Environmental Health & Safety Manager

OSHA Lock-Out/Tag-Out procedures involve putting locking devices on machines in order to de-energize them in the event of maintenence or malfunction.

OSHA requires that all hazardous materials in the workplace be inventoried and that the employer provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)on all substances, to all employees.

Eyewashes, fire blankets, showers, and fist aid stations are often required wherever employees will come in contact with hazardous materials.

The EHS Manager must maintain safety contingency plans such as spill contingency plans in the event that there is an accident in the workplace.

Job Description for Environmental Health & Safety Management

The Environmental Health and Safety Manager, which I'll refer to as an EHS for short, is an individual who works in industry, usually for a a manufacturing company. As with the other occupations discussed here, the responsibilities of this position may fall under different job titles. The scope of the EHS duties will depend on the size of the company. In middle to smaller sized companies there will be only one EHS while in very large companies you will find the duties divided up between two or more persons.

The EHS is a combination of the following job descriptions: Environmental Techncian ,  Industrial Hygienist, with the addition of the Occupational Safety or risk minimization manager (as described here). An EHS manager's job responsibities may include the following:

1. Choosing a hazardous waste contracter
   
2. Keeping company EPA hazardous waste records
   
3. Air emission permitting and related maintenence and paperwork
   
4. Water pollutant discharge and related maintenence and paperwork
   
5. Reporting hazardous waste records to the EPA including SARA, and RCRA reporting forms
   
6. Maintaining Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on hazardous materials used in the workplace
   
7. Doing routine safety inspections
   
8. Keeping OSHA required records on accidents and maintenence
   
9. Industrial Hygiene, Monitoring of employee exposure to hazards
   
10. Employee Safety Training / Hazard Communication ("Haz Comm")
    
11. Maintaining and purchasing personal protective equipment
    
12. Helping to solve workplace safety problems
    
13. Maintaining Safety contigency plans (fires, spills, etc.)
    
14. Meeting local fire regulations, and insurance industry requirements
    
15. Public Relations

Many universities are offering courses of study in environmental science from the "business" perspective. Preparation for a job in EHS mgt. involves the study of OSHA and EPA Laws. Knowledge of permitting procedures and paperwork required by government agencies. certifications, such as the OSHA 40 Hour Hazardous Material Technician certification (a.k.a. HAZWOPER) are also required for these jobs. In addidtion to business acumen and safety/environmental regulations, the EHS must also have a working knowledge of chemistry, human anatomy & physiology, math, and other natural science in order to be effective at his/her job. Once again you can see the ubiquity that the environmnetal occupations possess. You really do have to know a little bit about everything.

Right now, persons selected for positions in Environmental Health and Safety Management are most often promoted from within the company ( i.e. on the job experience gained from a Business Degree or an Industrial Technology degree or simply being hired and working from the bottom up. At some point the company will send the individual for additional training, study, and certification, or the individual will seek additional training. With the increasing number of environmental oriented degree progams available this will be changing soon. People will now be able to move right into the field from college. With a good Internship you can't miss.

This is one of the few environemtnal careers where you can work you way up with an Associates degree. However, Many schools offer 4-year degrees and Masters programs in Environmental Management Systems, and that is a preferable course of study. Many staffing agencies recruit EHS managers.