Job Description Of An Environmental Health & Safety Manager
The practice of ensuring that a workplace or institutional environment is continually safe is often called environmental health and safety. Those working in the field help to monitor and reduce environmental hazards such as chemical pollution, radiation and structural risks. Others focus on developing strategies to reduce these hazards through improved design. Environmental health and safety managers are often employed by private industry and compliance agencies like the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
Job Responsibilities
Environmental health and safety managers monitor hazards using scientific instruments. They are often supervised by human resource or compliance managers in private industry. Their work is routinely done in-field, checking locations like factories or mines that have the potential to be unsafe for human uses. They report their findings to decision makers and regulatory officials, and sometimes develop recommendations on how to improve the conditions of an environment to reduce or avoid hazards.
Skills Required
Environmental health and safety managers must be able to observe environmental conditions and report their findings.
Environmental health and safety managers must be able to observe environmental conditions and report their findings.
Environmental health and safety technicians must be able to understand and apply particular safety standards relating to their field of work. For example, those testing the conditions of mines must be aware of the common environmental and safety standards usually present in mines and use technical instruments to test for them. Environmental health and safety managers often have proficient math and science skills, the ability to compile and analyze technical data, and the communication skills necessary to report findings.
Training and Education
Environmental health and safety managers are trained scientists, and usually complete a bachelor's program in a science major or an associate's program at a technical college. Employers often look for certifications or credentials, and some schools offer certificates in occupational safety skills. More training is received on the job, under the close supervision of more experienced environmental health and safety professionals or regulators. Certificate programs involve courses in environmental regulations, testing for compliance and site assessment.
Salary and Prospects
Between 2008 and 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates employment of occupational health and safety technicians to increase 14 percent, faster than the average for all occupations, with many job opportunities likely to result from the retirement of existing professionals. Salaries can be difficult to estimate due to varying job titles. Those who manage employees usually command a higher salary. The median salary for occupational health and safety specialists is $62,250, according to MyFuture. The highest median salaries are found in the District of Columbia.
Top Employers
Just over half of all environmental health and safety managers are employed by private industry. Most of the remainder work for regulatory agencies in state and local government, though many are employed by the federal government as well. Occupational health, environmental protection and workplace safety agencies employ managers who opt to pursue a career in public service. Those working for private industry are often exposed to some of the same stresses and hazards as industrial employees, and are hired by factories, mines and refineries to help monitor the company's regulatory compliance.
Job Responsibilities
Environmental health and safety managers monitor hazards using scientific instruments. They are often supervised by human resource or compliance managers in private industry. Their work is routinely done in-field, checking locations like factories or mines that have the potential to be unsafe for human uses. They report their findings to decision makers and regulatory officials, and sometimes develop recommendations on how to improve the conditions of an environment to reduce or avoid hazards.
Skills Required
Environmental health and safety managers must be able to observe environmental conditions and report their findings.
Environmental health and safety managers must be able to observe environmental conditions and report their findings.
Environmental health and safety technicians must be able to understand and apply particular safety standards relating to their field of work. For example, those testing the conditions of mines must be aware of the common environmental and safety standards usually present in mines and use technical instruments to test for them. Environmental health and safety managers often have proficient math and science skills, the ability to compile and analyze technical data, and the communication skills necessary to report findings.
Training and Education
Environmental health and safety managers are trained scientists, and usually complete a bachelor's program in a science major or an associate's program at a technical college. Employers often look for certifications or credentials, and some schools offer certificates in occupational safety skills. More training is received on the job, under the close supervision of more experienced environmental health and safety professionals or regulators. Certificate programs involve courses in environmental regulations, testing for compliance and site assessment.
Salary and Prospects
Between 2008 and 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates employment of occupational health and safety technicians to increase 14 percent, faster than the average for all occupations, with many job opportunities likely to result from the retirement of existing professionals. Salaries can be difficult to estimate due to varying job titles. Those who manage employees usually command a higher salary. The median salary for occupational health and safety specialists is $62,250, according to MyFuture. The highest median salaries are found in the District of Columbia.
Top Employers
Just over half of all environmental health and safety managers are employed by private industry. Most of the remainder work for regulatory agencies in state and local government, though many are employed by the federal government as well. Occupational health, environmental protection and workplace safety agencies employ managers who opt to pursue a career in public service. Those working for private industry are often exposed to some of the same stresses and hazards as industrial employees, and are hired by factories, mines and refineries to help monitor the company's regulatory compliance.
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