Herzing Blog

Updated February 2023

When a person gets hurt on the job, both they and the business feel the impact.

The injured employee must deal with missed work and lost wages. Meanwhile, the company may face fines, staff shortages, production slowdowns, lower morale, a damaged reputation...the list goes on.

The importance of health and safety in the workplace cannot be overstated. That's why occupational health and safety (OHS) professionals focus on preventing workplace accidents and injuries and promoting employee well-being. They do this by creating policies and providing training on emergency evacuations, hazardous material handling, machine lockout procedures, fall prevention, harassment, and much more.

In early 2020, Monica Keyes-Cabral was at a crossroads: her career as a paramedic, which she thoroughly enjoyed, was taking a toll on her mental health.

She left her job just before the pandemic was declared. But she still wanted a meaningful role that allowed her to help people and support their well-being.

She investigated different training options and eventually chose the Occupational Health and Safety program at Herzing.

After an intense year of juggling online studies and helping her three young children adapt to COVID realities, Monica recently graduated—and landed a job at the same place where she did her internship.

Read on for her full story.

Kierstin Whitney didn’t always have a clear focus for her career path. She just knew that she wanted to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

After high school, she worked a bunch of different jobs, taking note of what she enjoyed and looking for new opportunities to grow and learn. She finally realized her true passion was health and safety.

It was intimidating to go back to school, but she knew she needed some specialized training. She took the leap, enrolled in the online OHS program through Herzing College—and never looked back.

We caught up with Kierstin to find out how she found the whole experience.

Here’s how that conversation went.

Updated January 2023

The field of occupational health and safety (OHS) revolves around keeping people safe in the workplace.

OHS professionals focus on identifying and minimizing risks to people’s health, safety, and well-being. They inspect work sites, enforce health and safety legislation, and make sure employees and managers are following proper procedures.

They also develop policies, deliver training, and implement programs to promote a culture of safety and wellness.

Occupational health and safety is often associated with sectors like construction and manufacturing, but it has much broader applications. OHS professionals can be found in every industry.

Keep reading to learn what OHS is all about and what career options exist in this field.