Occupational and safety jobs

Occupational and safety jobs: what HR and employers need to know for compliance

If you’re searching for occupational and safety jobs, you’re likely trying to do two things at once: (1) hire or develop someone who can run a compliant safety program, and (2) reduce your organization’s OSHA risk while improving incident prevention. This guide explains the most common occupational health safety jobs, what an OHS job typically covers, how OSHA 510 jobs fit into compliance-driven hiring, and the federal posting and recordkeeping requirements that often fall under these roles.

What “occupational and safety jobs” typically include

Most employers use “occupational and safety jobs” as an umbrella for roles that manage workplace hazards, safety training, incident response, and regulatory compliance. Common job titles include:

• Safety Coordinator / Safety Specialist
• Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Specialist or Manager
• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Officer
• Risk & Safety Manager
• Construction Safety Manager
• Industrial Hygienist (often more specialized)

If you want a broader view of related career paths and compliance responsibilities across industries, see SwiftSDS’s overview of industrial safety jobs.

Core duties tied to federal compliance

Even when the title differs, many occupational health safety jobs include responsibility for:

• OSHA hazard control and prevention (hazard assessments, corrective actions)
• Training administration (new-hire safety, job-specific training, supervisor training)
• Incident management (investigations, root-cause analysis, documentation)
• Recordkeeping (OSHA 300/300A/301 when applicable)
• Program development (PPE, hazard communication, lockout/tagout, fall protection, etc.)
• Workplace postings and employee notices (OSHA and wage/hour posters)

Federal legal framework that shapes OHS jobs

OSHA’s “General Duty Clause” and OSHA standards

The Occupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards” (often referenced as the General Duty Clause). In practice, occupational and safety jobs translate that duty into written programs, training, and enforcement of applicable OSHA standards (e.g., hazard communication, respiratory protection, PPE, fall protection, machine guarding).

A safety professional is often the internal owner of the compliance calendar—inspections, audits, corrective actions, and documentation that helps defend the employer if an OSHA complaint or inspection occurs. If you’re exploring the enforcement side and what OSHA looks for, SwiftSDS also covers how to become an osha inspector.

Recordkeeping and reporting expectations

Many employers must comply with OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping requirements (29 CFR Part 1904), including maintaining logs and posting the annual summary when required. Safety roles commonly manage:

• Determining recordability (work-relatedness, days away, restricted duty, medical treatment)
• Keeping documentation consistent and audit-ready
• Coordinating required reports for severe injuries (e.g., hospitalization, amputation, loss of an eye—timelines depend on event type)

Required workplace postings: don’t overlook “paper compliance”

Occupational health safety jobs frequently intersect with posting requirements—especially when HR and Safety share compliance ownership. For example, employers should confirm they are meeting federal posting obligations as summarized in SwiftSDS’s Federal (United States) Posting Requirements.

A common “must-have” safety notice is the OSHA worker-rights posting—SwiftSDS provides guidance and a downloadable version via the job safety and health protection poster.

Safety leaders may also be asked to coordinate wage/hour postings that affect employee rights. For example, many employers must post the U.S. Department of Labor’s FLSA notice: Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

What to look for when hiring for occupational health safety jobs

Hiring for an OHS job is easier when the job description is built around measurable compliance deliverables—not just “promote a culture of safety.”

Actionable job description components (employer-ready)

Consider specifying responsibility for:

1. Written program management
   • Maintain and update safety programs aligned to OSHA standards (e.g., HazCom, PPE, LOTO, fall protection).
2. Training and documentation
   • Assign, track, and document required training; maintain sign-in sheets and course records.
3. Inspection readiness
   • Conduct internal audits; manage corrective actions with owners and deadlines.
4. Incident response
   • Lead investigations; implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
5. Posting and notice compliance
   • Verify postings are current (OSHA notices, wage/hour notices, and state-specific postings where applicable).

For HR teams, it’s also worth aligning safety hiring with broader employee-rights communications. A helpful related overview is SwiftSDS’s summary of 5 rights of workers, which complements safety-related rights such as reporting hazards and retaliation protections.

