Environmental Health and Safety | Executive and Continuing Professional Education | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Programs

Environmental Health RiskAnalysis and Applications
- February 27, 2023 – March 3, 2023
Learn to assess the human health risks posed by exposure to environmental hazards including chemicals, pollution, and contaminated food. Explore the basics of health risk assessment and discuss applications of risk assessment to diverse problems.
Management and Leadership Skills for EHS Professionals
- March 27 – 30, 2023
Develop the management and leadership skills you need to bridge the gap between environmental health and safety goals and organizational objectives. You will gain the skills to integrate a culture of safety and sustainability into your organization.
Foundations of Mental Health Care
- May 2, 2023 – June 1, 2023
This program will focus on understanding the mental health needs of diverse populations, across the life course, from relatively healthy to those who are ill, and from vulnerable groups to the privileged.
Guidelines for Laboratory DesignHealth and Safety Considerations
- June 12 – 16, 2023
This applied program explores the needs of diverse stakeholders to ensure laboratories are safe, free of hazards, ergonomically sound, and environmentally friendly. Guided laboratory tours ensure you leave the course able to apply what you learned to your organization’s facilities and projects.
Benefit-Cost Analysis: Valuing Life and Health
Ergonomics and Human Factors
In-Place Filter Testing Workshop
Comprehensive Industrial Hygiene
Radiological Emergency Planning
Applied Risk Communication for the 21st Century
Work Health, and Well-being

News & Resources

The Importance of Getting the Message Right in Your Risk Communication Strategy

Over the past few years, traditional and online news outlets and social media channels have been filled with information about COVID-19—and much of it has been misleading, inaccurate, or incomplete. This has made it challenging for members of the public to make educated decisions about how to protect their own health: from deciding whether to … Continue reading “The Importance of Getting the Message Right in Your Risk Communication Strategy”

Posted on July 26, 2022
Risk Analysis in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Weighing the Cost and Benefits of Vaccines and Masks

Every single day, people take risks. They drive in cars and fly in airplanes, expose themselves to environmental pollution and so much more. While some of these public health risks are so integrated into our lives that we’ve stopped worrying about them, other risks—such as engaging in activities that increase your likelihood of contracting COVID-19—can … Continue reading “Risk Analysis in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Weighing the Cost and Benefits of Vaccines and Masks”

Posted on November 7, 2021
How Do You Communicate Uncertainty and Promote Public Health — During COVID-19 and Beyond?

Despite a vast amount of research, there are many aspects of COVID-19 that continue to be perplexing. From the more transmissible variants of the virus to the necessity of mask-wearing after vaccination, the protocols of the pandemic continue to evolve — and inherent uncertainty about the virus will continue. Even when officials delivering information are … Continue reading “How Do You Communicate Uncertainty and Promote Public Health — During COVID-19 and Beyond?”

Posted on July 20, 2021
Designing Accessible Laboratory Spaces for People with Disabilities

If you’re an architect, engineer, or lab manager involved in facilities development for the medical, biotechnology, basic sciences, or pharmaceutical field, it’s important to know how to design laboratories that will be safe and accessible for people with a range of disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a set of legal standards that … Continue reading “Designing Accessible Laboratory Spaces for People with Disabilities”

Posted on June 14, 2021
How COVID-19 Has Changed the Standards of Worker Safety and Health — and How Organizations Can Adapt

Ensuring health and safety in the workplace is already a critically important issue; organizations that invest in occupational safety perform better, reduce turnover, and help workers do their jobs more effectively. But COVID-19 has forced companies to act quickly and decisively to keep workers safe. As employers endeavor to slow the spread of the virus … Continue reading “How COVID-19 Has Changed the Standards of Worker Safety and Health — and How Organizations Can Adapt”

Posted on March 31, 2021
Using a Risk Analysis Framework to Guide COVID-19 Decisions

Every time you step outside of your home during the pandemic, there’s always the risk that you could get—or give—COVID-19. That’s why using risk analysis principles can be an important strategy to help assess the dangers that exist. “Risk analysis is a scientific tool that can help us assess threats to human health, provide input … Continue reading “Using a Risk Analysis Framework to Guide COVID-19 Decisions”

Posted on January 7, 2021
Developing Public Health Communication Strategies—And Combating Misinformation—During COVID-19

