hoods
  • Gas chromatographs GC
  • Gas detector tubes
  • Gilibrators
  • Grab samplers
  • Half-face respirators
  • Handheld calculators
  • Heat stress monitors
  • Impingers
  • Infrared analyzers
  • Infrared thermometers
  • Inspection lamps
  • Light meters
  • Manometers
  • Mass flow meters
  • Medical measuring tapes
  • Mercury vapor analyzers
  • Microbial samplers
  • Moisture meters
  • Multimeters
  • Octave band analyzers
  • Oxygen monitors
  • Particle counters
  • Particle sensors
  • Particulate monitors
  • Passive dosimeters
  • Passive samplers
  • Personal computers
  • Personal sampling pumps
  • Photodetectors
  • Photoionization detectors PID
  • Portable infrared spectrophotometers
  • Power blowers
  • Protective gloves
  • Radiation detectors
  • Radon monitors
  • Respirator hose masks
  • Rotameters
  • Safety goggles
  • Self-contained breathing apparatus
  • Single gas monitors
  • Sorbent tubes
  • Sound level meters
  • Spectroscopes
  • Spirometers
  • Thermal desorption tubes
  • Thermoanemometers
  • Two way radios
  • Vibration monitors
  • Wet scrubbers
  • X ray fluorescence XRF analyzers

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Regulation Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 3
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians You are here
Zone 5

Safety & Quality Assurance Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 3
Occupational Health and Safety Technicians You are here

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