Environmental Safety Health officers analyze the work environment and help in controlling the disease and injury. They are appointed to design the work spaces so that they are safe for the employees. They should also inspect the machines so that they are safe to run. The main aim of an Environmental Safety Health officer is to increase the productivity of the workers by ensuring them a safe work place and equipment to work with.
Some officers also predict the hazards by analyzing the historical data and other information. They may also conduct safety training classes for management, supervisors and workers separately. In these classes they can show how to recognize the hazards or explain the new regulation to be implemented.
It is the responsibility of the environmental safety health officers to test the amount of pollution present in the air where the work is done .He has to check that the air is free from pollution. Besides the air, he also has to check the machines, work environment, other elements so that worker productivity is at the maximum level. They also have to measure and limit the hazards such as noise, harmful radiation, etc. For this they may have to prepare scientific equipment. It is their responsibility to collect the samples of dust, vapors, and other toxic materials, conduct tests and get no objection certificate from the government, and ensure the continuous production at the unit from time to time.
The academic qualification required for the environmental safety and health officers vary from organization to organization. While in some organizations they require a bachelor's degree in biology or chemistry or in occupational health, others ask for a master's degree in industrial hygiene. Sometimes they ask for an associate degree and 1-year certification.
Environmental Safety health officers have to very often write reports and maintain records. So they must have good writing skills and maintain the records properly. Besides this they have to interact with the workers to find their problem. So it will be a plus if they are able to come down to the level of the workers and not be bossy always. They should also have to communicate with the management about the health and safety programs. So they must be able to put their views properly. For this they may need to have an oral command over the language.
All the environmental Safety Health officers should be trained in the applicable laws and inspection procedures. This they can do through class room training or on the job training. It is necessary for the officers to keep in touch with the current developments. For this they may have to become a member of a professional society or organizations. This helps them to get the journals in continuing education courses. With an advanced degree they can become professors or can do research.
Most of the Environmental safety Health officers are recruited by the private firms. Some of them are employed in the local government, federal government, and state governments. Another option is to open a consulting company as many private firms appoint consulting firms to do their work.
As the awareness for the environment is being raised, employment opportunities for the Environmental Safety and health officers are also increasing. To quote the labor statistics data, it is expected to rise by 9% in the next 5 years. As there is continuous advancement in the technology and development in the machines the need for the safety measures will also increase
As per the Bureau of labor Statistics the average income of the Environmental Safety Health officer was around $54,920 in the last year. On taking into account all the given information becoming an environmental Safety Health officer as a career is not a bad option in this time of recession. This indeed shows a prospering field.
