What does an environmental health safety manager do?
An Environmental Health Safety Manager supervises the compliance of an organization with environmental legislations regarding safety in the workplace. They are responsible for applying state and federal environmental policies.
Environmental health safety manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real environmental health safety manager resumes:
- Implement PSM including management of change as to better manage new equipment installations and processes.
- Lead new chemical reviews for potential customers for storage requirements in bulk tanks (including API and NFPA requirements).
- Implement and manage a comprehensive safety training program base on OSHA and industry specific requirements.
- Manage the workplace ergonomics program, active response and adjustments result in negating any mandatory program requirements.
- Focuse on achieving the highest levels of HSE performance through behavior-base initiatives, auditing, mentoring and expeditiously implementing change.
- Develop procedures for ISO maintenance, safety and environmental programs.
- Maintain OSHA recordkeeping and reporting, and administer occupational medical programs.
- Educate site EHS coordinators on regulatory issues, including training and recordkeeping requirements.
- Provide training in OSHA program management resulting in improve safety culture and overall safety statistics.
- Serve as organizational spokesperson and walk-along during several unannounce audits by EPA and OSHA representatives.
- Create comprehensive EHS procedures consistent with ISO and GMP documentation requirements and complete the process-hazard analysis to meet regulatory deadlines.
- Company first responder for chemical spills and HAZMAT certify.
- Maintain and take inventory of paper work on the Hazmat truck.
- Conduct safety and health PowerPoint presentation, plant wide and departmental audits.
- Support and develop environmental conservation and rehabilitation projects.
Environmental health safety manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Environmental Health Safety Managers are proficient in Environmental Health, EHS, and OSHA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Business skills, Collaboration skills, and Instructional skills.
We break down the percentage of Environmental Health Safety Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Environmental Health, 10%
Documented and photographed findings which were compiled and presented as statistical data on safety activities to Environmental Health & Safety manager.
- EHS, 9%
Created comprehensive EHS procedures consistent with ISO and GMP documentation requirements and completed the process-hazard analysis to meet regulatory deadlines.
- OSHA, 8%
Provided training in OSHA program management resulting in improved safety culture and overall safety statistics.
- EPA, 4%
Managed environmental activities including reports to EPA and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and employee training and inspections.
- Continuous Improvement, 3%
Developed the chemical management systems and worked with engineering and finance to develop plans for continuous improvement of the management systems.
- Corrective Action, 3%
Originated a corrective action tracking database, to ensure that solutions to quality and safety issues were promptly and effectively implemented.
Most environmental health safety managers use their skills in "environmental health," "ehs," and "osha" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential environmental health safety manager responsibilities here:
Creativity. Another common skill required for environmental health safety manager responsibilities is "creativity." This skill comes up in the duties of environmental health safety managers all the time, as "health and safety engineers produce designs showing potential problems and remedies for them." An excerpt from a real environmental health safety manager resume shows how this skill is central to what an environmental health safety manager does: "managed inventory, work order permits, hazardous waste manifests, and updated emergency muster points. "
Communication skills. Lastly, "communication skills" is an important element of what an environmental health safety manager does. Environmental health safety manager responsibilities require this skill because "health and safety engineers must be able to interpret federal and state regulations and their intent so that they can propose proper designs for specific work environments." This resume example highlights how environmental health safety manager duties rely on this skill: "coordinate communication and activity with local fire departments, state and local emergency response agencies. "
The three companies that hire the most environmental health safety managers are:
- Uline40 environmental health safety managers jobs
- Vyaire Medical16 environmental health safety managers jobs
- Serta Simmons Bedding12 environmental health safety managers jobs
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Compare different environmental health safety managers
Environmental health safety manager vs. Industrial hygienist
An Industrial Hygienist plans and conducts health programs to educate employees about cleanliness, safety, and sanitation in the workplace. They investigate adequacy of ventilation, exhaust equipment, lighting, and other conditions that can affect employees' health, comfort, or efficiency.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, environmental health safety manager responsibilities require skills like "continuous improvement," "regulatory agencies," "management system," and "safety regulations." Meanwhile a typical industrial hygienist has skills in areas such as "indoor air quality," "ventilation," "occupational health hazards," and "exposure assessments." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Industrial hygienists tend to make the most money working in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $93,692. In contrast, environmental health safety managers make the biggest average salary, $90,664, in the technology industry.On average, industrial hygienists reach similar levels of education than environmental health safety managers. Industrial hygienists are 3.4% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Environmental health safety manager vs. Safety supervisor
A safety supervisor is responsible for monitoring the overall operations of a production, ensuring the safety and security of everyone, and enforcing strict regulations and protocols. Safety supervisors organize safety orientations and training for the workers, as well as reiterating disciplinary measures and policies and procedures during meetings. They inspect the workplace, including the maintenance of tools and equipment, immediately calling for repair for any defective items found. A safety supervisor also assists with the investigation of workplace hazards to prevent such complications in the future.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that environmental health safety manager responsibilities requires skills like "environmental health," "continuous improvement," "regulatory agencies," and "environmental compliance." But a safety supervisor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "patrol," "site safety," "incident reports," and "safety equipment."
