Occupational health and safety specialists

Maybe not you personally, but your field of work as an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist and Technician was adopted by the public health workforce. Your branch of the family tree is located at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) System under number 29-9010. Occupational activities under this number include Review, evaluate, and analyze... 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 41 percent of occupational health and safety specialists work for the government. The expected rise in employment is about 11 percent, an average rate. The overaUjob outlook for technicians is greater than avcK e, with a 14 percent expected increase. Most technicians wUl work under the supervision of specialists, and the increase in jobs will be related to technological advances, additional regulations, and public interest. 

NIOSH used the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) database (May 2008) for Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (OCC 29-9011) to identify eligible employers to participate in the survey. The BLS definition of OHS specialists fits comfortably with the traditional description of safety professional and industrial hygienist. 

Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB) on compact disc from the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (can buy at CCOHS web site). "The HSDB(R) (Hazardous Substances Data Bank(R)) database contains data profiles on 4,500 potentially toxic chemical substances. It is created and updated by specialists at the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Compiled from an extensive range of authoritative sources, HSDB is widely recognized as a reliable and practical source of health and safety information. Much of the data is peer reviewed. 

Last but not least, the following also applies to occupational health and safety management When certifying Chemical Leasing projects, TON/ SOD specialists do not require complete compliance with an occupational health and safety standard, e.g. OHSAS 18001, although the key elements of an occupational health and safety system must be observed. 

Students are required to acquire ten core competencies and undertake a number of specified specialist/optional units of competence. Core units of competence are common to all sectors in the food processing industry, e.g. dairy processing, flour and stock feed milling, general foods, pet food, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Such core competencies include application of basic mathematical concepts, basic quality assurance practices, communication in the workplace, the collection, presentation and application of workplace information, and the implementation of occupational health and safety principles and procedures. 

OHSAS 18001 was created via a concerted effort from a number of the world s leading national standards bodies, certification bodies, and specialist consultancies. A main driver for this was to try to remove confusion in the workplace from the proliferation of certifiable occupational health and safety specifications. 

Some of the most common careers in occupational health and safety are occupational health nurse, specialist, and technician. 

In Chapter 11 we looked at what safety specialists within firms can do to direct the attention of their managements to occupational health and safety. In this chapter we look at what governments and their health and safety authorities or agencies can do. This will be by no means a complete account. The purpose is simply to draw together some of the implications which emerge from the present research. In addition, I shall draw on a series of interviews conducted with senior executives of OHS agencies in Australia in 1992 (Hopkins 1993b). 

The role and function of health and safety specialists, e.g. health and safety advisers, nursing advisers, occupational hygienists, occupational health nurses, unit safety officers, occupational physicians, company doctors and trade union-appointed safety representatives. 

The provision of effective health and safety measiues in more complex or highly technical situations will call for specific applied knowledge and skills which can be offered by appropriately qualified specialists. In the case of specific knowledge and skills in occupational health and safety, membership of a professional body or similar organisation at an appropriate level and in an appropriate part of health and safety, can help to guide employers. Competence-based qualifications accredited by the... 

In order to fulfill these responsibilities, it is necessary for managers and specialists in the field of occnpational health and safety management to know the trends in the field and to lead by example in their profession. Their task is to influence the implementation of and adherence to the rnles of occupational health and safety, with the help of information, communication, training, and thorough supervision. It is expected that they will associate themselves with the principles of occupational health and safety management and that they will be willing to listen to their coworkers opinions. To execute these activities, it is absolutely necessary that they systematically study and provide education for aU of the workers they oversee. 

The first element in risk assessment is knowledge of the chemical exposures of a workforce to see if a known sensitizer is present. A chemical becomes accepted as a cause of occupational asthma if there are at least two convincing clinical case reports from independent centres. Specialist clinicians are likely to be aware of the published literature at an early stage and may be a useful source of informal information. There is currently much interest in publishing lists of sensitizers. One is available in a recent textbook (Chan-Yeung and Malo, 1993). The Health and Safety Executive in the UK, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the USA and other agencies may publish lists with updates. Other sources of information on causes are reporting schemes such as SWORD (Surveillance of Work-related and Occupational Respiratory Disease) in the UK (Ross el al., 1995) and SENSOR (Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risks) in some states in the USA (Matte et al., 1990). 

Scott Shinn is a Certified Industrial Hygienist and technical service specialist with 3M Occupational Health and Environmental Safety Division, a leading manufacturer of personal protective equipment. 

Interviews with an injured person in regard to rehabilitation can involve a group and may include the supervisor, occupational health nurse, health and safety officer and rehabilitation specialist. A friendly, informal, positively charged atmosphere is important, as light duties may involve perceived loss of status and concerns about ability to work with impaired function, or the possibility of pain, and a dilferent working area and work group. Care must be taken to preserve medical confidentiahty and to obtain the rehabihtee s consent to release of information. 

HSC/HSE also promotes the furtherance of safety training and work closely with industry bodies, other Government agencies and departments and the Industrial Training Boards and lead bodies, in association with the Commission s Industry Advisory Committees. Occupational health officers, nurses and environmental specialists offer further guidance to organizations. 

---