Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) regulations are intended to promote safer workplaces and more sustainable overall practices within organizations. Understanding the meaning of EHS is necessary across a variety of industries and sectors, making roles in this field quite diverse.
A Master of Science in Public Health degree can teach students how to analyze, predict, and prevent potential workplace problems while developing critical thinking and leadership skills.
What Are EHS Regulations?
EHS regulations take a multidisciplinary approach to safeguarding the environment and people, particularly while in the workplace.
Environment
People who work in EHS-related roles spend a great deal of time mitigating organizations’ impact on the environment. They focus on aspects such as waste and pollution reduction, conservation of natural resources, and compliance with the laws and regulations that govern their country, state, or local area.
Health
The health component of EHS covers the overall health and safety of employees, customers, clients, and communities. Chemical, environmental, psychosocial, biological, and ergonomic risks exist in numerous professions, and these could lead to acute or long-term health issues if they are not addressed. Some of tThe main health considerations include ventilating areas where chemical compounds are being used, reducing exposure to harmful substances, and providing access to programs designed to promote mental health.
Safety
Safety is an important component of the overall EHS meaning, focusing primarily on reducing workplace accidents and injuries. Training employees on how to use machinery appropriately, providing personal protective equipment and enforcing its regular use, and complying with Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) regulations create a safer environment at work, mitigating the risk of preventable injuries.
How Do EHS and HSE Differ?
Some may be confused about the differences between EHS and HSE because the acronyms comprise the same words — namely, Environment, Health, and Safety — just in a different order. While EHS stands for Environment, Health, and Safety, HSE stands for Health, Safety, and Environment. EHS is the common designation for North American companies based in the United States and Canada, while HSE is more commonly used in the United Kingdom, Europe, and some other parts of the world. There is no significant or practical difference in the terms.
Why Are EHS Regulations Important in Public Health and Industrial Hygiene?
EHS regulations play a crucial role in keeping workers, customers, clients, visitors, and even the general public safe and healthy. The three components of EHS — Environment, Health, and Safety — take a holistic approach to good business practices. Furthermore, EHS furthers the global sustainability movement, ensuring that organizations do their part, using ethical and practical principles to create a better global atmosphere.
Organizations add to or enhance their EHS departments with every passing year for eight key reasons:
- Protecting People’s Lives: By its very definition, EHS exists to prevent accidents, injuries, and physical and mental illness in or near the workplace. Identifying and mitigating risk while implementing internal policy saves lives.
- Protecting the Environment: Considering the broader impact an organization has on the community and the world is an essential part of EHS. Organizations work to reduce their impact and find ways to recycle, reduce waste, or control pollution.
- Complying With Laws and Regulations: Beyond ethics, EHS regulations are sound and logical at the international, national, state, and local levels. These laws and regulations must be followed to avoid catastrophic damage, injury, or fines.
- Developing a Positive Reputation as EHS Stewards: Due to increasing globalization and the availability of information, consumers are more conscious of the global environment than ever before. Businesses enhance their EHS departments to garner a positive reputation among their patrons, clients, and others.
- Improving Morale Among Employees: Organizations that are openly conscious of their employees’ health and safety tend to experience better employee morale. In turn, that morale boosts productivity and increases retention rates.
- Reducing Overall Costs: EHS regulations prevent illnesses, accidents, and environmental problems that can be quite costly in both the short and the long term. Insurance premiums, legal fees, fines, workers’ compensation, and medical bills add up.
- Taking Social Responsibility: Another important facet of the overall EHS meaning has to do with the way organizations interact with their local communities. Publicly committing to sustainable practices, excellent employee welfare, and environmental awareness improves the morale of community members.
- Serving as Stewards of Innovation: Following EHS standards and regulations may even catalyze innovation. Less impact on the environment, happy employees, and great community outreach can lead to exceptional new technologies, processes, or products.
Implementing EHS Meaning and Regulations in Modern Business
To properly implement EHS regulations in modern businesses and organizations, most companies follow a framework known as an EHS management system. The framework covers several different functions and components, as follows:
- Policy Development: Aside from following the legal EHS meaning and regulations, companies often create their own internal EHS policies. These align with the company’s mission and values while focusing on factors such as health, mental wellness, and safety.
