Environmental Health Officer

Environmental health officers (EHOs) help protect members of the public from disease and other dangers to health. They aim to make sure living and working conditions are healthy.

They deal with safety of food and water, housing, air and noise pollution, epidemic control, pest control and waste disposal.

The Work

You could be:

• visiting shops, restaurants, slaughterhouses or refuse disposal sites to check that they meet with official hygiene standards


• making sure that regulations are followed


• checking levels of air, noise, water and land pollution using scientific equipment


• taking photos and making drawings


• visiting residences in response to complaints from the neighbours and proposing changes


• tracing sources of food-poisoning and collecting samples for analysis


• monitoring the water in public swimming pools


• writing detailed reports of visits


• collecting information and appearing in court to give evidence in cases where regulations have been broken and standards are not acceptable.

Conditions

• You would work in an office, but spend a lot of time visiting premises – some of which may be dirty, unpleasant or dangerous.


• The people running the premises you visit might be angry or aggressive.


• You may have to work at heights or in confined spaces.


• You would sometimes have to wear protective clothing.


• You might have to attend law courts to give evidence.


• Working hours are usually regular but you might have to work some evenings and weekends.

Getting In

• Entry is competitive.


• You need the Diploma of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS).


• To get this you must have a degree in environmental health from Strathclyde University, plus 48 weeks on-the-job training with a Scottish local authority – you can do this during university holidays or at the end of your degree course.


• For entry to the degree you need 4 Highers including at least two from maths, chemistry and biology or human biology.


• Strathclyde University also offers a 1 year full time MSc conversion course in Environmental Health. The course is offered part time over 2 years. Entry requirements are a first or second class honours degree in a relevant life science, engineering or earth science.


• You need a driving licence.


• You should be healthy as you might be exposed to infectious diseases and unhealthy conditions.


• You should be fit as you might have to work at heights or in small spaces.

What Does It Take?

You should be:

• interested in science


• impartial and fair, when collecting facts which may be used in law


• methodical


• tactful


• honest and responsible


• confident making decisions


• assertive and firm when dealing with uncooperative and perhaps angry people


• able to gather all the facts and take careful notes


• able to cope with visiting dirty and unpleasant places.

• good communication and IT skills to write reports


• good scientific and technical abilities


• an ability to get on well with people from a wide range of backgrounds


• an eye for detail


• confidence to give evidence in court.

Training

• Once you have completed the 48 weeks training to get your REHIS Diploma, further training is on-the-job and through experience.


• The REHIS runs professional courses on a range of food and environmental health topics.


• You would take short courses to keep up to date.

Getting On

• You might specialise in a particular area of work – you might take further courses to do this.


• You might move on to become a section leader or chief environmental health officer.


• You might become a self-employed consultant.

Pay

Pay rates vary, depending on:

• where you work


• the size of company or organisation you work for


• the demand for the job.

More Information

Addresses

The following organisation(s) may be able to provide further information.