Task statements

  • Investigate industrial accidents, injuries, or occupational diseases to determine causes and preventive measures.
  • Conduct research to evaluate safety levels for products.
  • Evaluate product designs for safety.
  • 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.
  • Recommend procedures for detection, prevention, and elimination of physical, chemical, or other product hazards.
  • Report or review findings from accident investigations, facilities inspections, or environmental testing.
  • Evaluate potential health hazards or damage that could occur from product misuse.
  • Evaluate adequacy of actions taken to correct health inspection violations.
  • 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.
  • Participate in preparation of product usage and precautionary label instructions.
  • Interview employers and employees to obtain information about work environments and workplace incidents.
  • Provide expert testimony in litigation cases.
  • 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.
  • Develop industry standards of product safety.
  • 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.
  • Design and build safety equipment.
  • Check floors of plants to ensure that they are strong enough to support heavy machinery.
  • Inspect facilities, machinery, or safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards, and to ensure safety regulation compliance.
  • Install safety devices on machinery or direct device installation.

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.