Climate concerns are more than simply academic concerns or something that only future generations will have to worry about. They have an immediate and tangible influence in the real world. Global oil spills, skyrocketing carbon dioxide, carbon mono-oxide emissions, ever-increasing e-waste, overflowing landfills, and worsening air and water pollution contribute to declining environmental health.
Careers in environmental health and safety can help prevent accidents that cause ecological damage – including massive wildfires that destroy forest habitats, oil spills that harm nearby wildlife, carbon mono oxide emissions that expose workers to harmful toxins, etc.
The environmental health and safety sector includes a wide assortment of professions that safeguard the health and safety of workers in various work settings. It enables you to work in different challenging situations and contribute to the safety of individuals in the workplace via your efforts. With the variety of job roles, you will find one that best suits you.
Highly sought-after job roles in the industry
One of the many benefits of having an environmental safety career is that it is highly adaptive. Your options are not restricted, and you can pursue a variety of job routes with various educational and professional prerequisites. These job roles deviate from the norm by providing exceptional salary packages, career security, and intriguing work.
- Safety officer
- Industry Hygienist
- Environment, Health, and Safety Consultant
- Environmental Scientist and Protection Technician.
- Environmental Health and Safety Manager
- Air Quality Specialist
- Water Treatment Specialist
Becoming an industrial hygienist is one choice that stands out as it promotes safe work standards for employees in industrial settings and could be the perfect career option for you – plus, the average industrial hygienist salary is $73,056 per year in the US.
On the other hand, aspiring environmental safety officers must possess a bachelor’s degree in electrical, sanitary, or mechanical engineering or any related major. If you want to work as an environment safety officer, you must possess working knowledge and three years of minimum experience in environmental safety.
As an environmental safety officer, your role involves a wide range of safety-focused tasks. You must ensure compliance with federal safety regulations, such as the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. Moreover, you must ensure the company complies with regulatory requirements before constructing pollution control facilities.
Environmental safety specialists are also sought for expert advice when sourcing the best protective equipment, security systems, and safety lock systems, like ProLock Lockers. They are the go-to environmental safety professionals of homeowners, contractors, and business owners.
If you are passionate about science with an enthusiastic love for the environment, then a career in environmental safety could be your true calling. It will allow you to make a real difference in the world while helping you grow as a professional.
Advantages of a Career in Environmental Safety
Climate change is an ongoing crisis that has led the masses to feel downcast. Still, it has also inspired many to take action against it – opting for a career with a positive environmental impact being one of the many ways. The Bureau of labor statistics reported that environmental jobs are projected to have above-average growth over the next ten years. In this article, we will be looking at why a career in environmental safety is worthwhile.
1. It’s a Growing Industry with Huge Potential
The job and responsibilities of an EHS professional evolve in tandem with technology improvements and environmental variables. These modifications are continual, and there is always something new to think about.
Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many of the workforce were abruptly compelled to work from home, presenting new challenges for many EHS professionals. But at the same time, it also introduced new growth opportunities. Accommodating the digital safety of the workforce while ensuring efficient performance is undoubtedly a challenging task.
Another significant element intensified during the pandemic quarantine is the concept of mental well-being. Mental health is now a crucial factor for people working in EHS.
2. Make a Difference in what Matters the Most
When you work in EHS, you may significantly affect a situation. The instructions you establish can guarantee that colleagues are safe at work or that clients are serviced safely and without issue.
There’s also a strong emphasis on sustainability, with many companies aiming to decrease (or even eliminate) their carbon footprints. Much of the planning and strategy for these reforms will fall to EHS experts, which means you have a genuine chance to make a difference in the world.
As an environmental professional, you can impact ecological change for the better.
3. Handsome Salary Package
When looking for a job, the most important thing is the benefits and perks it offers along with a handsome salary package – after all, no one wants to toil away hours working a highly taxing, underpaid job. Besides the job satisfaction and benefits, we work to support ourselves financially.
As employers recognize the value of workplace health and safety, the EHS industry is becoming increasingly well paid.
4. Job Flexibility
One of the many benefits of pursuing a profession in environmental safety is its high adaptability. With industry and the work environment changing rapidly, it’s no surprise that jobs in EHS are in high demand. You can choose from an array of in-demand career options with varying levels of educational and professional criteria.
This development makes sense given the ever-expanding scope of EHS and the specializations emerging due to new circumstances and ways of working.
The different career pathways demonstrate that this is an industry with a strong need for expertise and talent. One thing is sure: as an environmental expert, the growth opportunities are endless.
5. Safeguarding the Environment
Failing to care for the planet’s natural resources can end terribly. Species become extinct. Geography is irreversibly altered. Pollution spreads, affecting people for years to come. Leachate seeps into water tables. Some expert scenarios envision widespread extinction and horrible catastrophes, which may even affect humanity.
As climate change continues to affect economies and ecosystems around the globe, and experts predict that we only have 11 years to avert devastating damage to our ecosystems, global efforts to deal with this crisis become unavoidable. As attempts to reverse present trends intensify, there has perhaps never been a more critical time to pursue a career in environmental health and safety.
Becoming an environmental health and safety officer gives you the opportunity to safeguard the environment and our future. The duties and responsibilities include the following:
- Developing security measures to ensure personnel safety
- Help in developing and implementing a site health and safety plan
- Inspecting and monitoring unsafe situations
- Developing and implementing safety policies to reduce accident-related expenses and prevent losses caused by reduced productivity
- Conducting safety training
- Securing the necessary workplace safety permits and renewals
- Supervising the establishment’s pollution control facility operation and maintenance
- Monitoring and inspecting the wastewater treatment facility
- Submits compliance monitoring reports
If the idea of environmental sustainability and environmental health appeals to you, a career in environmental health and safety may be precisely what you’re looking for.
Final thoughts
Working in safety is challenging on many levels. Yet, knowing that you are doing your part to ensure that your employees return home each night to their families is rewarding. Like every other profession, the job has its downsides; you might sometimes feel under-appreciated, overlooked, or forgotten. But that internal reward of knowing you did your part brings a significant amount of satisfaction. We hope that the advantages we listed and discussed above motivated you and strengthened your resolve to pursue a career in the environmental health and safety industry.