Environmental Health Officer

Environmental Health Officers (EHOs), also referred to as Environmental Health Practitioners, improve the environments where people work and live and protect public health by ensuring conditions are safe and hygienic.

Environmental Health Officers can either have a general role looking at a broad range of issues or specialise in an area such as food safety and standards, the built environment, occupational health and safety, environmental protection or public health. Duties are likely to include:

• providing advice and educating the public about environmental health
• enforcing the law and providing evidence in court
• inspecting residential dwellings and businesses
• investigating accidents, outbreaks of food poisoning, infectious diseases or pests
• advising on hygiene where food is prepared or sold.

Environmental Health Officers work between 37 and 40 hours a week. They need to have a flexible approach as some unsociable hours are necessary. The role is office based, but time is spent visiting businesses, factories, offices and houses. Protective clothing is required for some inspections.

Salaries may range from about £25,000 to over £60,000 a year, depending on position within an organisation.

An Environmental Health Officer should:

• have good written and communication skills
• have strong interpersonal skills
• have excellent powers of observation and attention to detail
• be able to work to tight deadlines and manage several projects at once
• be interested in the environment and public health.

Jobs are available throughout the UK. Positions can be found in local authorities, central government agencies, environmental consultancies, the Armed Forces, holiday companies, airlines and the NHS.  Job opportunities are good.

In order to become an Environmental Health Office, candidates must have an accredited degree or postgraduate qualification in environmental health. A minimum of two A levels, including a science subject which is normally required for entry on to a degree course. In Scotland, four H grades at ABBC or BBBB, including chemistry, maths and preferably either physics or biology, or equivalent are needed.

To become a professionally qualified Environmental Health Officer, it is necessary to undertake a one-year period of work-based learning. This may be completed as part of a degree course or after graduation. Trainees are then required to complete a professional examination to become fully qualified.

Environmental Health Officers follow a clearly defined promotion structure that leads to senior, principal and chief officer posts in environmental health. It may be necessary to change employers to progress. It is also possible to set up as a consultant and work on a freelance basis.

For more information of this career, and other careers in Environmental Health please the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health website.