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Education and Research Center

Department of Environmental Health

The Harvard T.H. Chan Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health (ERC) is one of the 18 regional centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The Harvard Chan ERC supports traineeships at the master, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels.

Phone 617-432-2422
Location

665 Huntington Avenue
Building 1, 14th floor
Boston, MA 02115

Occupational Hygiene

As defined by the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA), “Occupational Hygiene (OH) is the discipline of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling health hazards in the working environment with the objective of protecting worker health and well-being and safeguarding the community at large.”

Traineeships consisting of financial support and research mentorship are most often awarded to students enrolled in the School’s master’s or doctoral degree programs specializing in environmental health exposures, environmental health occupational health, or environmental health risk sciences.

A group of people wearing hard hats and safety glasses standing in front of a historical plaque on a brick wall. They are smiling and appear to be on a tour or site visit at an industrial or historical facility.
Students touring Harvard’s Blackstone Steam Power Plant.
A group of people standing on a rooftop with solar panels, listening to two individuals speaking. The background includes tall, modern buildings, indicating an urban environment. The setting suggests a discussion or tour related to renewable energy or sustainable practices.
Students touring healthy and sustainable commercial buildings in downtown Boston.

Trainees in the OH program acquire the skills to assess and control chemical, physical, and microbiological hazards in the workplace that may cause illness, injury, discomfort, or inefficiency among workers.

A woman stands at the front of a conference room, giving a presentation to a group of seated individuals. A screen behind her displays a slide with text and images. The setting is professional, with notebooks, laptops, and water bottles on the table, indicating an engaged audience in a meeting or workshop.

Courses are structured to provide training in the evaluation of occupational exposures, effectiveness of intervention strategies, controls, risk assessment, work processes, risk communication, leadership, and workplace environment redesign. These courses are designed to address core competencies defined by the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

In addition to School-required, essential public health courses in biostatistics and epidemiology, trainees enroll in occupational and environmental health science courses, which include:

  • Exposure and Risk Assessment
  • Healthy Buildings
  • Occupational Health Policy and Administration
  • Occupational Epidemiology
  • Environmental Justice
  • Air pollution / Water Pollution
A group of people stand on a rooftop with solar panels, listening to a woman in a pink jacket who is addressing them. The backdrop includes construction sites with cranes, modern buildings, and a clear blue sky, indicating the discussion is likely related to renewable energy or sustainable infrastructure in an urban setting.
Students on the roof of Harvard Business School discussing renewable energy and buildings.
A man and a woman are intently working on assembling electronic devices at a workspace. The table in front of them holds tools and components, while diagrams and instructions are spread out. The background features laboratory or workshop equipment, indicating a hands-on, technical environment.
Practical learning: sensors for air quality study after the wildfires in Maui, HI.

In the OH training program of the ERC, I learned how to identify hazards and forensically investigate ways to enhance our health in workplaces and beyond. Our work centers around how to drive solutions and real-world interventions to reduce indoor exposure and promote public health.

Anna Young, PhD, former ERC trainee

Examples of what students are doing after completing training in the OH program: 

  • Life Scientists or Supervisory Industrial Hygienists at federal agencies
  • Director of the Occupational Health Surveillance Program at a state public health department
  • Environmental Health and Safety Specialist at a biomedical engineering firm
  • Researcher at a public health university
  • Research lead for an architectural firm
  • USAID Foreign Service Fellow
  • Associate Dean for Research and Faculty

Unleash your potential at Harvard Chan School.

In addition to our degree programs, we offer highly targeted executive and continuing education, directed and taught by Harvard faculty.

Degree Programs
How to Apply
Executive and Continuing Education