Environment Health & Safety or EMS

[Praveen]

Dear Everyone, Does environmental graduates seeking jobs in EIA, Environmental auditing and Carbon trading related areas require any sort of certified training for their profile recognition? Does it serve the purpose?

[Jonathan]

Yes ofcourse, to appraise knowledge on the different methods, techniques certified training will be definitely an asset for the reasons to familiarize.

[Buntyraj]

For EIA Functional Area Experts,

Certified training courses are definitely shall serve their purposes... also some are compulsory for the respective functional areas..

Examples such as:

Land use (LU): Post graduate in science stream with 2 months course in Remote sensing and GIS is required for eligibility

Air quality monitoring (AQ) and Air pollution and control (AP): A certified training course in Air modelling software will be given advantage

Water pollution and control (WP): STP and ETP design and commissioning course 

Ecology and biodiversity: Forest and wildlife management course

Socio-economic (SE): CSR training program

Noise and Vibration (NV): training on Noise modelling software

etc.... etc

all the best!!!

[Praveen]

I vouch both the replies, and agree with it. However, the more skilled tend to shapen a better edge in this competitive situation. Expect your suggestions on the discussion topic, which one has more advantage over the other for getting jobs in environment sector?

[Harsh Brahmbhatt]

I having One Qustion, I'm an Environmental Science post graduate student,

& In my area there are two institutes,

1: More recognized, more reputed but with "Industrial Safety" name of course

2: Recently opened and less reputed but with "Environment Health & Safety" name of course

So, Both are same or different, waiting for some good reply with Bit of explaination.

[Jonathan]

Industrial safety is more specialized and a professional course touching finer on engineering aspects. Environmental science more focused on social and networking part developing relationships with nature. EHS, SHE OR HSE go around each other and post graduate with industrial safety would be a safe bet for jobs, preferably in  developed world. HSE is offered by institutes under distance programme, with not much of practicals of course. A short term full time course is good to get hands on this subject. Institutes like NIFE, NIFS, ETC have come to offer a short term full time course. 

[Saheem Mohamed]

First of all Environmental Health & safety is not a separate branch or field, it constitutes all things related to Environment, Health and Safety. Which are again separated in Environment, health and safety departments respectively. Where Environment department deals with issues regarding environmental concerns, health with health of employees and safety with all aspects of occupational hazards and control.

The Environment health & safety course would mainly consist of general concerns in industries regarding EHS/HSE/SHE ( Environment, Health & Safety) and there control measures and industry standards.

Whereas Industrial Safety course is specifically designed to highlight the hazards encountered in industries and its control measures, which could be process, manufacturing etc.

 Although safety is included the environmental engineering  curriculum, as an environmental engineer you are obligated to concentrate on environmental aspects rather than safety aspects as companies would have hired safety specialist with degree's in safety engineering or fire engineering. Which would again depend on the organization size. Large organization will have separate departments as stated above. Safety courses are a plus point and not a major concern.

  I would also suggest courses like ISO 14000 (Environmental management System), OHSAS 18000, Waste management ( Hazardous and non-hazardous), Transport of hazardous materials, COSHH (Control of substances hazardous to health), NEBOSH Diploma in Environmental management (optional),  these are the basic courses which as an environmental engineer are improtant. Please choose certificate course based on your industry and job responsibilities.

[Saheem Mohamed]

Environment health & safety is an integral part of EMS and the basis on which the HSE policy of the industry/organization is developed. EMS is a detailed assessment of the organizations interaction with the environment based on which health, safety or environmental control measures are established. Therefore, to successfully implement environment health and safety controls an EMP is developed and when approved by the management and certification body the EMS is established. 

Development of  EMP/EMS is carried out by a team of technical specialist from civil, mechanical, chemical, Risk analysts, Safety, process, electrical etc, depending on the scope of the EMP/EMS to be developed and the associated industry. EMP/EMS can never be developed individually.

EMS has a very broad scope, EIA is an essential  a part of EMS, carbon trading can also be incorporated in EMS.

I had the same dilemma after completing my M.Tech in Environmental Engineering. I would suggest you first complete basic environmental courses like ISO 14000,  Waste management ( Hazardous and non-hazardous), Transport of hazardous materials, COSHH (Control of substances hazardous to health) etc. You can do industry specific certified courses once you get the job, and if you mention you are a fresh graduate the companies hiring you will give the necessarily training or select which industry you would like to work in and do the courses accordingly. 

[Praveen]

Hi Saheem,
Thanks a lot for your valuable suggestions. I was totally in a confused state of which course to do, you have given me some credible inputs and clarified my dilemma too.

Do you have any idea of reputed institutes conduct this kind of trainings or short term courses?

[anil kumar]

Yup, ofcourse