This series is responsible for the planning, implementation, and administration of an agency or higher education institution comprehensive occupational, safety, health, and industrial hygiene program, to ensure alignment and compliance with federal and state mandated occupational safety and health programs in accordance with the Department of Labors’ Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act. Positions serve a dual role by monitoring and measuring activities for regulatory compliance while also working to eliminate or minimize employee occupational illness and injury by teaching, promoting, and emphasizing workplace safety, health, and hygiene standards and best practices. Positions evaluate the work environment to assess existing and potential occupational safety, health, and hygiene hazards and implement mitigation strategies.

Occupational safety, health, and hygiene programs and subprograms include a variety of components including but not limited to indoor air quality, confined spaces, respiratory protection, blood borne pathogens and bio hazards, wildfire smoke, fire safety, hazardous waste, environmental or chemical contaminants and toxins, noise dosimetry and hearing conservation, air, dust, gas, vapor, and water sampling, ergonomics, accident prevention and reporting, injury reporting and review, fall protection, defensive driving, CPR and first aid, personal protective equipment, worksite inspections, hazardous environmental and chemical exposure monitoring, radiation monitoring, compliance assessment, testing, and reporting, high-risk or unusual hazard environments, hazard identification, evaluation and control recommendations.
This work is performed in a variety of worksites including but not limited to public access areas of agencies and higher education institutions, laboratories, office buildings, maintenance and other facilities, industrial locations, highway and other construction field sites, and marine work environments, hospitals, medical and other care facilities, vehicles, equipment, heavy equipment/automotive shops, parks and recreational sites, homeless encampments, and other locations operated by agencies and higher education institutions where work is performed.

This series is distinguished from the Occupational Safety and Health Professional series and Compliance Industrial Safety & Health Investigator series specific to the Department of Labor and Industries, by the following: The focus of the work for this series is specific to the occupational safety, health, and industrial hygiene of the agency or higher education institution and its staff, contractors, environments, buildings, work sites, etc. The OSHPro and CISHI series are specific to all labor and industries and encompasses all employers within Washington state both public and private.

Positions plan and implement accident prevention programs as a component of environmental health and safety activities. Under general supervision, inspects facilities, equipment and operations to ensure compliance with institution, state and federal safety standards, and codes.

Positions may also administer an agency/institution’s comprehensive employee occupational safety and health program to comply with state and the Department of Labors’ Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA) rules, regulations and codes including developing and implementing any agency or geographic unique safety and health programs.

Positions at this level work independently within narrowly established guidelines in making decisions regarding work processes or methods used. Assignments are typically limited in scope to specific safety and health programs, subprograms, or a portion of the total safety, health, and industrial hygiene program. All positions report to a higher-level Occupational Safety and Health Specialist or other position responsible for the occupational safety and health program for an assigned entity such as a geographic area (region or district), an institution, etc.

Conducts basic inspections and/or consultations of a work site to assess existing and potential health hazards and determine compliance with standards for safety and health hazards;

Delivers safety and health education courses such as first aid, defensive driving, traffic control, forklift truck operations, employee safety orientation, and other safety education courses as developed; coordinates training efforts with State, Federal, and local safety organizations to improve safety programs;

Reviews accident/injury reports for proper corrective or preventive actions; recommends solutions for controlling accidents and injuries; Conducts interviews with employees, supervisors and management personnel in order to identify unsafe practices, establish suitable corrective measures to manage the risk of accident and injury losses in accordance with State and other appropriate codes, regulations and standards;

Assists with collecting samples of dusts, mists, fumes, gases, vapors, liquids, chemicals, and other hazardous materials; measures noise frequency and intensity; measures air flow and temperatures, and evaluates ventilation; uses equipment to identify and measure specific contaminants and physical hazards; stores, maintains, and calibrates sampling and testing equipment;

Collects and processes hazardous chemical waste; manifests shipments to approved processors as directed by a higher-level specialist;

Submits samples for laboratory analysis; performs simple, routine laboratory procedures and occasionally participates in complex analysis or experiments under direct guidance;

Analyzes survey and laboratory data and reviews appropriate literature to formulate conclusions about type and extent of exposure to occupational health hazards; calculates and prepares data for survey and research reports; provides data summaries to higher-level specialist or supervisor;

Recommends strategies for implementation of claims management programs including technical claims management education, training, modified duty, employee screening, employee orientation and claims investigations from the occupational safety and health perspective;

Conducts basic accident, illness, and/or injury investigations;

Participates in the planning and administration of safety awards/recognition program; promotes employee/supervisor communication; monitors maintenance of safety bulletin boards;

Assists with response to incidents and emergencies and participates in emergency operations;

Performs other duties as required.

Knowledge of: principles and practices of employee and public safety and health administration including safety and health education and training, industrial hygiene, accident investigation, self-inspection, record keeping, publicity, safety committee operation and other services common to employee and public safety; principles and practices of organization and management.

Ability to: interpret safety rules and policies; establish and maintain a safe and healthful working environment within the assigned institution, maintain effective working relationships with officials, employees and the public, analyze and resolve a variety of safety and health problems; communicate clearly.

There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position.

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

New class, consolidates 2686 Safety Professional I and 43930 Safety Officer 1; adopted May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.
Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.
Revised job title, definition, distinguishing characteristics, typical work, knowledge and abilities and desirable qualifications; added class series concept; base range increase from 49 to 54; adopted June 23, 2025; effective July 1, 2025.