Occupational safety and environmental hygiene play an essential role in Costa Rica’s development, since they are essential for increasing the productivity of its companies and the quality of life of its inhabitants. In addition, the participation of professionals in these areas in public institutions benefits workers in this sector and leads to the formulation and supervision of important policies and norms related to these areas.
Accreditation
The Licentiate’s degree in Engineering in Occupational Safety and Environmental Hygiene (plan 2151), has been accredited since may, 2019 by the Accreditation Agency for Engineering and Architecture Programs (AAPIA) by the Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica (CFIA, acronym for spanish).
Perfil profesional
Graduates of the Program for Occupational Safety and Environmental Hygiene Engineering are professionals who implement companies’ policies on safety and hygiene.
Graduates can perform the following important tasks, among others:
- Participate in interdisciplinary teams for environmental protection and control, product safety, ergonomic risk control and occupational health commissions.
- Design, organize, direct and control occupational health and safety programs in companies, as well as environmental control programs.
- Identify, evaluate and propose alternative solutions for physical (noise, lighting, radiation, etc.), chemical (gases, vapors, dust, etc.) and biological (viruses, bacteria, fungi) factors present in workplaces.
- Collaborate in epidemiological studies to monitor and control possible occupational diseases.
- Promote and supervise norms for the prevention of accidents and occupational diseases in a company.
- Design and develop training courses aimed at different levels of the company (employees, middle managers, managers).
- Develop outreach and motivation campaigns for accident and disease prevention.
- Identify, evaluate and propose solutions to existing problems related to occupational hazards associated with machines, equipment, facilities, materials, hazardous substances, tools, transportation, electrical energy, pressure vessels and specific industrial processes.
- Provide guidance and advise departments of a company in charge of or related to occupational safety and environmental hygiene (committees, fire brigades, first aid and others).
- Prepare and coordinate plans and organization of a company to assist in preventing major accidents (fires, chemical spills, explosions, etc.) or reduce their effects, whether they are due to human activities man or natural causes (earthquakes, hurricanes and others).
- Provide advice to appropriate authorities regarding insurance policies, risk management, legislation and regulations on occupational safety and environmental hygiene.
The skills and knowledge possessed by professionals in Occupational Safety and Environmental Hygiene Engineering program qualify them to work in a wide range of positions in both private and public companies, such as:
- Advisors and consultants in occupational health and environmental protection programs.
- Chiefs of occupational health and environmental protection.
- Security engineers.
- Industrial hygiene engineers.
- Educators.
- Researchers.
- Promoter.
Facilidades
In addition to the general benefits offered by the TEC to its students, the School of Occupational Safety and Environmental Hygiene provides participants with access to the following resources to improve their professional development:
- Highly trained and experienced faculty members specialized in different program areas.
- Well equipped industrial hygiene laboratories.
- Opportunities for research in program areas.
- Internships in companies and databases with the most up-to-date information in the country in areas related to the program of study.
- Agreements with other universities and institutions, national and international, for the sharing of experiences.