The Importance of Science in Public Health in Industrial Hygiene and How Earning Your Master’s Can Help

They say that people spend at least 30% of their lives at work. This is often referred to as the organizational or industrial environment, even if you don’t work in an industrial setting, it’s just the name linked with work.

What’s important here is ensuring that you’re safe in terms of health and safety. The person who examines the public health of workplaces plays a critical role and their job is called an Industrial Hygienist or Scientist. 

If you want to go into workplaces and see what they’re really about, in terms of their public health and safety, then you should consider doing a degree first, so that you are informed and knowledgeable about the latest practices. 

How to Get Into This Industry

To get into almost any industry, you need to study. If you want to study to become a doctor, you have to get your medical degree. If you want to pursue a career in law, then you can get a law degree, which thankfully, is a lot more flexible than it was a while ago, with an excellent online accredited law school you can sign up for in a few moments.

With these online courses, you’re able to dive into a topic with experts at your side but with more flexibility than visiting an in-house campus, making it a stellar choice.

The same goes for if you want to become an industrial hygienist – you guessed it, it’s a degree you’re after. You have to be able to come in, assess a workplace, speak professionally with the employees, navigate the relationship between the goals of the workplace and those of the employees (funnily enough, they are not always perfectly aligned) and then conduct your research in accordance with ethical rules and guidelines. All of these skills are taught and learnt.

The study that will help you the most is an Industrial Hygiene degree as it will give you the chance you earn your stripes and learn the lay of the land.

A degree like this requires you first to have your undergraduate degree, as it is a master’s programme. It is also an online course, which is beneficial, especially if you’re looking to work on the side or pursue other passions such as volunteering or interning at an organization. 

Whilst online studies are advantageous, as they give you more room and flexibility, they naturally come with some challenges, which you must consider. Below, you will learn more about this.

Advantages of an Online Program

As touched on above, everything you learn has some good and some bad. An online course offers you certain advantages that you should take full control over, such as:

• With an online course can enjoy flexible scheduling and learn at your own pace.
• You can access the digital program from anywhere with an internet connection, which makes it easily accessible. Just make sure the program is curated well and reads easily
• You’ll often find it more affordable than in-person programs, as the university doesn’t have to pay such high overheads.
• You save time and money on commuting and relocation, which is always a plus.
• You can continue working while advancing your education.
• You can choose from a wide variety of programs and specializations, as the digital world is your oyster.
• You’ll build self-discipline and time management skills as you’ll be forced to.
• You get access to digital resources like recorded lectures, e-books and forums which you can access long after you’ve completed your course.
• You can network with classmates and instructors from around the world, which adds an element of new culture.
• You can personalize your learning experience with adaptive technologies that suit your workflow.
• You often have 24/7 access to course materials and support.
• You can balance studies with family or other responsibilities easily, as the program is flexible by design.
• You can immediately apply what you learn to real-life situations as you’re constantly on the go.

Considerations of an Online Program

As with anything in life, there is always a bit of bad with anything good. The below list of considerations does not apply to everyone and they’re not drawbacks, more just thoughts that you should take with you as you engage in an online course:

• You will need strong self-motivation and discipline to stay on track.
• There could be an element of you missing out on face-to-face interaction with peers and instructors.
• You could feel isolated without a traditional classroom environment, as it’s all online.
• It will be important for you to keep up with tech and online developments.
• You might find it harder to build strong personal connections or networks.
• Time zone differences in global programs may be a bit of a challenge that you need to plan for.
• You could struggle with managing your time without set class schedules.
• You might encounter limited hands-on learning opportunities in some fields.
• There may not be immediate access to instructor support.
• You might face distractions when studying from home.
• You may need to learn new tech tools and platforms.
• There could be less structure compared to in-person classes.
• You may need to verify the accreditation and reputation of online programs, so take your time doing this.

The Elements of Your Role that are Crucial to Organizations

Without public health safety, an organization ceases to exist. You might think that this is an over-exaggeration, however, it is not. There is nothing more important than being aware of potential hazards in a workplace and seeing these beforehand, so that employees are kept as safe as can be. 

If this is a profession you want to pursue, you have to be prepared to work alongside HR and many other departments in the business. It is your job to interview and speak with employees in terms of how they’re working (in an ethical and approved manner) to come up with solutions that work for the specific organization. Keeping an open mind, staying creative and flexible in your approach but also using data analysis as your main tool is critical.