OSHE 111

Lecture # 4The Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals

Presented by Dr. Ephraim Massawe

The Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals

• The complexity of work environment in the modern times has made SHE a growing field of specialized professionals • There are many institutions in the U.S. and around the world that offer associate and

baccalaureate degree programs in SHE. • Some engineering and industrial technology degrees have safety and health tracks • Some colleges and universities around the country offer full degrees in occupational safety and health • There is an increased attention given to industrial safety and health and of course

environmental protection • Large industries are hiring safety and health professionals • Small industries are assigning the tasks of health and safety to existing employees. • Employees and management now realize that they are an integral part of the SHE movement

• The safety, health and environmental team of a company will include, but not limited to the following professions: • Engineer • civil; chemical; mechanical; industrial; sanitary; safety • Industrial Chemists; Industrial hygienists • Physicians and or nurses • Radiation specialists • Councilors; Police officers; etc • As you can see, the list of professionals involved in safety, health and

environment is large and growing each day• Some professionals have limited safety training. But we need all of them in the work of SHE. Why? • (1) Good knowledge of plant or unit operations • (2) Some may have been involved in a SHE issue (accident) and now they have become proponents of safe working conditions • (3) Good leaders and effective communicators • (4) Good rapport with fellow employees or management

The Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals

• The engineering profession: • Civil engineers • Industrial engineers • Mechanical engineers • Chemical engineers • Safety engineers • Ergonomic and human factor engineering • Fire protection engineers • The management profession: • Risk Management Managers • Loss control specialists

(develop programs to prevent or minimize business losses e.g. due to injuries, vandalisms, etc.)• The health sciences profession: • Epidemiologists • Physicians • Occupational nurses •

Physical and Speech Therapists • Occupational medicine • Industrial hygiene • epidemiologists; Ergonomists etc…• The hehaviroural sciences profession: • Psychologists • Education specialists

The Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals

• The legal profession: • Have you heard this ad “If you have been involved in a car accident, or occupational injuries Call Jim Sokolov”?

• Other professions: • Architecture – structure integrity of buildings; work closely with civil engineers; fire protection engineers • Chemical engineers – design of safer chemicals and processes and managing operations of industrial operations • Urban planners – zoning ordinances for industrial operations and residential lots (noise reduction and air pollutants)

The Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals

• Certifications and Registrations: What is the difference between these two terms? pp 18 and question 5 pp19 (certification allows or show professionalisms…what about registration --- see pp 18-19)

• All 50 states have laws for the licensing and registration of safety, health and environmental safety professionals • CSP (certified safety professionals); CIH (certified industrial hygienist); CHP (certified health professionals) and so on…

• Certification – is it important? Yes/No? Why? • Provides an orderly means of achieving same standards • Provide for optimum competencies and achievements in the field. The NCCA/CESB/ANSI (See what these acronyms stand for) have current requirements and standards for accreditation

The Safety, Health and Environmental Professionals

• Safety and health professionals must work as a team (why is this so important?) •

• Each profession that works in the safety and health must have specific responsibilities (see qn #2 – pg 19)

• It is important to be certified and registered (why?) – see pg 19

• There must be minimum laws and regulations to guide the registration of safety professionals – see pg 19 qn 6.

The Safety, Health and Environmental ProfessionalsConclusion