How To Become an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist

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How Long Does It Take, What Degree Do You Need, and More

OHS Specialists

OHS 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. Includes environmental protection officers.

Salary
$78110
Becoming One
Hard
Education
Bachelor's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



What degree do you need

Recommended degree level

Bachelor’s Degree

We did a survey to ask other Occupational Health and Safety Specialists what degree they had when they became an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist. Here are the results.
Bachelor’s Degree
72.73%


Master’s Degree
18.18%


a Post-Secondary Certificate
4.55%


One of the most common questions that we always get is what major or degree do I need to become OHS Specialists or what courses do I need to take.

We also asked OHS Specialists what did they major in college or university and here are the top 5 most popular majors that came up.

Occupational Safety and Health Technology
Industrial Safety Technology
Environmental Health
Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene

Occupational health and safety specialists typically need a bachelor’s degree in occupational health, safety, or a related scientific or technical field, such as engineering, biology, or chemistry. For some positions, a master’s degree is required in industrial hygiene, health physics, or a related subject.



How hard is it

Difficulty
Hard

You will need a considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge or experience to be an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist. For example, an accountant must complete 4 years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Careers in this difficulty category will usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training. These careers usually involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Similar careers include sales managers, database administrators, chemists, and art directors.


Related work experience required
1 to 2 years

1 to 2 years
23.81%


2 to 4 years
19.05%


4 to 6 years
19.05%


Job training
3 to 6 months

3 to 6 months
28.57%


6 months to 1 year
28.57%


1 to 2 years
14.29%



License and certifications

Do you need any license or certification
Recommended but not required

Although certification is voluntary, many employers encourage it. Certification is available through several organizations, depending on the field in which the specialists work. Occupational Health and Safety Specialists must have graduated from an accredited educational program and have work experience to be eligible to take most certification exams. To keep their certification, specialists are usually required to complete periodic continuing education.


Skills required

We asked other OHS Specialists if they could only have 5 skills, what would they be. Here is what they said.

1. Active Listening what does this mean
2. Speaking what does this mean
3. Critical Thinking what does this mean
4. Complex Problem Solving what does this mean
5. Reading Comprehension what does this mean

= Hot in-demand that most employers are looking for


Knowledge required

Just like any other job, you will need certain know-hows to excel at your job. OHS Specialists are generally very knowledgeable in these 5 key areas.

1. English Language what does this mean
2. Law and Government what does this mean
3. Education and Training what does this mean
4. Public Safety and Security what does this mean
5. Customer and Personal Service what does this mean


Learn more about OHS Specialists

Summary
Job Description
Salary
Requirements (You are here)
Quiz

Related to Occupational Health and Safety Specialists Requirements

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