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Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

SOC 19-5011.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparation

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 or employer policies.

Context coveredManufacturing, construction, healthcare, and government workplaces; OSHA general industry + construction standards; industrial hygiene, ergonomics, safety management systems.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Routine workplace inspections — conduct under a senior specialist's review in a manufacturing or construction setting.
  2. OSHA general-industry and construction standards (1910 / 1926) — look up the applicable section when prompted.
  3. Industrial-hygiene sampling (noise, air, ergonomics) — collect samples per a sampling plan with calibrated instruments.
  4. Personal protective equipment selection and fit — verify per the program in entry-level field work.
  5. Incident-report intake and witness interviews — conduct under supervision with clear documentation.
  6. Safety committee meetings — staff and minute under a senior leader.
  7. Hazard-recognition rounds with operations supervisors — join and document findings.
  8. Training-roster and certificate tracking — maintain accurately in the company's LMS.
  9. Routine training delivery (LOTO, PPE, hazcom) — deliver to defined-content scripts.
  10. Daily safety logs and inspection summaries — maintain to office standards.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Job-safety analyses (JSAs) and hazard-control plans — author independently for routine tasks.
  2. Industrial-hygiene programs (hearing conservation, respiratory, hazcom) — manage end-to-end for a defined site.
  3. Incident investigations and root-cause analysis (5-why, fishbone) — lead on minor and recordable events.
  4. OSHA recordkeeping (300, 300A, 301) — maintain accurately for the company.
  5. Inspections and audits (internal, customer, agency) — lead with prepared evidence and CAPAs.
  6. Junior specialists and contractor safety — train on standards and site expectations.
  7. Permit-to-work systems (hot work, confined space, energized work) — administer in operating contexts.
  8. Ergonomic assessments — conduct and recommend at the workstation and process level.
  9. Workers'-compensation claims and return-to-work — coordinate with HR and providers.
  10. Safety-management system elements (ISO 45001, ANSI Z10) — implement against an internal roadmap.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Site- or facility-level safety leadership — set direction across operations, contractor, and customer engagements.
  2. Multi-site programs (process safety, fall protection, machine safeguarding) — lead with measurable outcomes.
  3. Regulatory inspections and OSHA citations — manage with documented responses and abatement.
  4. Senior specialists and safety officers — supervise across a small team.
  5. Risk assessments (PHA, FMEA) and quantitative-exposure modeling — lead in operating facilities.
  6. Capital projects and management-of-change reviews — lead with engineering partners.
  7. Customer and corporate audits — lead with documented evidence and clear closeout.
  8. Industry forums (ASSP, AIHA, NSC) — contribute through committee and case-study work.
  9. External vendor and contractor qualification programs — own end-to-end.
  10. Workforce culture surveys and intervention design — lead with measurable improvement.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Corporate or division-level EHS strategy — set across people, programs, and capital priorities.
  2. Major incidents and crisis response — lead at executive level with regulators and the public.
  3. EHS leadership pipeline and talent development — own succession and recruiting across the function.
  4. Industry standards bodies (ANSI, AIHA, ASSP) — contribute through formal leadership.
  5. Regulatory advocacy and rulemaking — contribute substantively at state or federal level.
  6. Capital and operating EHS budgets — own with executive sponsorship.
  7. Cross-functional risk programs (ESG, sustainability) — integrate with EHS strategy.
  8. Mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures — lead EHS due-diligence and integration.
  9. Talent partnerships with universities and certifying bodies (BCSP) — institutionalize.
  10. Legacy mentorship and field-shaping standards — advance through training, certification, and publishing.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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  1. Emerging
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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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Show O*NET source anchors73 anchors · skillscrosswalk.com

O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Analysis Safety Inspector · Cause Analyst · Certified Indoor Environmentalist · Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) · Chemical Hygiene Officer · Construction Safety Manager · Consumer Safety Inspector · Dining Service Inspector · EHS Officer (Environmental Health and Safety Officer) · EHS Specialist (Environmental Health and Safety Specialist) · Environmental Health Inspector · Environmental Health Sanitarian
RAPIDS apprenticeships
—
O*NET skills
WritingSpeakingReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationSocial PerceptivenessComplex Problem SolvingJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoringActive LearningInstructingQuality Control AnalysisPersuasionTime ManagementLearning StrategiesCoordinationService OrientationOperations AnalysisOperations MonitoringMathematics
Knowledge domains
English LanguageChemistryEducation and TrainingMathematicsCustomer and Personal ServiceEngineering and TechnologyBiologyLaw and GovernmentPublic Safety and SecurityAdministration and ManagementBuilding and ConstructionMechanicalComputers and ElectronicsAdministrativeProduction and ProcessingDesignPhysics
Abilities
Problem SensitivityNear VisionDeductive ReasoningOral ExpressionOral ComprehensionInductive ReasoningWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionFlexibility of ClosureInformation Ordering
Work styles
CautiousnessAttention to DetailDependabilityIntegrityIntellectual CuriosityStress Tolerance
Technology
Data base user interface and query softwareCompliance softwareWeb platform development softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail softwarePresentation softwareProject management softwareDocument management softwareOperating system software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
  2. Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
  3. Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
  4. Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
  5. Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
  6. Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
  7. Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
  8. Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
CIP education codes
15.070115.070326.100651.220251.220651.2213

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.