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Occupational Safety & Health Officer

Public Sector

Review, evaluate, and analyze work environments and design programs and procedures to control, eliminate, and prevent disease or injury caused by chemical, physical, and biological agents or ergonomic factors. May conduct inspections and enforce adherence to laws and regulations governing the health and safety of individuals. May be employed in the public or private sector.

Public Safety & DefenceScience

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Recommend measures to help protect workers from potentially hazardous work methods, processes, or materials.
  2. 2Order suspension of activities that pose threats to workers' health or safety.
  3. 3Develop or maintain hygiene programs, such as noise surveys, continuous atmosphere monitoring, ventilation surveys, or asbestos management plans.
  4. 4Investigate accidents to identify causes or to determine how such accidents might be prevented in the future.
  5. 5Inspect or evaluate workplace environments, equipment, or practices to ensure compliance with safety standards and government regulations.
  6. 6Collaborate with engineers or physicians to institute control or remedial measures for hazardous or potentially hazardous conditions or equipment.
  7. 7Collect samples of dust, gases, vapors, or other potentially toxic materials for analysis.
  8. 8Investigate the adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, or other conditions that could affect employee health, comfort, or performance.
  9. 9Conduct safety training or education programs and demonstrate the use of safety equipment.
  10. 10Investigate health-related complaints and inspect facilities to ensure that they comply with public health legislation and regulations.
  11. 11Write reports.
  12. 12Inspect specified areas to ensure the presence of fire prevention equipment, safety equipment, or first-aid supplies.
  13. 13Provide new-employee health and safety orientations and develop materials for these presentations.
  14. 14Analyze incident data to identify trends in injuries, illnesses, accidents, or other hazards.
  15. 15Maintain or update emergency response plans or procedures.
  16. 16Coordinate "right-to-know" programs regarding hazardous chemicals or other substances.
  17. 17Conduct audits at hazardous waste sites or industrial sites or participate in hazardous waste site investigations.
  18. 18Develop or maintain medical monitoring programs for employees.
  19. 19Maintain inventories of hazardous materials or hazardous wastes, using waste tracking systems to ensure that materials are handled properly.
  20. 20Collect samples of hazardous materials or arrange for sample collection.
  21. 21Prepare hazardous, radioactive, or mixed waste samples for transportation or storage by treating, compacting, packaging, and labeling them.
  22. 22Perform laboratory analyses or physical inspections of samples to detect disease or to assess purity or cleanliness.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • CIH
  • Safety PM
  • Sanitarian
  • EHS Officer
  • Risk Analyst
  • Cause Analyst
  • Safety Person
  • EHS Specialist
  • Food Inspector
  • OHS Consultant

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. Typical entry

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationBachelor's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
ChemistryDraws directly on Chemistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • English Language79%

    English

  • Chemistry78%

    Chemistry

  • Education and Training77%
  • Mathematics76%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Customer and Personal Service75%
  • Engineering and Technology72%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleContact most of the time
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Time walking or movingA little
  • Hands-on work with tools or objectsA little
  • Irregular or shift hoursOften irregular or shift

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

29%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.16%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

On Malaysia's official shortage list

TalentCorp and ILMIA's Critical Occupations List — evidence of a real hiring shortage in Malaysia right now.

Environmental and Occupational Health and Hygiene Professionals · Shortage indicators met: 7/12

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
See pay for a related career: Agronomist / Agriculture Officer

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Occupational Health and Safety Specialists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue