What does a health and safety inspector do?
Health and safety inspector responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real health and safety inspector resumes:
- Develop and manage MSDS online account and respiratory protection program for employees that meet the respiratory requirements for specific job tasks.
- Collaborate with PMT to ensure appropriate EHS leadership behaviors and activities are follow on project.
- Develop PowerPoint to create greater awareness of improper lifting sling hazards and recommendations of proper lifting techniques, recommendation taken.
- Experience in OSHA and ANSI regulations, compliance procedures.
- Simplify processes for onboarding new hires and communicating training requirements to regular employees automatically through LMS.
Health and safety inspector skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Health And Safety Inspectors are proficient in Ventilation, Training Programs, and EPA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Ability to use technology, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Health And Safety Inspectors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Ventilation, 11%
Oversee third-party and in-house industry hygiene sampling of ventilation, noise, and lead particulate concentration related to operations/maintenance and construction.
- Training Programs, 8%
Evaluated the effectiveness of training programs and recommended improvements to upper management to ensure compliance.
- EPA, 8%
Called and scheduled participants in order to bring in and deliver vehicles used for emissions testing at the EPA.
- MSHA, 7%
Attended MSHA training as needed and maintained current knowledge on policy and procedures.
- Health Standards, 6%
Utilized knowledge of safety-engineering practices, available protective devices, safety testing and occupational safety and health standards.
- Occupational Safety, 5%
Utilize computer based policy and procedure system and was as for record keeping and delivery of exams relative to occupational safety.
Common skills that a health and safety inspector uses to do their job include "ventilation," "training programs," and "epa." You can find details on the most important health and safety inspector responsibilities below.
Ability to use technology. One of the key soft skills for a health and safety inspector to have is ability to use technology. You can see how this relates to what health and safety inspectors do because "occupational health and safety specialists and technicians must be able to use advanced technology." Additionally, a health and safety inspector resume shows how health and safety inspectors use ability to use technology: "promoted mine operators' voluntary compliance with the mine safety and health act by identifying and educating mine operators and employees. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling health and safety inspector duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "occupational health and safety specialists and technicians must be able to communicate safety instructions and concerns to employees and managers." According to a health and safety inspector resume, here's how health and safety inspectors can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "conduct job site safety orientations to ensure communication and understanding of safety rules and expectations. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of health and safety inspectors is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday health and safety inspector duties, as "occupational health and safety specialists and technicians need to understand and follow safety standards and complex government regulations." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "detailed record keeping of jsas, tool, ladder and ppe inspections. "
Physical stamina. For certain health and safety inspector responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "physical stamina." The day-to-day duties of a health and safety inspector rely on this skill, as "occupational health and safety specialists and technicians must be able to stand for long periods and be able to travel regularly." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what health and safety inspectors do: "coordinated/enabled completion of firefighter physical fitness/occupational health examinations. "
Problem-solving skills. Another common skill required for health and safety inspector responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." This skill comes up in the duties of health and safety inspectors all the time, as "occupational health and safety specialists and technicians must be able to solve problems in order to design and implement workplace processes and procedures that help protect workers from hazardous conditions." An excerpt from a real health and safety inspector resume shows how this skill is central to what a health and safety inspector does: "help identify deficiencies in plans and worked with my supervisors and mine management on solutions to improve plans. "
The three companies that hire the most health and safety inspectors are:
- Wsp USA Buildings Inc.5 health and safety inspectors jobs
- Regeneron4 health and safety inspectors jobs
- Ascension Michigan4 health and safety inspectors jobs
Compare different health and safety inspectors
Health and safety inspector vs. Safety representative
A safety representative is responsible for reiterating safety protocols and regulations in the workplace to prevent potential hazards and operational delays. Safety representatives facilitate training and programs for the employees and inform them of any communications related to their safety and wellbeing. They also submit incident reports to the safety manager and provide recommendations to minimize risks and practice emergency drills. A safety representative must have excellent communication and organizational skills to create a safe environment for operations.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a health and safety inspector are more likely to require skills like "ventilation," "mining industry," "health laws," and "health standards." On the other hand, a job as a safety representative requires skills like "osha," "corrective action," "safety training," and "cpr." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Safety representatives really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $68,912. Comparatively, health and safety inspectors tend to make the most money in the government industry with an average salary of $60,346.On average, safety representatives reach similar levels of education than health and safety inspectors. Safety representatives are 4.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Health and safety inspector vs. Safety and training coordinator
A safety and training coordinator helps ensure that all employees, subcontractors, and vendors adhere to the safety protocols and safety behaviors. They oversee safety instructor's safety teachings, procedures, and implementation.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, health and safety inspector responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "ventilation," "mining industry," "health laws," and "health standards." Meanwhile, a safety and training coordinator has duties that require skills in areas such as "osha," "safety training," "safety policies," and "incident investigations." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Safety and training coordinators may earn a lower salary than health and safety inspectors, but safety and training coordinators earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $53,372. On the other hand, health and safety inspectors receive higher pay in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $60,346.safety and training coordinators earn similar levels of education than health and safety inspectors in general. They're 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for health and safety inspectors in the next 3-5 years?
Linsay Hale
Professional Standards Director/Interim Training Division Director, IADLEST Member - International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training
Health and safety inspector vs. Environmental health specialist
An Environmental Health Specialist is responsible for determining the existence of possible health hazards and taking measures to prevent or corect them. They monitor health and safety conditions in resedential, industrial, commercial, and recreational settings.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, health and safety inspectors are more likely to have skills like "ventilation," "epa," "mining industry," and "msha." But a environmental health specialist is more likely to have skills like "environmental health," "osha," "public health," and "risk assessments."
Environmental health specialists earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $62,998. Comparatively, health and safety inspectors have the highest earning potential in the government industry, with an average salary of $60,346.environmental health specialists typically earn similar educational levels compared to health and safety inspectors. Specifically, they're 2.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Health and safety inspector vs. Safety assistant
Safety assistants help safety managers create and execute safety protocols. Typical duties include examining work areas, locating hazardous elements as well as keeping up with safety manuals and guidelines. Also, they interview injured employees, maintain first aid centers, and probe work safety incidents. Additionally, they direct regular audits with safety mentors to make certain that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies and procedures are followed. Primary job qualifications include knowledge in safety protocols, detail-oriented, organizational skills, teamwork, and time management. Another important requirement in this field is training in occupational hazards.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between health and safety inspectors and safety assistants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a health and safety inspector might have more use for skills like "ventilation," "training programs," "epa," and "mining industry." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of safety assistants require skills like "patients," "patient care," "patient safety," and "cpr. "
The manufacturing industry tends to pay the highest salaries for safety assistants, with average annual pay of $41,586. Comparatively, the highest health and safety inspector annual salary comes from the government industry.safety assistants reach lower levels of education compared to health and safety inspectors, in general. The difference is that they're 5.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of health and safety inspector
Updated January 8, 2025
