What is a Class 2 Hygiene Manager? A brief explanation from exam to appointment

The "hygiene manager" is an essential part of the hygiene committee.
based on
my own experience of obtaining the qualification of a second-class hygiene manager I will explain in an easy-to-understand manner the process from applying for the exam to being appointed after passing

What is a hygiene manager?

A "health manager" is a professional qualification that protects health and safety in the workplace .
It is required by law that any workplace with 50 or more employees must appoint a health manager.

There are
actually two types of hygiene managers: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 hygiene manager : A higher-level qualification that can be used in all industries (including those that handle hazardous substances).
Type 2 hygiene manager : A qualification required in general industries (office, food service, retail, IT, etc.) that do not involve hazardous work.

The first type covers a wider range of subjects, so the exam is slightly more difficult.
However, if you are working in a "normal workplace" such as an office job or service industry, the second type will be no problem at all.

If you are thinking, "I want to appoint a hygiene manager as soon as possible!" or "My workplace is mainly clerical, so a second-class hygiene manager is fine," we recommend obtaining the second-class hygiene manager certification.

Qualification acquisition procedure

you must pass
national sanitation manager examination

Exam application

Applications for the exam the official website of the Safety and Health Technology Examination Association .

The hygiene manager exam an "online + mail" format , where
you first fill out the necessary information online to create an application form,
then print it out and submit it by mail!

is held at locations called
"Safety and Health Technology Centers" across the country and in the Kansai region you can choose between the "Osaka Testing Center" or the "Kinki Safety and Health Technology Center (Hyogo)."
(I took the exam at the Osaka Testing Center!)

The official website lists the exam schedules for each venue, so
we recommend choosing a date that suits your schedule !

After applying, receive an examination ticket , so make sure to keep it in a safe place.

On the day of the exam

The exam multiple choice format and covers the following three subjects:
Occupational Health (excluding hazardous work)
, Related Laws and Regulations,
and Occupational Physiology.
The exam lasts two hours , and the passing criteria is 40% or more in each subject and 60% or more in total .
Calculators are allowed during the exam .)

The Osaka testing center is surprisingly far from the nearest station, so I recommend leaving plenty of time to get there.
I also arrived just in time for the test to start, which was a bit scary.

The exam lasts for two hours, but you can leave after one hour if you have finished answering and reviewing .
When I took the exam, about half of the test takers left after about an hour.

By the way, I used these textbooks to study!
The 2025 edition of the Clearly Understandable Type 2 Hygiene Manager Exam Textbook & Questions [Even First-Timers Can Pass on the First Try] and
U-CAN's 2026 Edition of Important Past Questions & Practice Exams for the Type 2 Hygiene Manager Exam [Contains the equivalent of nine exam questions].

Announcement of results

You can check the results on the official website of the Safety and Health Technology Center where you took the exam, and
you will receive
a "Notice of License Exam Pass" by mail at a later date *Those who do not pass will receive a "Notice of License Exam Results."

Please be careful not to throw away
the passing notice, as it is required for issuing a license A license is required to be appointed as a hygiene manager .

The process from passing the exam to being appointed

Simply passing the exam does not appoint you as a hygiene manager.
You must apply for a license (license registration) !

License issuance

To appoint someone as a workplace hygiene manager,
a copy of their license is required, so be sure to issue one.

the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website, so all you have to do is fill it out, attach a photo and revenue stamp, and
the Tokyo Labor Bureau License Issuance Center, which is the same application center nationwide !
*You cannot submit it at the counter, so you must send it by registered mail

Other documents you will need to attach are:
License exam passing notice (original)
, identification (resident registration card, driver's license, etc.)
, and a return envelope (don't forget the postage!).
*The postage fee is for standard postage and registered mail .

After submitting the documents, you will receive your sanitation manager license in about 1-2 weeks.
Depending on when you apply, it may take some time to arrive, and
mine took about a month to arrive.

Appointment Procedures

Once you receive your license, you will be able to make an appointment

Once the appointment is made
the "Health and Safety Manager Appointment Report" to the relevant Labor Standards Inspection Office and once it is accepted, the process is complete!

must be
submitted within 14 days of appointment be sure to submit it as soon as you receive your driver's license.

Submissions can also be made electronically online.
Input support service for printing forms for notifications, applications, etc. related to the Industrial Safety and Health Act

summary

will briefly summarize the Second Class Sanitation Manager Examination that
I actually took from how to apply, to the process on the day of the exam, and the license application and appointment procedures after passing

It may seem like it requires specialized knowledge and can be a little intimidating, but
in reality, much of the content can be understood as an extension of your daily work, so
I felt that it was a qualification that anyone working in an office or management position could easily take on

After passing the exam, you will need to apply for a license and other procedures, so
recommended that you leave yourself some leeway in your schedule .
I hope this is helpful for those who are thinking about taking the exam!