Environmental, Health and Safety.

Hi all,
Long term reader, first time poster.
I have an Environmental Science qualification and have been working in a large company for the past 3 and a half years since i finished college. However, as i'm trying to move jobs (get a better one) the one thing that everyone seems to be looking for is an Environmental, Health and Safety job. So to counte act this i applied to do a part time Diploma in Health and Safety in UL for two years. I got offered the course yesterday but now getting cold feet about going back studying and al lthe extra work I will have to do.

Anyone any advice with it ?I know in the long run, no matter what qualification it is, it should stand to me. But I'm not too sure about the workload and even the possibility of getting a job afterwards or would and EHS officer be a rewarding job? I have 10 days to replay with either accepting or rejecting it....

if you do this course you will be largely leaving Environmental and heading into the safety field, however it may not be what you want. The course is good no matter what you want to do after but think carefully before you go into this is all i am saying - the folks who make the money in EH&S are construction (nightmare) and consultants where is it fairly cut throat.

Thanks for the reply,
Well i got into the environmental for the interest in the environment but those jobs just aint out there. And the roles that the market want are currently EHS people. I am wary of Health and Safety esp if working in a dangerous environment where the H & S manager/officer would be held responsible for anythign major happening. I dont know of anyone who has worked in this field so i'm unsure if this is the road i want to go down, at the minute its the only thing i can do to get out of my current job, and even afterwards (and prob 6 grand less in savings)there's no guarentee of getting a EHS role.

Wpuld you suggest a more environmental course? There is a Diploma in Env protection in Sligo IT that does distance learning.... 9 days left now that i didnt decide today!

[ I am wary of Health and Safety esp if working in a dangerous environment where the H & S manager/officer would be held responsible for anythign major happening. ]

what tosh and balderdash

If the systems where right the H&S cannot be held responsible, the board maybe but not the individual.

H&S ( and environmental) is about good management, same as finance, sales, and every other department in business, its not a mystic or dark art.

What does count is experience--- as it does in all sectors, not the degree.
To quote current h&S Act.( SHWW2005) Part 1 section 2



(2) (a) For the purposes of the relevant statutory provisions, a
person is deemed to be a competent person where, having
regard to the task he or she is required to perform
and taking account of the size or hazards (or both of
them) of the undertaking or establishment in which he
or she undertakes work, the person possesses sufficient
training, experience and knowledge appropriate to the
nature of the work to be undertaken.

If you are the person appointed to advise on safety in a workplace you wont be held legally responsible for health and safety issues in that workplace as under the 2005 h&s act company directors cannot use you as a scapegoat. If they could nobody would work in the field. You may get sacked though if you mess up! Any individual can be prosecuted under the act but only if they are found to have acted in a negligent manner which endangered the safety of others. Blaming the compnay safety officer is not a defence in these instances.

Safety can be a tough field to work in. Depending on the industry sector you may have to do a lot of travel and for the most part the pay is not that great considering that for most jobs a degree plus a two year diploma is required (average €40-€50k, may be higher in construction), but it is improving.

Your diploma alone may not be enough to get a job, experience is also required. Some companies may take you on without experience but you will be competing against other graduates from the undergraduate degree programmes. Most people end up in health and safety by accident and start the professional qualification after they have begun working in the field. Competency in the field is very often taken to be membership of the Institute Of Occupational Safety and Health, which takes a diploma and 2-3 years experience. If you are unsure of your real interest in the area try doing the UCD certificate in safety (one morning per week) which can be done at a number of locations in Ireland. It will give you a broad overview of the field and a formal qualification that may help if you are applying for a EHS position.

If environmental is what you are interested in have you considered the FAS Waste Management course which is considered to be the compotent person qualification in the waste management industry (it is expensive though). This is I think two days per week every second week for 10 weeks (or it was when I did it). You could take both qualfications in one year as opposed to spending two years doing a tough course that you are unsure about.

Good luck!

I have done a few small time courses over the past 4 years to keep me ticking over, so as not to forget how to study and keep on the learning path, but I found some of them to be a complete waste when it came to jobs, where they just brushed over it. I may look into the Waste management course, as maybe its a course that my employers MAY pay for.... they wont pay for any other training I ask for

Lemon
I float your same boat....did Envir Sci hons degree after a forestry degree. got into this for the love of our environment. same as you. but if you move into envir H & S youll be starting from scratch in a totally unrelated industry.

I do agree that there arent any envir science jobs out there (for all the talk of our environment etc. I think its amazing and sureal) but if youre considering doing another course would you consider specialising in an area that you like eg. freshwater management, soil etc.? i would though check employment possibilites well first though.

I have had a few interview offers in the last year (maybe 3-4) but turned them down. one wasy to ook at this situation is at least you have a speciliast degree....getting the job interviews to present this is another story though.
best of luck
Killter

Thanks for the replies,
I'm getting a few interviews etc, but i feel that because of the area i went into was specialised that its now holding me back. Go into intrviews and they say wow, great, interesting job... but unfortunately you dont fit in here! I know i'd be moving away from the environment, but even Environmental jobs arent very environmenntal.... I have done a few courses, AutoCAD, sustainable energy etc... but the ideal job doesnt seem to be out there. The reason i'm prob goign for EHS is because thats the jobs that are out there at the moment and IF a downturn comes, they will prob double job the H&S to incorporate Environmental?

unfortunately they are double jobbing E H&S already.
How about Environmental Consultancy? Completing EIA'S EIS land comtamination assessments and Env Management training and Auditing.
Check out the IEMA website for inspiration and URS / TMS/ White Young and Green type firms to get an idea what jobs are available in those areas.

I work in H&S and also properly loss control. I have no interest in going into Environmental but do agree a lot of smaller companies are coupling Environmental and H&S together, I would just keep looking towards the larger companies / organisations maybe?

A friend of mine got a job with a major engineering/enviromental consultancy a few years ago out of the blue after mail shotting her cv to dozens of similar companies. She is now a director.