What is an occupational hygienist?

An occupational hygienist is a professional who monitors working conditions within companies with the goal of preventing health damage to employees. This specialized person works preventively and provides support to companies by, among other things, identifying health-threatening factors in the work environment. These may include exposure to hazardous substances in the workplace, climatic conditions, exposure to noise, mechanical vibration or influences of light. In addition, an occupational hygienist will provide insight on how to perform work in a healthy environment. An occupational hygienist is one of the four core experts known within the Occupational Health and Safety Act. This person focuses on medium- and long-term health effects. Acute health effects are described in the Occupational Health and Safety Act as “safety.”