Industrial Safety and Health Engineer

Other Titles

Environmental Health and Safety Director; Health and Safety Professional; Health and Safety Specialist; Industrial Hygienist; Industrial Safety Engineer; Safety and Health Consultant; Safety Engineer; Safety Manager; Safety Team Leader; Safety, Health, and Environment Manager

Plan, implement, and coordinate safety programs, requiring application of engineering principles and technology, to prevent or correct unsafe environmental working conditions. Industrial Safety and Health Engineers are responsible for designing and developing programs and strategies to improve workplace safety. In doing so, they use their knowledge of engineering and technology. They inspect and observe workplace procedures, facilities, and equipment. Post inspection and analysis, they devise suitable safety programs and oversee their implementation. A part of their job is to recommend the appropriate installation of safety equipment as per safety regulations and other applicable laws. They also review industrial accidents to determine their causes and recommend preventive measures for the future.

Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases to determine causes and preventive measures.

Inspect facilities, machinery, and safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards, and to ensure safety regulation compliance.

Conduct or coordinate worker training in areas such as safety laws and regulations, hazardous condition monitoring, and use of safety equipment.

Maintain and apply knowledge of current policies, regulations, and industrial processes.

Report or review findings from accident investigations, facilities inspections, or environmental testing.

Evaluate adequacy of actions taken to correct health inspection violations.

Recommend process and product safety features that will reduce employees' exposure to chemical, physical, and biological work hazards.

Interpret safety regulations for others interested in industrial safety, such as safety engineers, labor representatives, and safety inspectors.

Review plans and specifications for construction of new machinery or equipment to determine whether all safety requirements have been met.

Interview employers and employees to obtain information about work environments and workplace incidents.

Review employee safety programs to determine their adequacy.

Conduct or direct testing of air quality, noise, temperature, or radiation levels to verify compliance with health and safety regulations.

Provide technical advice and guidance to organizations on how to handle health-related problems and make needed changes.

Maintain liaisons with outside organizations, such as fire departments, mutual aid societies, and rescue teams, so that emergency responses can be facilitated.

Plan and conduct industrial hygiene research.

Compile, analyze, and interpret statistical data related to occupational illnesses and accidents.

Write and revise safety regulations and codes.

Confer with medical professionals to assess health risks and to develop ways to manage health issues and concerns.

Install safety devices on machinery, or direct device installation.

Design and build safety equipment.

Check floors of plants to ensure that they are strong enough to support heavy machinery.

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

Reading Comprehension→ Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking→ Talking to others to convey information effectively.

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

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.

Judgment and Decision Making→ Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

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

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.

Active Learning→ Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Complex Problem Solving→ Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Monitoring→ Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

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

Learning Strategies→ Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Science→ Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Instructing→ Teaching others how to do something.

Persuasion→ Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Quality Control Analysis→ Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Coordination→ Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Mathematics→ Using mathematics to solve problems.

Service Orientation→ Actively looking for ways to help people.

Time Management→ Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Management of Personnel Resources→ Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Negotiation→ Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.

Operation Monitoring→ Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates→ Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Getting Information→ Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards→ Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Documenting/Recording Information→ Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems→ Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work→ Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships→ Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material→ Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Training and Teaching Others→ Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings→ Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events→ Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge→ Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others→ Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Processing Information→ Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others→ Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.

Analyzing Data or Information→ Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Interacting With Computers→ Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others→ Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization→ Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Coaching and Developing Others→ Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Developing Objectives and Strategies→ Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.

Performing Administrative Activities→ Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.

Thinking Creatively→ Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Developing and Building Teams→ Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates→ Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Scheduling Work and Activities→ Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others→ Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information→ Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.

Selling or Influencing Others→ Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.

Assisting and Caring for Others→ Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People→ Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.

Investigate safety of work environment.

Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.

Inspect equipment or systems.

Teach safety standards or environmental compliance methods.

Update technical knowledge.

Document design or operational test results.

Maintain operational records or records systems.

Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance.

Explain engineering drawings, specifications, or other technical information.

Install instrumentation or electronic equipment or systems.

Evaluate designs or specifications to ensure quality.

Advise others on health and safety issues.

Confer with technical personnel to prepare designs or operational plans.

Research human performance or health factors related to engineering or design activities.

Investigate the environmental impact of projects.

Design industrial equipment.

Fabricate devices or components.

Confer with other personnel to resolve design or operational problems.

