See Industrial Hygienist 2.

This is the senior or lead-worker level of the series.
Independently, conducts complex enforcement inspections and investigations of employers’ workplaces, to assess existing and potential health hazards and determines compliance with standards for safety and health hazards. Exercises compliance authority in issuing citations including orders and notices of immediate restraint.
A complex inspection/investigation/consultation is comprised of one or more of the following elements presenting unusual or complicated legal constructs:
• inspections/investigations that require interpretation of policy
• inspections/investigations involving two or more investigators or consultants
• inspections/investigations as a result of multiple hospitalizations/fatalities
• inspections/investigations involving numbers of technical safety and health requirements, and/or high visibility media and legal issues
• multiple industrial operation and process inspections (i.e. pulp and paper mills, petrochemical plants or refineries, maritime inspections). 

OR 

As a leadworker, directs other Industrial Hygienists in inspections/investigations. 

OR 

Conducts complex industrial hygiene inspections/consultations on an assigned industry-wide basis as designated in writing by the Assistant Director, Division of Occupational Safety and Health. 

OR 

Performs consultation surveys of employers’ workplaces to detect and eliminate any existing and potential health hazards. 

OR 

In headquarters or the industrial hygiene laboratory, independently performs technical research, development, evaluation and implementation of project/programs requiring professional level technical knowledge and expertise in industrial hygiene. 

OR 

Performs theoretical and academic industrial hygiene research and investigation of recognized and unknown safety and health hazards in the Safety and Health Assessment and Research Program (SHARP). 

OR 

In Higher Education, develops and coordinates major components of an industrial hygiene program such as management of toxic materials, hazardous wastes, and/or surveillance of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals.

Determines survey evaluation plans, compliance actions and conducts interviews, opening and closing conferences and prepares final reports; gathers samples of air, dusts, liquids and industrial materials; uses direct reading instruments for measurement of noise, non-ionizing radiation, vibration, temperatures and chemical contamination; analyzes and reports on survey results and laboratory data;
Develops special adaptations of existing sampling equipment and analytical procedures to accommodate unusual problems of contaminant-determination; participates in laboratory simulation of industrial procedures to facilitate analysis of resultant gases and other by-products;
Investigates fatalities and serious injuries where the root cause may not be obvious or is unknown;
Presents reports of investigations or consultation results to employers, employee representatives and safety personnel, covering the investigation conducted, the findings and the minimum standards which must be met through remedial measures; follows up to check progress and effectiveness of changes instituted; recommends extent to which enforcement action is needed for cases of noncompliance;
Ensures required documentation exists in casefiles to support inspection, investigation and consultation findings to meet legally defensible requirements; testifies as State’s witness during appeal actions and gives depositions;
Completes documentation and appears in Superior Court for warrant requests or civil cases;
In case of imminent hazards, issues order of immediate restraint pending further investigation; initiates request for warrants when denied entry to employer facility; serves warrants and subpoenas;
Directs safety and health specialists and industrial hygiene personnel in conduct of large-scale complex, or highly specialized investigations; assists lower-level hygienists in resolving conflicts with employers or employees, and in working out solutions to particularly difficult problems of hazard mitigation;
Directs and provides training on technical field sampling and monitoring activities of scientific technicians or safety and health specialists during inspections or investigations, related to sampling scope, equipment selection and logging of results;
Presents industrial hygiene training to Division personnel, public and private employers and employees;
Provides advanced technical industrial hygiene knowledge and expertise in the development and implementation of occupational health and safety theoretical and academic research, surveys and projects initiated under SHARP; in conjunction with other SHARP professionals, participates in project research and on-site workplace surveys for specifically identified occupational health and safety hazards, assisting in development of recommendations and criteria directed toward prevention of illness and injury in the workplace;
Develop and coordinate implementation of program methods designed to minimize levels of occupational health hazards and community pollutants;
Participate in the planning and conduct of industrial hygiene research projects;
Prepare reports; analyze and evaluate findings and/or laboratory data concerning occupational health hazards;
Coordinate with outside agencies, community members, and contractors such as pollution control agencies, pesticide contractors, disposal contractors concerning hazardous wastes, and public or employee work exposures;
Interpret findings and recommendations of industrial hygiene investigations; consult with management personnel to implement recommendations;
Develop and conduct in-service training courses;
Performs as the subject matter expert on the Federally approved state occupational safety and health program and meeting the authorizing statute, Chapter 49.17 RCW, the Washington Industrial Safety and Health Act (WISHA). The approved State program at the Department of Labor and Industries, the national Federal OSHA program including enforcement, consultation, rules, regulations, policies and procedures. This position using these regulations will provide oversight of employees, contractors, vendors performing work on State Property to ensure that these regulations are followed, to report any regulations that are not being followed and stop work if necessary.

Knowledge of: standard analytical procedures required for identification and measurement of all common occupational and environmental contaminants; sampling and direct measuring techniques for gas, vapor, dust, noise and non-ionizing radiation; industrial processes and resulting contamination hazards; common industrial and agricultural chemicals, chemical by-products and the extent and conditions under which they became health hazards; regulations, policies and procedures of the Department of Labor and Industries relative to occupational and environmental hazards and diseases.

Ability to: analyze complex problems of occupational and environmental , health and safety hazard reduction and arrive at sound decisions regarding actions to be taken; combine or alter standard testing equipment and procedures for unusually complex problems of contamination measurement; explain technical procedures and findings in language a lay person can understand; establish and maintain effective working relationships with representatives of management and labor; speak and write clearly and concisely. Ability to use and apply legal theory in decision-making.

Some positions may require certification as a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) granted by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and/or Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) granted by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

A Bachelor's degree involving major study in occupational safety and/or health, industrial hygiene, chemistry, physics, chemical, mechanical or sanitary engineering, environmental science, nursing, medicine, biology, or related field 

AND

Three years of experience as an Industrial Hygienist or two years as a Safety and Health Specialist 2.
A Master's degree involving major study in industrial hygiene or related field will substitute for two years of industrial hygiene experience.
Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

New class, consolidates 4765 Industrial Hygienist II, 53770 Industrial Hygienist 3, adopted
May 10, 2007, effective July 1, 2007.
Revised salary range, and definition, typical work; adopted June 30, 2017, effective July 1, 2017
Abolished job class adopted June 22, 2023, effective July 1, 2023. See Food Safety Compliance Specialist series.