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Jumping over to HSE?

2,962 Views | 28 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by Ag_07
largelili
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AG
Howdy,

I was wondering if anyone had any experience switching over to a Health & Safety career path from something else. My partner and I have been looking into the field since we both have a BS and MS in Geology/ Environmental Science but haven't found much luck getting out of low-paying environmental technician gigs. Health & Safety seems to offer both a nice career path, decent salaries, and the chance to do important work. Has anyone switched over to this field? If so, are certifications needed and can they be obtained by someone with limited safety experience? We both have 40-Hour HAZWOPER, but I know that doesn't really apply. (Not sure if it matters, but we are in San Antonio)

Thanks!
HSEAG13
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I hate to say it but it depends. I got my bachelors in enst and my masters in safety. I currently work for one of the larger downstream companies out there doing environmental work. I purely got the masters because I knew coming out of college that their salary (65-75k) started higher than doing phase 1 phase 2 assessments. Having worked in downstream for several years, I'm much happier doing environmental work than I know I would be if I had entered the career field as a safety professional. But I also realize that for bigger companies, to get higher up, at some point I'll have to spend some time on the health and safety side. I wouldn't worry about certifications, typically the companies will provide the training opportunities for you. OSHA 30 would be an easy one to get if you wanted to proceed down that path, otherwise I'd look into conferences like afpm or 4c's
largelili
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AG
Thanks for the reply. I'm currently stuck doing Phase I/II reports with no way out! We have lots of thinking to do to move forward. Thanks again for the input.
Ag_07
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AG
I'm assuming you're on the consultant side?

Look to get on the industry side and you won't be forced to make the jump to H&S. There are plenty of opportunities to stay on the environmental side and get out of the Phase 1/2 rut. All lot of the positions will be geared toward program implementation and assisting the operations side with environmental issues.
Maverick06
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AG
Ag_07 said:

I'm assuming you're on the consultant side?

Look to get on the industry side and you won't be forced to make the jump to H&S. There are plenty of opportunities to stay on the environmental side and get out of the Phase 1/2 rut. All lot of the positions will be geared toward program implementation and assisting the operations side with environmental issues.


This. Try to jump to industry. In the meantime, start looking for regulatory compliance programs (e.g. SPCC/FRP, stormwater, NPDES, Air, waste, etc). I feel like the environmental industry is moving away from large remediation towards compliance. At least that's been my experience and I've done well in that field.
Bird Poo
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AG
I'm in compliance for a very successful fortune 500.

Get as much experience as you can in those tech positions. Move into remediation or air/water if all they're giving you is Phase I/II's. I worked in air for 5 years before moving to a compliance position with a large company.

Successful environmental professionals that I know in industry are knowledgeable on most environmental subjects, but usually an expert in one or two.
largelili
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AG
Thanks! I was sensing a shift toward compliance and away from remediation. Remediation costs are outrageous. Yes, I'm in consulting and would love to get into industry. With oil and gas so volatile, I'm hesitant to look for anything with them. Are there other major industries with large compliance or regulatory departments/needs?
Ag_07
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AG
Any manufacturing is going to have a need for compliance. The downstream sector (chemical refining) seems like it always has openings and doesn't seem to be so market volatile as oil/gas.

LinkedIn has quite a few openings posted for non oil/gas EHS openings.
Wizard
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There are HSE openings for good companies on a regular basis. Good luck.

Agree that most of the gig is centered around program implementation and assistance to operations and compliance with Title V, NSR, PBR, SPCC, SWP3, PWS, etc.
Enviroag02
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AG
This post makes me curious how many environmental professionals we actually have on the board. It seems like a lot!

I started out in 2004 as an air consultant straight out of college. Spent 3 years onsite at a refinery and two after that in the office. I then used that experience to move to a permitting and compliance role with a coal fired power generation company for another 5 years. Then I jumped to be Enviro Manager of a Midstream company. I did that for 4 years. Now I'm doing air compliance for a national gas utility. I all my previous roles besides this one I was limited to how high I could go without safety experience. I did get some safety experience in H2S, PSM, RMP, etc but not enough to move up. In this role though, the safety group is a localized department specific to each region so one could conceivably move up in corporate pretty far with just Enviro experience.
Maverick06
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AG
Enviro here. Started consulting with a large firm in 2006. In 2011 I made the jump to industry doing multi-media compliance with a large railroad company. Used that experience to land a job within a large independent O&G company where I've moved up from a field compliance specialist to now managing our corporate permitting and planning group. My group does all permitting for the company other than air (soil, water, waste) plus a have couple of field compliance guys in noncore assets.
Wizard
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Graduated in '14 and have been in midstream EHS for all four years with the same company. Started entry level, became a specialist in the field, now I manage four of our assets. Multimedia permitting and compliance, with safety and corporate HSE systems/initiatives.
tlh3842
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AG
Also graduated in 2014. Started out with a large consulting firm doing primarily natural resource and permitting work (wetland delineations/USACE, T&E surveys, etc.) and due diligence (Phase I ESA to ASTM standards and semi-Phase I's for O&G clients) but dabbled into remediation a bit as well. Was majority field based but was able to get exposure and find a role interacting directly with clients early on. Was there about 3.5 years, until moving into industry with one of the largest renewable energy companies in the world. Now I'm focusing more on the natural resource and permitting work, as opposed to remediation and compliance as consulting was taking me. I'm in the environmental group that handles all environmental aspects prior to construction and couldn't be happier.
Ag_07
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AG
Graduated in 08 and started off in consulting doing mostly field work on Phase I/II type work until 2014 when I moved to midstream EHS overseeing remediation, waste disposal, and RMP program. Was laid off in 2016 and have since made my way back to consulting but working on a portfolio of remediation projects for a major oil/gas client. It's a best of both worlds type deal where I get to work on oil/gas remediation projects without the market volatility of working in the industry.
Milwaukees Best Light
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AG
Started in big consulting doing soil and groundwater with someone who has posted on this thread. Got laid off in the slow down of 08 and landed in stack testing. Been doing it ever since. The air side is a lot different than the soil and groundwater side.
Bird Poo
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AG
Milwaukees Best Light said:

