Workplace health and safety laws are becoming increasingly stringent. At the same time, they are constantly evolving. You need to not only be aware of these latest modifications, but also understand them in detail. Again, you need to have an ability to convince the management for increasing the expenditure in the short term to have a more efficient workforce in the long term.
In order to start a career in Environmental Safety Health, you need to have a flair for the knowledge about the production process and machine operations, where chemical, environmental or electrical engineering provides sufficient academic background. Environmental Safety and Health officers can perform key roles in planning, designing, implementing and monitoring of the workplace development. They are specially sought after to look for potential health and safety issues of the officials working for an organization.
An Environmental Safety Health professional is also required to demonstrate excellent communication and organizational skills. He must be well versed in preparing protocols, drafting reports and procedures and presenting them in meetings. A person who has the capabilities of planning, designing, implementing and reviewing the Environmental Safety and Health laws is recognized as an Environmental Safety Health officer.
To start a career in this field, you are required to have a Bachelors degree in chemical, environmental or electrical engineering with up to 6 months of practical experience at production processes and machine operations. Experience is not a necessary pre-requisite for a person having a PhD or Masters in environmental engineering. A course in administrative leadership done from a technical university increases the chances of an officer to become a supervisor.
Many colleges across the world offer courses in various aspects of Environmental Safety Health. Cornell University has various courses about fire safety and workplace safety.
If you have prior work experience in production lines at a manufacturer, they offer a great firsthand experience in understanding the impact of environmental and safety regulations on workers. Detailed exposure to a workplace environment (For example. a prior experience in maintenance services) is also a good base to start. With such a detailed understanding of the workplace, which comes with the maintenance jobs, it is easier to understand the actual issues.
Nowadays, the role of an officer in this field is expanding, especially in the more developed economies of USA, UK and Germany. Again, they are also finding a place in the developing economies of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) nations. The new role which they are playing is affecting the safety and health of a number of workers. At the same time, the payment is also handsome for officials looking for this job.
A career in environment safety and health is quite popular in the modern world. Colleges across the world are offering courses about various aspects of workplace safety giving an opportunity for constant improvement. They add value to the service, which a company provides to their employees. The laws governing the field are constantly evolving. It constantly allows you to affect the working environment of your fellow employees in an even better manner.
