If you are a person who wants to ensure that current workplaces have the best work environments for their employees, an occupational health specialist is the career that will scratch that itch for you. They help enforce regulations and work on preventing disease and injuries to workers.
What is an Occupational Health Specialist?
A specialist who works in the field of health and safety can have other titles besides health specialist. They may work as a health physicist or an environmental protection officer. It’s vital that the workplace is safe for every employee, so these specialists test the safety of equipment and put themselves in dangerous situations to test the suitability of the work environment.
What Does a Specialist Do?
The duties of an occupational health specialist will vary depending on the position and the agency where the specialist works. They can capture and identify potentially hazardous materials in the workplace. Routine inspections are not out of the question for a specialist who is much like an investigator who is making sure that all employees have a safe place to perform their jobs.
Types of Health Specialists and Workplaces
Health Physicists are specialists who work in places where there’s radioactive materials. Industrial Hygienists will head into areas where there’s the potential for lead, pesticides or asbestos. Environmental Protection Officers will oversee contamination cleaning and hazardous waste that could impact the environment.
How to Become an Occupational Health Specialist
At the high school level, students will want to focus on physics, biology and chemistry before they head to college. Eventually, a bachelor’s degree is required for the position of occupational health specialist or a related field. At the very least, this level of degree is required for most positions while others might need more advanced credits for a master’s degree.
The student in school will take courses in radiation science as well as risk communications and hazardous material management. The other courses will relate directly to the type of position the student wants to pursue. It’s helpful to get work experience for a position in this field. The graduate is more likely to be hired out of college with some experience, so internships are vital for career prospects. Along with a bachelor’s degree in occupational health, engineering, safety or chemistry, a person entering this field has to keep up with certifications.
What’s the Salary?
An occupational health specialist can make approximately $70,000 annually depending on where they work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A person who works for the government can make more than a person working for a construction firm or manufacturing firm. The amount to be earned is influenced by experience as well. New hires will make less than those who have years of experience.
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In order to become an occupational health and safety specialist, you’ll need to have an interest in the sciences and protecting workers from physical harm in the workplace. They should be detail oriented and have great problem solving skills. The life of an occupational health specialist is filled with problems that need to be solved in a manner that doesn’t shut down businesses and allows workers to be safe.