- Risk Assessment: Companies often assess the unique risks in their own workplaces. Individuals working in a foundry face far different risks from those working in an apple orchard. As such, these two organizations may have vastly different sets of risks and mitigations.
- Objectives and Targets: Organizations set very specific short- and long-term goals in various areas, such as environmental effects, health and safety improvements, and regulatory compliance. They actively work toward these objectives and hold regular meetings or focus groups to identify their progress.
- Operational Controls: Operational controls are sets of procedures and guidelines designed to manage identified risks and ensure EHS regulation compliance.
- Training and Education: Ongoing internal training in EHS regulations and management is vital for accountability and safety. Each employee must learn their role in workplace safety, such as personal protective equipment requirements, emergency response protocols, and overall best practices.
- Monitoring and Measurement: Monitoring and measuring ongoing performance against previously adopted objectives and targets is essential. Many organizations create key performance indicators that should be met within specific time frames to measure their overall impact.
- Compliance Management: Ensuring overall compliance with EHS laws and standards involves tracking changes to those laws and regulations or taking corrective actions to prevent regulatory incidents, accidents, or unnecessary risks.
- Incident Management: Incident management includes creating a framework for handling various types of incidents, from accidents and injuries to EHS violations. It also involves developing a clear structure for corrective actions and changes to training.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing the framework, or EHS management system, is important for identifying antiquated or ineffective policies. Engaging with others, including workforce members, shareholders, and community members, and then adapting the system to important changes is essential.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with various stakeholders, including regulatory bodies, communities, or employees, keeps their diverse perspectives present and fosters inclusivity.
Not every company needs to implement every aspect of the above framework. For example, many smaller companies do not have shareholders. Furthermore, some EHS specialist roles cover most of these aspects in small businesses without the need for an entire EHS department.
Skills Required to Work in EHS
Over time, EHS specialists develop a diverse set of skills, which can vary based on an individual’s chosen career path. Almost everyone who chooses EHS as a career learns the skills below during their education and time on the job.
Regulatory Knowledge
A firm understanding of various health and safety regulations at the local, state, federal, and even international levels is critical for success in this field. The ability to determine whether an organization is compliant and create plans to meet regulatory demands is vital.
Risk Management
Fundamentally, the EHS meaning focuses on the prevention of environmental, health, and safety incidents, making risk management one of the most important skills of all. Having the ability to assess a situation and see inherent risk — even when others may not — is what separates EHS careers from others.
Communication
Clear communication with organizational leadership, customers, clients, communities, and workforces is essential. Written and oral communication skills allow these professionals to write reports and interact with different people about risks or safety guidelines.
Keen Observation
Details are crucial in EHS careers. From potential hazards to slight regulatory issues, overlooking small details like these can lead to serious issues, such as illness or injury.
Critical Thinking
EHS regulations at the legal and ethical levels can be tricky to implement, but good critical thinking skills can streamline transitions. Seeing details and brainstorming logical ways to find solutions are some of the most important skills an EHS professional can develop.
Popular Careers in EHS
Careers in EHS can vary based on the industry, the company’s size, the community’s needs, and the requisite local EHS regulations. Most of these play a critical role in both organizational and public health.
Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
An occupational health and safety specialist or technician is someone who collects and analyzes workplace data for worker safety. They may also help design or redesign work areas and environments to adhere to EHS regulations and protect employees’ well-being.
Many occupational health and safety specialists, particularly those in leadership roles, have master’s degrees. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (source of all salary and career projection data in this article, unless otherwise indicated), these individuals earned a median annual salary of $81,140 as of May 2023, with the top 10 percent of earners making more than $128,040. Employment in this field is expected to grow by 14 percent between 2023 and 2033 as the demand for health and safety specialists rises.
Product Safety Engineer
A product safety engineer is responsible for applying their vast knowledge of various disciplines, including industrial hygiene, mechanics, and public psychology, to promote safer products. They apply their knowledge of EHS regulations and policies to review products and workplaces, recommending changes to reduce overall risk.