Safety supervisors may earn a lower salary than environmental health safety managers, but safety supervisors earn the most pay in the energy industry with an average salary of $76,175. On the other hand, environmental health safety managers receive higher pay in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $90,664.safety supervisors earn lower levels of education than environmental health safety managers in general. They're 6.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for environmental health safety managers in the next 3-5 years?
Frederik Laleicke Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Wood Products Extension Specialist, North Carolina State University
An excellent example of where these challenges have been solved using modern technologies is mass timber. Large wooden panels are premanufactured in semi-automated processes, and CNC technology cuts each of them to an exact fit. Relatively new in the U.S., mass timber engineering, manufacturing, and use are currently being fine-tuned to meet the requirements of growing markets. In future years, the design-for-disassembly will move into focus when end-of-life considerations for wood-based construction draw more attention.
These developments offer numerous opportunities for employees with diverse skillsets, such as engineers, technologists, analysts, and marketing/business experts. However, they all have in common an in-depth understanding of sustainability concepts and a sense of environmental responsibility. Whatever the specialty of our graduates, they will match one of many different roles in the economy of sustainable materials.
Environmental health safety manager vs. Safety consultant
A safety consultant specializes in establishing safety guidelines and regulations for a company to ensure a safe and productive work environment. Their responsibilities revolve around understanding company operations, assessing existing safety programs to identify areas needing improvement, and recommending solutions through reports and presentations. They must also develop strategies to provide safety information to workers, creating information programs as necessary. Furthermore, as a safety consultant, it is essential to lead the implementation of new guidelines and policies, ensuring workforce compliance.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, environmental health safety managers are more likely to have skills like "environmental health," "continuous improvement," "regulatory agencies," and "environmental compliance." But a safety consultant is more likely to have skills like "risk management," "site safety," "safety standards," and "food safety."
Safety consultants make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $88,467. On the other hand, environmental health safety managers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $90,664.safety consultants typically earn similar educational levels compared to environmental health safety managers. Specifically, they're 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Environmental health safety manager vs. Safety director
A safety director is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the business and its employees, enforcing strict safety standards, and facilitating safety drills and programs to avoid potential hazards within the office's premises. Safety directors inspect the building's premises, including the office's equipment and other systems, and perform immediate actions even for the smallest inconsistencies. They also create incident and audit reports to discuss with the management and implement or adjust regulations as needed.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between environmental health safety managers and safety directors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an environmental health safety manager might have more use for skills like "environmental health," "epa," "continuous improvement," and "environmental compliance." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of safety directors require skills like "dot," "pet," "patients," and "risk management. "
Safety directors enjoy the best pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $87,253. For comparison, environmental health safety managers earn the highest salary in the technology industry.The average resume of safety directors showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to environmental health safety managers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 3.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.3%.Types of environmental health safety manager
Updated January 8, 2025
