Preparation
All occupational
health and safety specialists and technicians are trained in the
applicable laws or inspection procedures through some combination of
classroom and on-the-job training.
In general, people who want
to enter this occupation should be responsible and like detailed work.
Occupational health and safety specialists and technicians also should
be able to communicate well. Recommended high school courses include
English, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and physics. Experience as an
occupational health and safety professional is also a prerequisite for
many positions.
Some employers require
occupational health and safety specialists to have a bachelor's degree
in occupational health, safety, or a related field, such as engineering,
biology, or chemistry. For some positions, a master's degree in
industrial hygiene or a related subject is required. There also are
associate degree and 1-year certificate programs, which primarily are
intended for technicians. ABET accredits programs in health physics,
industrial hygiene, and safety under their Applied Science
Category.
Although
voluntary, many employers encourage certification. Certification is
available through several organizations. The Board of Certified
Safety Professionals offers the Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
credential. The American Board of Industrial Hygiene offers the
Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential. Also, the Council
on Certification of Health, Environmental, and Safety Technologists
certifies people as Occupational Health and Safety Technologists (OHST),
who may be called Certified Loss Control Specialists (CLCS),
Construction Health and Safety Technicians (CHST), and Safety
Trained Supervisors (STS). The Indoor Air Quality Association awards
the Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE) credential. The Board of
Certification in Professional Ergonomics offers the Certified
Professional Ergonomist (CPE) and the Certified Ergonomics Associate
(CEA) credentials. The American Board of Health Physicists awards
the Certified Health Physicist (CHP) credential. Requirements for
these credentials differ. Usually, they include specific education
and experience, passing an examination, and completing periodic
continuing education for recertification.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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