SUBJ: SOLICITATION FOR INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION
A. COMCOGARD PSC ARLINGTON VA 101743Z APR 09/ALCGPSC 004/09
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 022107Z FEB 09, ALCOAST 073/09
1. IAW REFERENCES A AND B, THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WORK-LIFE
DIRECTORATE IS SOLICITING FOR APPLICANTS TO THE INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE
POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION PROGRAM. THE SELECTED CANDIDATES MUST PURSUE
A MASTERS LEVEL DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE (IH) OR OTHER CLOSELY
RELATED SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DISCIPLINE PROVIDED THEIR
FOCUS INCLUDES IH TECHNICAL SKILLS. PROGRAMS IN THIS FIELD ARE
TYPICALLY 21 MONTHS AND COMMENCE IN THE FALL. A LIST OF POTENTIAL
SCHOOLS MAY BE FOUND BY SEARCHING FOR ABET ACCREDITED SCHOOLS ON
THE AMERICAN BOARD OF INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE WEBSITE:
HTTP://WWW.ABIH.ORG/CERTIFIED/APPLICANTS/IHPROGRAMS.HTML, HOWEVER,
CANDIDATES ARE NOT LIMITED TO THIS LIST. CHOICE OF INSTITUTION IS
NEGOTIABLE BETWEEN THE PROGRAM MANAGER AND THE SELECTEE AND IS
DEPENDENT ON THE PROGRAM CONTENT, LENGTH, TUITION COSTS AND
LOCATION. IF CHOOSING AN EXPENSIVE SCHOOL (TYPICALLY OVER 15
THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR), THE SELECTEE WILL BE REQUIRED TO SHARE
TUITION EXPENSES. IN THE PAST, OFFICERS HAVE ATTENDED SCHOOLS SUCH
AS THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, LOWELL,
AND WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.
2. INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE IS THE ART AND SCIENCE OF ANTICIPATING,
RECOGNIZING, EVALUATING, AND CONTROLLING CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL,
BIOLOGICAL, AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL HAZARDS IN THE WORK ENVIRONMENT IN
ORDER TO KEEP WORKERS SAFE AND HEALTHY. EXAMPLES INCLUDE ENSURING
THAT SMALL BOAT CREWS ARE NOT OVEREXPOSED TO NOISE, THAT DAMAGE
CONTROLMEN ARE PROTECTED FROM HAZARDOUS WELDING FUMES, THAT
INSPECTORS AND BOARDING TEAMS DO NOT ENTER OXYGEN DEFICIENT
CONFINED SPACES, AND THAT MAINTENANCE WORKERS ARE NOT EXPOSED TO
ASBESTOS OR LEAD. CONTROLLING SUCH HAZARDS IN A CAREFUL AND
SYSTEMATIC MANNER ALLOWS COAST GUARD EMPLOYEES TO PERFORM THEIR
JOBS FREE FROM THE DEBILITATING EFFECTS OF WORK-RELATED INJURIES
AND ILLNESSES.
3. SELECTED CANDIDATES SHOULD EXPECT AN IMMEDIATE FOLLOW-ON TOUR AS
A SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER (SEHO) DETACHED TO AN
ISC, PROVIDING UNIT LEVEL INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND SAFETY SUPPORT, OR
AS A PROGRAM MANAGER AT EITHER HEADQUARTERS OR THE HEALTH, SAFETY,
AND WORK-LIFE SUPPORT ACTIVITY. FUTURE FOLLOW-ON TOURS HAVE
INCLUDED COMMAND STAFF AT SECTORS, CUTTERS, AND STRIKE TEAMS, AND
DIVISION AND BRANCH CHIEF POSITIONS WITHIN HEADQUARTERS AND MLC
STAFFS.
4. THIS PROGRAM IS OPEN TO JUNIOR OFFICERS IN ALL OPERATIONAL
SPECIALTIES. PRIMARY EMPHASIS IS ON GRADES OF O-2 AND O-3, HOWEVER,
APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED FROM O-1 TO JUNIOR O-4. ELIGIBLE
CHIEF WARRANT OFFICERS EXPECTING PROMOTION TO LT ARE ALSO
ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. ALL INITIAL FOLLOW-ON TOURS ARE AT O-3 AND O-4
LEVELS, SO OFFICERS TOO JUNIOR OR TOO SENIOR ARE DIFFICULT TO
PLACE. APPLICANTS SHOULD HAVE A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE WITH
SUFFICIENT ACADEMIC BACKGROUND IN MATH AND SCIENCE, INCLUDING
COURSES IN CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, PHYSICS, AND CALCULUS. HOWEVER, A
SPECIFIC UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN A PHYSICAL SCIENCE OR ENGINEERING
DISCIPLINE IS NOT REQUIRED. APPLICATIONS MUST INCLUDE GRE SCORES
LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD. PAST SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS HAVE HAD AN
AVERAGE GRE SCORE OF AT LEAST 1000 (COMBINED VERBAL AND
QUANTITATIVE). AS PER REF A, MEMBERS MUST HAVE THEIR OFFICIAL GRE
SCORES AND TRANSCRIPTS ENTERED INTO THEIR CG PC PDR AND IN DIRECT
ACCESS.
5. REFERENCE A DETAILS APPLICATION AND OBLIGATED SERVICE
REQUIREMENTS. APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED IN THE E-RESUME MODULE
OF DIRECT ACCESS.
6. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE PROGRAM,
PLEASE CONTACT THE PROGRAM MANAGER, CDR LAURA H. WEEMS, AT
LAURA.H.WEEMS(AT)USCG.MIL OR (202) 475-5216.
7. RADM MARK TEDESCO, DIRECTOR OF HEALTH, SAFETY AND WORK-LIFE,
SENDS.
8. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.