Job description Environmental Health Officer in British Columbia
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This occupation includes job titles whose primary duties and responsibilities lead to positive environmental outcomes. Job Bank uses a list of occupations that were identified as "green" through a task-based analysis conducted by the United States’ Occupational Information Network (O*NET), which was recognized by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and adapted to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) in Canada. This list may change over time. Learn more.

Find out what work is like for an environmental health officer in Canada. This work description is applicable to all Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety (NOC 21120).

Public and environmental health and safety professionals

Description

Public and environmental health and safety professionals review, evaluate and monitor public health and environmental safety hazards and develop strategies to prevent, control and eliminate disease and environmental impact caused by biological and chemical factors. They inspect restaurants, industrial establishments, municipal water systems, public facilities, and institutions to ensure compliance with government regulations regarding sanitation, pollution control and the handling and storage of hazardous substances. They are employed throughout the public and private sectors.

Work week duration

Public and environmental health and safety professionals usually work between 35 to 40 hours per week.
Between 35 to 40 hours

Job duties

Here are some of the main activities and tasks that Public and environmental health and safety professionals have to perform, and some of the physical demands they involve:

  • Inspect the sanitary conditions of restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals and other public facilities or institutions
  • Conduct surveys and monitoring programs of the natural environment to identify sources of pollution
  • Collect biological and chemical samples and specimens for analysis; measure physical, biological and chemical; and conduct safety and environmental audits
  • Investigate health and safety related complaints, spills of hazardous chemicals, outbreaks of diseases or poisonings
  • Inspect workplaces to ensure that equipment, materials and production processes do not present environmental hazards to the environment or a health and safety hazard to employees or to the general public
  • Lead the development and the implementation of public safety and environmental health and safety programs and strategies to mitigate risk and optimize the general public and worker’s health and safety and environmental protection
  • Initiate enforcement procedures to fine or to close an establishment contravening municipal, provincial or federal regulations
  • Provide consultation and deliver training programs to employers, employees and the general public on issues of public health, environmental protection or workplace safety.

Physical demands Help - Physical Demands

  • Sitting

Physical demands

Physical demands are the physical activities that the job requires the worker to do. Physical demands are selected according to the likeliness that workers will have to perform them for at least half of the time they spend at work.

Workplaces and employers

Here are the typical workplaces where Public and environmental health and safety professionals are employed and some of their main characteristics:

  • Establishements throughout the private and public sector

Work environment Help - Physical Work Environment

  • Indoors, environmentally controlled
  • Standard safety equipment

Physical proximity from others Help - Physical proximity from others

  • Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Work environment

The work environment refers to the physical setting in which people work. The characteristics and conditions of the work environment are selected according to the likeliness that workers will be exposed to them at least once a week.

Physical proximity from others

Physical proximity from others refers to the physical distance between individuals in the workplace. The likeliness that the job requires to perform tasks while being physically close to other people is rated on a scale with 3 levels: "Somewhat close", "Close" and "Very close".

Related job titles

Here are some other related job titles that are found in the same occupational category (NOC 21120), and a list of similar occupations:

  • environmental health officer
  • environmental officer
  • environmental safety advisor
  • hazardous waste inspector
  • pollution control inspector
  • public health inspector
  • public health inspectors supervisor
  • public safety consultant
  • public safety coordinator
  • public safety officer
  • restaurant inspector
  • rodent control inspector
  • water inspector

Similar occupations Help - Similar occupations

Similar occupations

This section lists other occupations that are part of the same broad occupational category as Public and environmental health and safety professionals in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). These occupations involve similar core qualifications but involve different responsibilities. To see more similar occupations, use the Job Transition Tool.

Sources Occupational and Skills Information System & National Occupational Classification

Labour Market Information Survey
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