22232 Occupational health and safety specialists

What this occupation covers

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.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 6 main duties for this code.

• Lead and participate in workplace audits and investigations of safety concerns, incidents and accidents
• Lead and participate in workplace inspections to ensure that equipment, materials and production processes do not present a safety or health hazard to employees
• Develop and implement health and safety programs, including standard operating procedures, policies and training to mitigate risk, optimize worker's health and safety and foster a positive occupational health and safety culture
• Initiate enforcement procedures on workplaces contravening organization and government health and safety standards and regulations
• Provide training to employers, employees and the general public on issues of workplace safety
• Communicate, engage and influence decision-makers and workers to ensure compliance with health and safety legislation and regulations

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 6 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 43202 By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers
• 22233 Construction inspectors
• 22231 Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers
• 41400 Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers
• 21120 Public and environmental health and safety professionals

Excluded from this code

• By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers (See 43202 By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers)
• Construction inspectors (See 22233 Construction inspectors)
• Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers (See 22231 Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers)
• Ergonomist (See 41400 Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers)
• Occupational hygienist (See 41400 Natural and applied science policy researchers, consultants and program officers)
• Public and environmental health and safety professionals (See 21120 Public and environmental health and safety professionals)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

environmental health and safety coordinator - workplace · field supervisor - occupational health and safety · health and safety inspector · health and safety officer · health and safety technician · health and safety technologist · health officers supervisor · industrial health officer · industrial hygiene inspector · industrial safety officer - occupational health and safety · labour affairs officer - occupational health and safety · labour standards officer · mine safety inspector · occupational health and safety (OHS) consultant · occupational health and safety coordinator · occupational health and safety inspector · occupational health and safety officer · occupational health and safety supervisor · occupational health inspector · occupational health officer · occupational health supervisor · occupational hygiene inspector · occupational hygiene technician · occupational hygienist technologist

Employment requirements

• 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).