This professional series maintains the Federally approved state occupational safety and health program and meets the authorizing statute, Chapter 49.17 RCW, the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA). The approved State program at the Department of Labor and Industries must be maintained as-effective-as the national Federal OSHA program including enforcement, consultation, rules, regulations, policies and procedures. The series represents the necessary professional classifications to maintain Federal approval. The work is aimed at assisting and ensuring employers comply with safety and health standards, general duty clauses and employee safety laws, rules and regulations.

This is the journey level of the series.
Conducts enforcement inspections and/or investigations of an employer's work place to assess existing and potential health hazards and determines compliance with standards for safety and health hazards. Under direction, exercises compliance authority in issuing citations including orders and notices of immediate restraint. 

OR 

In headquarters, assists in assignments related to industrial hygiene (i.e., programs/projects, technical research, policy development or training development and presentation). 

OR 

In institutions of higher education, either conduct field and laboratory investigations of facilities, equipment, and environment to assess occupational hygiene hazards, or conducts evaluations of work places to assess existing and potential occupational health hazards.

This class includes performance of routine inspections/investigations for all types of occupational health hazards. Inspections/investigations or projects of unusual complexity or posing unusual problems are subject to direction by senior level safety and health personnel.

Conducts investigations or consultations of workplaces within established guidelines such as manufacturing plants, construction projects, agriculture and office environments to determine the type and extent of suspected occupational health hazards;
Investigates fatalities and serious injuries where the root cause is obvious or likely known after completing DOSH training certification;
Conducts interviews; collects air and bulk samples of dusts, mists, fumes, gases, vapors and other hazardous materials; measures noise frequency and intensity; measures air flows, temperatures and evaluates ventilation; uses equipment to identify and measure specific contaminants and physical hazards;
Submits samples for laboratory analysis; may perform simple laboratory procedures and occasionally participates in complex analyses or experiments;
Analyzes survey and laboratory data and reviews appropriate literature to formulate conclusions about type and extent of exposure to occupational health hazards;
Determines type and extent of procedures or controls necessary to minimize occupational health hazards and writes reports of investigation and recommendations; typical recommendations include change in ventilation, personal protective equipment, including respirators and hearing protection, reduction of noise or vibration, ergonomics, substitution or elimination of chemicals, processes or procedures;
Presents written and oral reports to employees and plant management personnel, covering the investigation/consultation performed, the conclusions reached and the minimum standards which must be met through changes; advises employers and employees regarding probable abatement strategies; follows up to check progress and effectiveness of changes instituted; reports noncompliance cases to higher-level personnel for consideration of enforcement action;
Reviews engineering and other plans to advise industrial personnel about adequacy of proposed changes in ventilation, shielding, etc.;
Ensure required and complete documentation exists in casefiles to support inspection, investigation, and consultation findings, meet legally defensible requirements; testifies as State’s witness during appeal actions and gives depositions;
Completes required justification documentation and appears in Superior Court for warrant requests or civil cases; serves warrants and subpoenas;
Calculates violation penalties in accordance to extensive formula using professional judgment decisions for issuance with inspections and investigation citation and notices;
Provides industrial hygiene staff support for section programs and projects involving review, research and evaluation of technical issues related to compliance, (i.e. asbestos, right to know, pesticide and laboratory programs); these activities may involve, to varying degrees, field staff coordination and investigation activities;
Monitors asbestos certification courses for compliance with regulations; reviews and verifies asbestos contractor information for compliance with regulations;
In case of imminent hazards, issues order of immediate restraint pending further investigation; initiates request for warrants when denied entry to employer facility;
Assist in planning and implementing employee environmental hygiene programs for institution and/or industry;
Investigate work sites for suspected health hazards such as areas utilizing toxic materials, chemicals, gases, etc., and/or work areas containing potential hazards such as laboratories, enclosed tanks, manholes;
Interview work site personnel, gather samples of air, liquids, dusts, and industrial material;
Conduct surveys of community air pollution problems;
Measure physical and chemical parameters of the workplace including noise, temperature, chemical contamination using direct reading instruments such as sound level meters, explosive gas meters, dosimeters, pumps, and rotometers;
Calculate and prepare data for survey and research reports;
Review engineering drawings and specifications; recommend modifications to minimize environmental/occupational health hazards;
Maintain, calibrate, and repair industrial hygiene equipment;
May collect and process hazardous chemical waste; manifest shipments to approved processors.

Knowledge of: sampling and direct measuring techniques for chemical and physical hazards, noise and non-ionizing radiation; industrial processes and occupational hazards; common industrial chemicals, chemical by-products and their air contamination potential; hazard potential of dusts, gases, vapors, noise and non-ionizing radiation; routine analytical procedures.
Ability to: explain technical procedures and findings in language a lay person can understand, establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives of management and labor; use industrial hygiene sampling equipment such as gas and vapor detectors, noise dosimeters and direct reading instruments; speak effectively; write clear, concise reports. Ability to use and apply legal theory in decision-making.

Some positions may require certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) granted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and/or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) granted by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

A Bachelor's degree involving major study in occupational safety and/or health, industrial hygiene, chemistry, physics, chemical, mechanical or sanitary engineering, environmental science, nursing, medicine, biology or related field.

AND 

One year of experience as an industrial hygienist, safety and health manager, safety and health consultant, or as a chemist or engineer working on environmental health or air sanitation problems.
A Master's degree involving major study in industrial hygiene or related field will substitute for one year of experience.
Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

New class, consolidates 4764 Industrial Hygienist I, 53760 Industrial Hygienist 2; adopted May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.
Revised salary range and typical work; adopted June 30, 2017, effective July 1, 2017
Abolished job class adopted June 22, 2023, effective July 1, 2023. See Food Safety Compliance Specialist series.