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to spread across the United States and the world. It is an unprecedented time—among other directives, people in affected areas have been asked to limit contact with others except when necessary (also known as social distancing), which has drastically impacted business, education, and daily life. The effects of the virus … Continue reading “Developing Public Health Communication Strategies—And Combating Misinformation—During COVID-19”

Posted on April 3, 2020
The Need for Maintaining Nuclear Air-Cleaning Systems Properly to Protect Public Health and Safety

In the event of a nuclear disaster, it’s essential that nuclear plants have air-cleaning systems that have been properly maintained in order to minimize radioactive exposure and protect the safety of workers, neighbors, and the environment. Air-cleaning systems in nuclear facilities (and elsewhere) play a crucial role in protecting public health—both on a day-to-day basis … Continue reading “The Need for Maintaining Nuclear Air-Cleaning Systems Properly to Protect Public Health and Safety”

Posted on January 23, 2020
The Mercury Question: How to Understand Risk vs. Reward When Eating Fish

Should you stop, or drastically reduce, eating fish to avoid mercury? Depending on what you read or watch on TV, the answers might be contradictory. According to James K. Hammitt, program director of Environmental Health Risk: Analysis and Applications, the risk analysis isn’t as simple as avoiding fish entirely—in fact, people are ultimately missing out … Continue reading “The Mercury Question: How to Understand Risk vs. Reward When Eating Fish”

Posted on November 6, 2019
How Increasing Employee Engagement Improves Your Environmental Health and Safety Efforts

If you’re an environmental health and safety professional, achieving a high degree of employee engagement can be important for achieving functional excellence. This can also be essential for generating widespread support for your organization’s overall goals. Most people today highly value the concept of health and safety in the workplace, especially since a safe setting … Continue reading “How Increasing Employee Engagement Improves Your Environmental Health and Safety Efforts”

Posted on October 24, 2019
Three Keys to Sustainable Lab Design to Improve Health and Safety

It might seem that every day, a university or other research institution announces their goal to reduce their carbon footprint and become more sustainable, especially as the threat of climate change increases. But how do organizations actually meet these goals? One major way is to ensure laboratories are designed sustainably, which can significantly reduce energy … Continue reading “Three Keys to Sustainable Lab Design to Improve Health and Safety”

Posted on March 29, 2019
Critical Risk Analysis for Our Daily Lives

Dihydrogen Monoxide: it’s found everywhere, including in our body, ice caps and the air. There’s no stopping its infiltration into our lives, and if we get too much of it, we’ll die. Sound scary? It might, until we realize that Dihydrogen Monoxide is just the chemical name for water. Risk analysis is, at its core, … Continue reading “Critical Risk Analysis for Our Daily Lives”

Posted on September 26, 2018
Using Effective Listening to Improve Leadership in Environmental Health and Safety

Every day, environmental health and safety professionals make a myriad of decisions using their technical skills, which have far-reaching impacts for both organizations and the public at large. But while those technical skills are crucial, making the right decisions goes beyond this knowledge. Determining the best way to meet the needs of your colleagues and … Continue reading “Using Effective Listening to Improve Leadership in Environmental Health and Safety”

Posted on January 11, 2018
How Foolproof Air Cleaning Systems at Nuclear Power Plants Protect Public Health

Air cleaning systems are often the final line of defense in the event of radiological release or nuclear disaster. The role of air cleaning systems in nuclear accidents is vital in minimizing public exposure to radioactive material and protecting public safety. When nuclear accidents occurred in the past, air cleaning systems successfully prevented disaster by … Continue reading “How Foolproof Air Cleaning Systems at Nuclear Power Plants Protect Public Health”

Posted on June 14, 2017
The Need for a Strong Communications Strategy in the Face of a Radiological or Nuclear Accident

The threat of a radiological or nuclear disaster strikes fear in the hearts of most Americans; this is why commercial nuclear facilities need comprehensive crisis plans. Yet even the most effectively executed and successful technical response to a radiological/nuclear crisis will likely be viewed as a failure by the public if this response does not … Continue reading “The Need for a Strong Communications Strategy in the Face of a Radiological or Nuclear Accident”

Posted on May 25, 2017
Five Ways Effective Laboratory Design Impacts Health, Safety, and Productivity