Started in big consulting doing soil and groundwater with someone who has posted on this thread. Got laid off in the slow down of 08 and landed in stack testing. Been doing it ever since. The air side is a lot different than the soil and groundwater side.
I also started in stack testing. My salary the 1st year was $26K with Metco environmental, which is crazy considering the hours and occupational risk involved with climbing stacks and sampling the emissions.
OnlyForNow
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AG
BS '07 and MS '09 in Entomology landed me a "temp gig" at Ducks Unlimited in Fort Bend County working with public and private lands (mostly private) working on wetlands.

I parlayed that into a wetland delineation role with a small firm in Houston but one that worked for most housing developers. Stayed there 5 years and by that time became a project manager. Saw the writing on the wall with one of the owners/VPs who did not like me and moved to a different firm, still small (less than 65 people), but with offices in UT, TX, CO, and FL.

Still managing projects day to day but the pay and compensation are totally worth it - plus I get to work with a wide variety of clients (O&G, Renewables, Developers, Engineers, County/City). - Only problem I see at this firm is a lack of true management upward growth for technicians (clear path to ownership for PMs hard for techs to break through that ceiling), but I've learned that the good ones help find new work and keep themselves busy.

I looked at trying to learn safety and never was interested. Don't think the pay would be better, the drive would definitely be worse, and I'd be more unhappy.


I'd be interested in doing like a happy hour with everyone and meeting new faces...
RABAg04
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AG
'04 - BS, WFSC
Got a job as a Mud Engineer on land rigs in south Texas
'09 - Laid off, back to school to get a MS in Environmental Science
Worked at TCEQ while in Grad school
'12 got on with a large independent as field HSE

I've done field Environmental and field Safety for upstream.

I'm currently doing Industrial Hygiene.
Enviroag02
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AG
Just curious are any of you going to the 4C Conference in San Antonio first week of April?
Bass Ag
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AG
B.S. wfsc with 7 years of experience in the service side of O&G, currently dual role as an HSE leader and Field Engineer with my small company looking to transition to a designated HSE role as well.
HSEAG13
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Enviroag02 said:

Just curious are any of you going to the 4C Conference in San Antonio first week of April?
I'll be there, it will be my first time. With the way the sessions are set up this year, i wish the conference was little longer.

Probably spending most of my time between the stack testing - air permitting training sessions
Enviroag02
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AG
I'm thinking most of my time will be devoted to the LDAR/OOOOa/OGI stuff.
Ag_07
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AG
If any of you guys (or gals) are looking for an environmental job on the consulting side let me know.

My company has quite few openings in the Houston office for positions including field tech, technical professional, PM, and engineer.

Feel free to reach out and I can send some info over.
AggieLumberjack
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AG
Graduated in 99 with AGSM, MS in 2000 in Env Sci. Started with NRCS for 5 years, moved to consulting doing natural resources work for 6 years. Moved to midstream O&G company and have been natural resources permitting manager for past 5 years.
Wizard
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Enviroag02 said:

Just curious are any of you going to the 4C Conference in San Antonio first week of April?


I got a message on LinkedIn last week about this. I've never attended. Is it worth it?

Also curious as to what some of you with more experience see has the niche within HSE that will pay the most $$$ long-term.
Enviroag02
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AG
Personally, what I'm seeing is that air quality permitting and compliance with specialization in Environmental Management Systems is taking off.
Milwaukees Best Light
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AG
Wizard said:

Enviroag02 said:

Just curious are any of you going to the 4C Conference in San Antonio first week of April?


I got a message on LinkedIn last week about this. I've never attended. Is it worth it?

Also curious as to what some of you with more experience see has the niche within HSE that will pay the most $$$ long-term.

Wrong approach. Pick the sector you like the most, become really good at it and the money will find you. Chasing a dollar or two down the wrong path will cost you a whole lot more.

I know that is easy to say looking backwards, but if you enjoy your work you will be much better at it and it makes the long hours more bearable. Find what you like, then find a mentor, work hard, learn all you can, say yes a bunch and the money will come. Never as fast as you want, but it will come.
AggieLumberjack
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AG
Definitely, air permitting.
HSEAG13
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AggieLumberjack said:

Definitely, air permitting.


Agreed. I have 2.5 years experience at a refinery, and somehow ended up with air permitting. I quite enjoy learning about capital projects coming through the pipeline that can generate more money. That being said if you are good at your job no one will know except for upper management, and if you aren't good at you're job, everybody will know it.
Ag_07
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AG
Two things stand out to me on air as the go-to niche for anyone interested in the EHS industry...

1) The air regs change so rapidly it's hard to keep up. Seems like every 3-4 months there's a new reg coming out.
2) Overall I think air is relatively new and there is a shortage of people who are really knowledgeable of the air stuff. If you can learn it and grasp it well you'll have an upper hand.

I started in remediation and site assessment so I wasn't exposed to air until later, but had I known of the demand and where things were going in the industry early on I probably would've pursued it.
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