Explore a possible path

Occupational Health and Safety 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.

How does this connect to your interests? →

A look at the work

  • Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
  • Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
  • Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
  • Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
  • Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
  • Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
  • Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
  • Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

4.5 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

5.0 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.3 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.5 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.2 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

4.7 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2024-08

4.0 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2024-08

4.0 / 5

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2024-08

4.0 / 5

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

2024-08

4.0 / 5

Systems Evaluation

Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

2024-08

3.8 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2024-08

3.8 / 5

Systems Analysis

Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

2024-08

3.8 / 5

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

2024-08

3.8 / 5

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

2024-08

3.8 / 5

Complex Problem Solving

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

2024-08

3.8 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 4 of 5 · 2024-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician →

Industrial Safety Technology/Technician →

Environmental Toxicology →

Environmental Health →

Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene →

Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality →

Explore all related study fields →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 19-5011.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.