Though some roles are available with a bachelor’s degree, most high-paying roles require a master’s degree in public health. The median annual salary for all health and safety engineers, including product safety engineers, was $103,690 as of May 2023. Employment is projected to grow by about 5 percent between 2023 and 2033 as more potential hazards are identified and consumer awareness of working conditions and product safety grows.
Environmental Health Specialist
Environmental health specialists play specialized roles in EHS, spending much of their time conducting interviews, research, and investigations to protect the environment or people’s health. They may study the air, food supply, water supply, and other environmental factors and provide recommendations for better overall health.
The median annual salary for environmental scientists and specialists, including environmental health specialists, was $78,980 as of May 2023. While entry-level positions are available with bachelor’s degrees, highly paid workers in government agencies, who earn a median annual salary of $109,120, often need to have a master’s degree in a related field. Employment of environmental health specialists is projected to grow by 7 percent between 2023 and 2033.
Industrial Hygiene Consultant
Industrial hygiene consultants work with organizations in many industries to improve workplace health and safety through the collection of data, assessments, interviews, and evaluations. They also create detailed reports to show their findings and help companies develop strategies that control hazards to prevent future issues.
According to Payscale, the median annual salary for industrial hygiene consultants, a type of occupational health and safety specialist, was about $88,900 as of January 2025. Employment in the field is projected to grow about 14 percent between 2023 and 2033 as the demand for better workplace practices and health and safety improvements rises.
Workplace Safety Manager
A workplace safety manager, another type of occupational safety specialist, is responsible for creating, developing, and maintaining safety regulations on worksites. They perform daily inspections and audits to ensure compliance with these safety standards to prevent or mitigate the risk of accidents, illnesses, and injuries. They may evaluate and adapt existing policies or analyze previous accidents to improve workplace safety. This includes developing materials and safety standards.
These professionals usually need a bachelor’s degree in industrial hygiene or a related field, but a master’s degree may be beneficial for leadership roles. Employers may prefer or require certification in the field. According to Payscale, safety managers earned a median annual salary of $78,100 as of January 2025. The career outlook in this field is also promising. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects overall employment to grow by 14 percent between 2023 and 2033.
Director or Chief of Environment, Health, and Safety
A director or chief of EHS is a top executive position that involves substantial leadership skills. These individuals oversee large EHS-focused departments within their organizations or networks, establishing the strategies, budgets, and policies by which they operate. A master’s degree in public health and safety and/or several years of leadership experience are essential for this role.
The median annual salary for top executives across all industries was $103,840 as of May 2023, with those working in the management of companies and enterprises earning $239,200 or more and those working in professional, scientific, and technical services earning $228,590. Employment is projected to grow by 6 percent between 2023 and 2033 as the demand for top leadership well-versed in the overall EHS meaning and regulations rises.
Protect Workers, Communities, and the Planet as an EHS Professional
If you are interested in a growing sector with many excellent job opportunities, EHS careers may be a great choice. These careers are highly connected roles that are broad enough to exist across multiple industries, offering candidates options that are both strategic and hands-on. Good safety management focusing on the environment, workers, communities, customers, and clients will continue to impact societal well-being.
Gaining a comprehensive understanding of EHS regulations starts with a solid education. The Online Master of Science in Public Health in Industrial Hygiene from Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health &Tropical Medicine at Tulane University can uniquely position you as an expert in your field, opening the door to numerous careers focused on data analysis, toxicology, epidemiology, health and safety regulations, and more.
Learn how you can make a difference for future generations with an online degree from Tulane.
Recommended Readings
Respiratory Protection Training in the Workplace
Chemical Safety in the Workplace
Is an Online Master of Science in Public Health in Industrial Hygiene Right for You?
Sources:
Capptions, All You Need to Know About EHS Requirements
IBM, What Is Environment, Health and Safety (EHS)?
Indeed, What Does a Safety Manager Do? (With Job Description)
Indeed, What Does an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist Do?
LinkedIn, “Four Reasons Why You Should Consider a Career in EHS”
Occupational Health and Safety Administration, Law and Regulations
Occupational Health and Safety Blog, What Is EHS Meaning and 10 Reasons Why Is It Important?
Payscale, Average Industrial Hygienist Salary
Payscale, Average Safety Manager Salary
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Environmental Scientists and Specialists
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Health and Safety Engineers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians