Environmental, Health and Safety Recruiting (EHS Recruiting, Safety Recruiting) for Academia and Research & Development

College, University and other Research & Development settings are unique, complex organizations consisting of a myriad of potential risks to people i.e. faculty, staff, students, contractors, temporary workforce, visitors and the communities in they exist as well as the physical make-up of each campus i.e. academic buildings, student centers and food services, general campus grounds and facilities maintenance, laboratory and research activities, sports facilities (both intercollegiate and intramural), dormitories and Greek Society houses, etc.

Many schools have basic exposures regarding traditional office type buildings for holding academic programs.  Many others are quite varied and complex that include massive facilities for:

• Biological Science Laboratories (BSL labs 1 through 4)
• Medical Schools and teaching hospitals
• Pilot plants, small factories used in researching new production methods
• Farms and other agricultural learning centers including animal husbandry
• Veterinary schools
• Extensive chemical research, storage and usage
• Radiations Safety Programs for equipment ranging from microscopes through isotope generators and full nuclear research power plants requiring Radiation Safety Officers (RSO)
• Laser Safety programs requiring Laser Safety Officer (LSO) oversight.

These are just to name a few of the conditions that can be part of an academic institution EHS Professional’s concerns.  These present some risks that are common with general industry and others that are unique to campus life.

Consistent, comprehensive Health, Safety and Environmental Management (EHS or HSE) is of the utmost importance and part of every responsible college or university core values.

The EHS Professionals who fulfill these roles are experts whose responsibility it is to see that their academic institution protects lives and property while fulfilling the institution’s Mission.  They are expected to design, develop, implement and continuously improve Injury and Illness Prevention Plans (IIPP) programs that will:

• Assess the potential risks and hazards that can cause harm to people and / or property
• Mitigate or minimize those hazards to protect students, faculty, staff, any and all campus guests, property and other assets as well as the environment
• Training programs to teach all stakeholders about their personal responsibility concerning protecting themselves, others and physical assets in the performance of their jobs
• Measure, monitor and continuously improve leading and lagging indicators and metrics regarding:
  • Behavior Based Safety (BBS) observations
  • Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Job Safety Analysis (JSA) for every job and task being performed by employees
  • Lock out / Tag out (LOTO) compliance
  • Near Miss / Near Hit incidents and observations
  • Total Recordable Injury Rates (TRIR)
  • Days Away and Restricted Time (DART)
  • Experience Modification Rates (EMR)
• Oversight and control of the EHS Management System
• Coordinate with Emergency Management (police, fire, ambulatory) services and committees
• Waste management and disposal plans for everything from traditional trash cans and food waste to medical, chemical and other hazardous waste storage and removal and even removal of nuclear waste with specific attention paid to Large Quantity Generator (LQG) rules
• Lead to and maintain certification under International Standards Organization (ISO) such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 18001, ISO 22001 and ISO 45001
• Layers of Protection Analysis (LOPA) for chemical handling and storage and full Process Safety Management (PSM) training if quantities require it
• Meet or exceed federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining and be the intermediary in dealing with regulators from, but not limited to, the:
  • Occupational Health and Safety Agency (OSHA)
    • OSHA 10- and 30-hour training
    • OSHA 1910, 500, 510 and other regulations
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations
    • Clean Water Act (CWA),
    • Clean Air Act (CAA)
    • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
    • Superfund Amendments Reauthorization Act (SARA) 
    • National Emission Standards for Hazardous Pollutants (NESHAP)
    • New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)
    • Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
    • Spill Prevention, Containment and Control (SPCC)
    • Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)
    • Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)
  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • The Joint Commission (TJC) rules and regulations for proper hospital and medical facility operations
  • Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)

Top level EHS Professional in this industry will have their bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, Industrial Hygiene or related discipline and, almost universally, also have a master’s degree in one of these fields.  In addition, they will usually have one or more of the following nationally recognized Board Certifications:

• Certified Safety Professional (CSP)
• Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)
• Registered Environmental Manager (REM)
• Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)
• Certified Environmental Professional (CEP)
• Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA)
• Certified Healthcare Safety Professional (CHSP)

Consentium Search has years of experience recruiting for these very professionals at every level of an academic institution’s needs such as:

Environmental Engineer

Health and Safety Coordinator

EHS Staff member

Lab Safety Manager

Radiation Safety Officer (RSO)

Bio Safety Officer (BSO)

Laser Safety Officer (LSO)

Executive Director of Environmental, Health and Safety

Vice President of Environmental, Health and Safety

Vice Provost of Environmental, Health and Safety.