Abstract
Currently, many qualifications are linked to occupational health and safety in Japan, but except for occupational physicians and a limited number of qualified professionals with certain backgrounds, most do not earn sufficient income to live comfortably. To address this issue, reports were presented from occupational safety and health consultants, occupational hygienist, social insurance and labor attorneys, public health nurses, and psychological professionals engaged in occupational health and safety activities. They were asked to share: (1) their experiences of success and failure (2) individual and policy challenges, (3) strategies to overcome these challenges, and (4) the significance of their qualifications and whether those qualifications are essential for occupational health and safety work. In conclusion, while some professions require legal policy support, such as stricter penalties, there were opinions that the development of policies emphasizing autonomous risk management could promote the utilization of specialists. There were also views that self-help efforts are necessary, based on accurately recognizing the characteristics (differentiating elements) of one’s profession, precisely identifying the needs of client companies, and exploring these needs in depth. Additionally, the necessity of collaboration between professions and across regional and occupational boundaries was pointed out.