Written Comprehension→ The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning→ The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Inductive Reasoning→ The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Information Ordering→ The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g. , patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Oral Comprehension→ The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity→ The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Written Expression→ The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Category Flexibility→ The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Flexibility of Closure→ The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Fluency of Ideas→ The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Near Vision→ The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Clarity→ The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Speech Recognition→ The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Mathematical Reasoning→ The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Originality→ The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Visualization→ The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Far Vision→ The ability to see details at a distance.

Perceptual Speed→ The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Selective Attention→ The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Number Facility→ The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Speed of Closure→ The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

Language→ Knowledge of the structure and content of a language - English, French, Swahili et cetera - including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education and Training→ Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Public Safety and Security→ Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Administration and Management→ Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Customer and Personal Service→ Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Clerical→ Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Law and Government→ Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Building and Construction→ Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Mechanical→ Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Psychology→ Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Mathematics→ Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Chemistry→ Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

Personnel and Human Resources→ Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Engineering and Technology→ Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Physics→ Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Production and Processing→ Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Biology→ Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Design→ Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Computers and Electronics→ Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Analytical or scientific software -- Root cause analysis software; Static strength prediction software; e.g., The MathWorks MATLAB ; Virtual interaction simulator software etc

Compliance software -- Fire safety inspection and testing software; Material safety data sheet MSDS software; Safety integrity level SIL software; Safety, health, and environmental management software etc

Computer aided design CAD software -- Electronic design automation EDA software; Roof support design software

Computer based training software -- Hazardous waste operations and emergency response standard HAZWOPER training software

Database user interface and query software -- Anthropometric databases; Incident tracking software; e.g., Microsoft Access

Document management software -- Records management software

Enterprise resource planning ERP software -- e.g., SAP

License management software -- Permit administration software

Map creation software -- Geological mapping software

Office suite software -- Microsoft Office

Presentation software -- e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint

Project management software -- e.g., Microsoft Project

Spreadsheet software -- e.g., Microsoft Excel

Video creation and editing software -- Multimedia video analysis software

Word processing software -- e.g., Microsoft Word

Accelerometers

Acoustic sensors→ Noise monitoring equipment

Air pollutant samplers→ Microbial contaminant measurement devices; Multi-vapor reading instruments; Particulate measurement devices

Air samplers or collectors→ Aerosol sampling devices; Sampling probes

Air sampling pumps→ High-flow air sampling pumps; High-volume asbestos sampling pumps; Sampling pumps

Air velocity and temperature monitors→ Velometers

Cardiac output CO monitoring units or accessories→ Heart rate monitors

Desktop computers

Digital camcorders or video cameras→ Digital video recorders

Digital cameras

Dynamometers→ Digital dynamometers; Hand dynamometers; Reference frame dynamometers; Strength evaluation systems etc

Electromagnetic field meters→ Magnetic field meters

Electromyography EMG units or accessories→ Electromyograph processing systems

Force or torque sensors→ Force gauges; Torque gauges

Gas detector tubes→ Sorbent tubes

Heat stress monitors

Lightmeters→ Light meters

Notebook computers

Organic carbon analyzers→ Volatile organic compound VOC measurement devices

Oxygen gas analyzers→ Portable oxygen consumption meters

Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers→ Personal digital assistants PDA

Physiological recorders→ Electrogoniometers; Inclinometers; Physiographic recorders; Reaction time simulators etc

Potentiometers

Pressure indicators→ Force platforms; Pinch meters

Radio frequency identification devices→ Radio frequency signal analyzers

Scanners→ Three-dimensional laser scanners

Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter→ Acoustic calibrators; Noise dosimeters; Octave band analyzers; Sound level meters

Spirometers or its accessories or its supplies→ Respiratory flow rate meters

Strain gauges

Sulfur dioxide analyzers or detectors→ Sorbent dosimeters

Thermocouple probes→ Thermocouple temperature probes

Thickness measuring devices→ Anthropometers

Torsion testers→ Torsion meters

Vibration testers→ Vibration analyis equipment

Investigative→ Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Conventional→ Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Realistic→ Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Integrity→ Job requires being honest and ethical.

Dependability→ Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Leadership→ Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

Attention to Detail→ Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Initiative→ Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Self Control→ Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

Cooperation→ Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Concern for Others→ Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Persistence→ Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Stress Tolerance→ Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

Analytical Thinking→ Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Adaptability/Flexibility→ Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Achievement/Effort→ Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Independence→ Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.

Innovation→ Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Social Orientation→ Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

Relationships→ Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

Working Conditions→ Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.

Achievement→ Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.