Occupational Health and Safety Specialists
Formal Description
“Occupational health and safety specialists review, evaluate and monitor health and safety hazards and develop strategies to prevent, control and eliminate accidents and occupational injuries. They inspect the workplace environments, equipment and practices to ensure compliance with organization and government environment, health and safety standards and regulations. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.” (NOC 2021)
Sample Job Titles
This category includes a variety of job titles that may not necessarily be reflected by the category title. For a full index of job titles, see the category entry on the ESDC site. Example job titles include:
Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator - Workplace
Health and Safety Officer
Industrial Health Officer
Labour Standards Officer
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Consultant
Occupational Health Supervisor
Occupational Hygiene Technician
Prevention Officer - Occupational Health and Safety
Safety Officer
Typical Employment and Education Requirements
The following typical requirements are listed on the ESDC’s 2021 entry for this occupational category:
- A bachelor’s degree or college diploma in occupational health and safety is usually required.
- Occupational health and safety officers may require certification with the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP).
Success with a Social Sciences Undergraduate Degree and Beyond
The requirements listed for each occupational category will tend to vary across particular roles, job titles, and contexts.
When reviewing typical requirements, please remember:
- Degree and diploma listings often end with a purposefully open-ended phrase (“or a related field”, “or a similar discipline”) that acknowledges the variety and applicability of social sciences and liberal arts degrees.
- Employers often focus less on the name or title of a candidate’s degree, and more on how they articulate their transferable skills and experiences.
- Many qualifications and certifications are available as post-graduate certificates aimed at recent university graduates; these can make an excellent further education option for a social sciences or liberal arts degree.
Related Categories
Here are a few other categories that might interest you:
Related Sectors
Whereas Economic and Social Development Canada’s ‘occupational’ categories tend to focus more on the duties and functions that people play in specific roles, exploring careers by ‘sectors’ helps us to sort by employer type, industry, or general field of work. Here are just a few of the sectors that may be relevant to this category:
Academic Program Connections
As you select your program of study and the courses you will take, you can chart a path towards success in this sector from any one of our social sciences departments and programs. Here are just a few examples of academic disciplines that have connections with this sector:
Work & Labour Studies Learn More
Graduates of Labour Studies programs may pursue careers in occupational health and safety because their strong foundation in workers’ rights, social justice, and regulatory frameworks equips them to navigate the complex intersections of workplace dynamics, labor practices, and well-being.
Health & Society Learn More
Graduates from Health & Society programs often apply their knowledge of health promotion, disease prevention, and environmental health equips them to identify workplace hazards, implement safety protocols, and support employee well-being.
Environment & Society Learn More
Graduates of Environment & Society programs often become occupational health and safety professionals because their interdisciplinary training in environmental systems, policy, and human behavior enables them to assess and mitigate workplace hazards while promoting sustainable and health-conscious practices.
Anthropology Learn More
Anthropologists may pursue careers as occupational health and safety professionals because their deep understanding of cultural practices, human behaviour, and social systems enables them to design and implement safety protocols that are culturally sensitive, inclusive, and effective across diverse work environments.
