An environmental health manager helps companies, organizations and government agencies identify risks and prevent them from occurring. These managers conduct environmental risk and vulnerability evaluations that are objective and substantiated by scientific facts. They may work in organizations making sure that employees adhere to safety standards.
Environmental Health Manager – Public Health
An environmental health manager who works for a public health department will plan, organize and implement health inspection and enforcement programs. They will conduct their environmental observations and enforcement according to regulatory requirements and departmental policies. They plan, assign, supervise and evaluate the work of staff and subordinates. These environmental health managers create policies and techniques that ensure the standardized implementation of environmental health laws and activities throughout their county or state.
They may researches and forecast future capabilities of environmental health programs. Part of this requires them to initiate, prepare, negotiate and administer state and federal grants. This means that they must monitor third-party compliance with the contractual regulations and requirements. Senior environmental health managers who work in public health will administer environmental health budgets and monitor expenses and reimbursement requests. They must maintain awareness of current environmental health issues by attending professional conferences and workshops.
Environmental Health Manager – Radiation Prevention
University research centers, large hospitals, energy facilities and government agencies employ environmental health managers as radiation safety administrators who oversee protection programs. They may deal with radioactive materials, such as x-rays and radon, at various locations throughout their area or state. They will most likely be part of environmental health and safety leadership teams. Their basic activities include reviewing license applications, generating reports for state and federal agencies and approving requests to use radioactive materials by faculty, researchers or professionals.
This means they must determine the appropriate dosimetry needs, perform radiological dose assessments and plan for potential emergency operations involving the requested radioactive materials. These environmental health managers will oversee the preparation and presentation of radiation safety training for staff, researchers and employees. They may develop and manage databases containing information about radiation materials, protection and compliance activities. These job candidates must know how to conduct research and implement radioactive activities that are safe and compliant.
Work Requirements
Regardless of the industry, environmental health managers will need a bachelor’s degree in the natural or physical sciences. They may also have a degree in occupational safety, industrial hygiene or another related technical field. Their degree must be earned through an institution of higher learning that is approved by the Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. They will need excellent organizational and communication skills to make presentations, work with groups and interact with members of the public, accord.ing to Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Environmental health managers must be comfortable in both team-oriented environments and independent field assignments. They should be prepared to potentially work in various weather conditions in non-traditional work environments. For example, they may have to climb ladders to reach an isolated area, carry up to 50 pounds of equipment or walk on narrow catwalks in industrial settings. They need to have the conceptual skills to understand plans, reports, field tests and specifications. They must know how to safely and accurately use delicate instruments and chemicals.
Related Resource: Jobs in Public Health Engineering
The ideal education for an environmental health manager is a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental health or public health.