What comes to mind when you think of a laboratory? Perhaps scientific equipment – or maybe even all you’ve heard that can go wrong, like chemical explosions or fires. Many people believe that labs aren’t well-regulated or monitored or imagine absentminded scientists ignoring safety in the pursuit of a breakthrough. These more dangerous scenarios are … Continue reading “Five Ways Effective Laboratory Design Impacts Health, Safety, and Productivity”

Posted on February 15, 2017
Vaccinating Against an Epidemic: The Story of an Ebola Vaccine

In August 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak then raging in West Africa a “public health emergency of international concern,” a formal designation by the WHO’s Emergency Committee that reflects the fact that the disease was spreading internationally and posed a risk to other countries yet unaffected. By the time the … Continue reading “Vaccinating Against an Epidemic: The Story of an Ebola Vaccine”

Posted on July 21, 2016
Tuberculosis in Rural America: What Tuberculosis in Marion, AL Tells Us

Many factors could be blamed for the spread of tuberculosis in a rural Alabama town earlier this year, including its residents’ fears of being stigmatized in a small town, poverty line, and the legacy of the Tuskegee experiments.

Posted on March 28, 2016
Dispelling Myths about Emergency Planning for Nuclear Power Plants

This article explores and debunks 9 myths about planning for and responding to radiological emergencies in the United States.

Posted on December 17, 2015
Industrial Hygiene: Keeping Workers Healthy and Safe

Organizations are responsible for the overall health and safety of the workers they employ, from warehouse workers to the executive suite at their desks. Keeping employees safe and healthy requires knowledge of industrial hygiene, which is the science dedicated to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, communication, and control of environmental stressors in the workplace that may … Continue reading “Industrial Hygiene: Keeping Workers Healthy and Safe”

Posted on November 6, 2015
Radiation Safety in Laboratory Settings

Radiation safety may not always be the top concern of lab workers, but it is a crucial step in working with radioactive materials, and lab managers who overlook it could be jeopardizing the long-term health of their workers. “It’s not that people don’t want to follow [safety procedures]. It’s just that once they become comfortable … Continue reading “Radiation Safety in Laboratory Settings”

Posted on September 16, 2015
Improving Health and Safety Culture with Transformational Leadership

Just by virtue of being transformational, a leader can improve health and safety outcomes. Convincing your employees that you value them will help them be free to work in ways that prioritize their safety.

Posted on September 14, 2015
Risk Communication Considerations for the West Virginia Elk River Chemical Spill

Every day, we each analyze risk and perform cost/benefit analyses for even mundane tasks. For many people, this is particularly true when it comes to our health, from eating fatty foods to avoiding toxins. Risk assessment is also crucial on a larger scale when it comes to health, in situations where it is imperative to … Continue reading “Risk Communication Considerations for the West Virginia Elk River Chemical Spill”

Posted on August 11, 2015
Workplace Safety Challenges Still Exist

With the modern office-based economy, it’s easy to think about workplace injuries as relics of a bygone era, when factory workers smelted iron in blast furnaces and coal miners toiled in unregulated conditions. Workplace safety remains a challenge in many regions of the globe, and developed nations, like the United States, aren’t exempt. “We still … Continue reading “Workplace Safety Challenges Still Exist”

Posted on June 26, 2015
A Healthy Workplace Starts in Bed

Employees who sleep better, work better, according to emerging research. Studies conducted by people like Nicolaas Pronk, adjunct professor of social and behavioral sciences at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have broken ground when it comes to connecting the dots between productivity in the workplace and health indicators such as diet, exercise, and … Continue reading “A Healthy Workplace Starts in Bed”

Posted on June 26, 2015
The Business Benefits of a Healthy Workforce

Companies with strong health and wellness programs outperform others on the stock market, and some experts suggest the investment community could benefit from scrutinizing health and wellness metrics when they value companies. Robert McLellan, chief of occupational and environmental medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, is one of those experts. He’s co-author of a new paper in the … Continue reading “The Business Benefits of a Healthy Workforce”

Posted on June 1, 2015
Negotiating and Communicating With Patients

The idea of negotiating with a patient may seem odd, or even off-putting, to physicians and patients alike. But many physicians find they’re using management and leadership skills – such as negotiation and communication techniques – directly with patients, according to Kasisomayajula “Vish” Viswanath, professor of health communication at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public … Continue reading “Negotiating and Communicating With Patients”

Posted on February 25, 2015