SOUTH AFRICA · SALARY IN RANDS

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians

What the work involves, the skills employers want, and how to get started in South Africa.

  • Advisory Industrial Hygienist
  • Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)
  • Construction Safety Consultant
  • EHS Advisor (Environmental, Health, and Safety Advisor)
  • Health and Safety Technician (Health and Safety Tech)
  • Industrial Hygiene Consultant
  • Industrial Hygienist
  • Safety Specialist

What do Occupational Health and Safety Technicians do?

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians are professionals who focus on ensuring workplace safety and compliance with health regulations. They play a critical role in identifying potential hazards, assessing risks, and implementing safety programs designed to safeguard workers' health and wellbeing. These technicians work in various industries, including manufacturing, construction, healthcare, and more, monitoring environments for compliance with safety guidelines and regulations set by governmental bodies. Their responsibilities often include conducting inspections, performing safety audits, maintaining safety equipment, and providing training to employees on health and safety practices. By analyzing data from workplace incidents and conducting safety assessments, they strive to prevent workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses.

What the work actually is

  • Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists.
  • Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment.
  • Train workers in safety procedures related to green jobs, such as the use of fall protection devices or maintenance of proper ventilation during wind turbine construction.
  • Test workplaces for environmental hazards, such as exposure to radiation, chemical or biological hazards, or excessive noise.
  • Maintain all required environmental records and documentation.

Skills employers expect

Skills

  • Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities

  • Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Knowledge

  • Education and Training Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Public Safety and Security Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • Engineering and Technology Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Law and Government Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

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How people get into it

Education of new hires

Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
High school diploma or equivalent
or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate

A normal week

  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  • Getting Information
  • Documenting/Recording Information

Tools used on the job

Technology

  • Data base user interface and query software Brady Lockout Pro · Database software · Microsoft Access · Remedy Interactive iMitigate
  • Presentation software Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Electronic mail software Email software · Microsoft Outlook
  • Analytical or scientific software Statistical analysis software · TapRooT
  • Industrial control software Industrial Scientific iNET · QuestSuite Professional

Tools

  • Air samplers or collectors Aerosol meters · Air quality dataloggers · Microbial samplers
  • Flowmeters Electronic bubble meters · Electronic pump calibrators · Mass flow meters
  • Respirators Half-face respirators · Respirator hose masks
  • Sound measuring apparatus or decibel meter Octave band analyzers · Sound level meters
  • Portable data input terminals Data acquisition equipment · Data loggers

Who it suits

Realistic

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Conventional

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Investigative

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

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Questions people ask

How much do Occupational Health and Safety Technicians earn in South Africa?

Occupational Health and Safety Technicians salaries in South Africa vary by experience, province and employer.

What do Occupational Health and Safety Technicians do?

Evaluate situations or make determinations when a worker has refused to work on the grounds that danger or potential harm exists, Supply, operate, or maintain personal protective equipment and Train workers in safety procedures related to green jobs, such as the use of fall protection devices or maintenance of proper ventilation during wind turbine construction.

How do I know if this career fits me?

Take the free Assessify career assessment. It matches your answers to careers and shows the South African salary next to each one.