How “OSHA 510 jobs” fit into compliance-driven hiring

“OSHA 510 jobs” commonly refers to roles where employers prefer or require completion of OSHA #510: Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry (an OSHA Training Institute Education Center course). While OSHA 510 itself is not a federal legal requirement for most roles, it’s a strong signal that a candidate understands:

• How construction OSHA standards are structured
• How to interpret and apply common construction requirements
• How to identify and document hazards in a way that stands up during audits or inspections

When OSHA 510 is a practical requirement

You may want OSHA 510 (or plan to sponsor it after hire) if the job will:

• Support construction sites or multi-employer worksites
• Lead subcontractor safety coordination
• Conduct field audits where fall protection, scaffolds, trenching, and heavy equipment hazards are common

If you’re building a training roadmap for new hires or current supervisors, SwiftSDS also tracks options in health and safety construction courses.

Multi-jurisdiction operations: state posting requirements still matter

Even when federal OSHA compliance is the main driver of occupational and safety jobs, employers operating in multiple states should treat posting compliance as a location-based requirement. A safety manager or EHS leader often partners with HR to confirm each site has the correct posters.

For example:

• Employers with Ohio worksites can validate requirements using SwiftSDS’s Ohio (OH) Labor Law Posting Requirements.
• California has additional postings and stronger state-specific rules; see California (CA) Posting Requirements.
• If you operate at a city/county level with localized requirements, SwiftSDS tracks them (e.g., Athens, Athens County, OH Labor Law Posting Requirements).

When your safety role includes oversight of temporary labor, ensure state notices are handled correctly where applicable. Massachusetts, for instance, has a specific temporary worker notice: Your Rights under the Massachusetts Temporary Workers Right to Know Law.

Compliance checklist: how safety roles can reduce risk in 30–60 days

Below is a practical short-term plan an OHS professional can execute to improve compliance and inspection readiness:

1) Confirm required posters are current (Week 1–2)

• Audit federal and state postings for every worksite.
• Replace outdated versions and document the posting date.
• Ensure remote workers have access to required notices where electronic distribution is allowed/used.

Start with SwiftSDS’s Federal (United States) Posting Requirements and then validate each location (state/county/city).

2) Review top OSHA programs (Week 2–4)

Prioritize programs linked to higher-frequency citations:

• Hazard Communication (SDS access, labeling, training)
• PPE assessments and training
• Lockout/Tagout (if applicable)
• Fall protection (construction/maintenance)
• Powered industrial trucks (if applicable)

3) Evaluate incident documentation and recordkeeping (Week 3–6)

• Standardize incident investigation forms and root-cause categories.
• Confirm how your organization decides recordability and who signs off.
• Create a simple corrective-action tracker with owners and deadlines.

4) Build a training matrix (Week 4–8)

• Assign training by role (new hire, supervisor, forklift, confined space, etc.).
• Track completions and retraining intervals.
• Keep proof of training readily available for audits.

FAQ: occupational and safety jobs

Are occupational health safety jobs the same as EHS jobs?

Often yes. “OHS” usually emphasizes worker safety and health, while “EHS” may include environmental compliance (hazardous waste, air/water rules). Many employers combine both, especially in manufacturing and construction.

Do OSHA 510 jobs require OSHA 510 certification by law?

Typically no. OSHA does not generally require OSHA 510 for private safety roles. However, employers may require it as a qualification because it improves a candidate’s ability to interpret construction standards and support audit-ready compliance.

What’s one posting requirement safety leaders should verify immediately?

Confirm the OSHA worker-rights notice is posted (or properly distributed where allowed) and that wage/hour posters are current. Many employers also post the FLSA notice, such as Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, alongside other required federal and state postings.

SwiftSDS helps employers connect day-to-day safety management with labor law visibility—especially where postings, training records, and OSHA readiness overlap. If you’re building or refining an occupational and safety role, anchor the job to concrete compliance outputs: audits, training documentation, program ownership, and posting accuracy across every location you operate.