Profession environmental health inspector

Environmental health inspectors carry out investigations to ensure that areas, organisations and companies comply with environmental and public health legislation. They evaluate environmental complaints, provide reports on their findings and work to prevent future hazards or noncompliance with current policies. Environmental health inspectors perform consultations to promote public health and safety.

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Personality Type

  • Conventional / Realistic
  • Realistic / Conventional

Knowledge

  • Public health

    The principles of health and sickness affecting the population, including the means for health promotion and prevention and community and primary care.

  • Audit techniques

    The techniques and methods that support a systematic and independent examination of data, policies, operations and performances using computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATs) such as spreadsheets, databases, statistical analysis and business intelligence software.

  • Environmental legislation

    The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.

  • Environmental policy

    Local, national and international policies dealing with the promotion of environmental sustainability and the development of projects which reduce negative environmental impact and improve the state of the environment.

  • Check methods

    Procedures used for investigative purposes such as surveillance by physical and electronic means, interrogations of witnesses, collection of objects and data for assessment and analysis and physical and electronic research for collecting data.

Skills

  • Conduct environmental surveys

    Conduct surveys in order to collect information for analysis and management of environmental risks within an organisation or in a wider context.

  • Write inspection reports

    Write the results and conclusions of the inspection in a clear and intelligible way. Log the inspection's processes such as contact, outcome, and steps taken.

  • Provide improvement strategies

    Identify root causes of problems and submit proposals for effective and long-term solutions.

  • Promote health and safety

    Promote the importance of a safe working environment. Coach and support staff to participate actively in the continuous development of a safe working environment.

  • Address public health issues

    Promote healthy practices and behaviours to ensure that populations stay healthy.

  • Ensure compliance with environmental legislation

    Monitor activities and perform tasks ensuring compliance with standards involving environmental protection and sustainability, and amend activities in the case of changes in environmental legislation. Ensure that the processes are compliant with environment regulations and best practices.

  • Present reports

    Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.

  • Use consulting techniques

    Advise clients in different personal or professional matters.

  • Monitor legislation developments

    Monitor changes in rules, policies and legislation, and identify how they may influence the organisation, existing operations, or a specific case or situation.

  • Perform environmental investigations

    Perform environmental investigations as required, checking regulatory proceedings, possible legal actions or other types of complaint.

Optional knowledge and skills

inform policy makers on health-related challenges foodborne diseases biology provide testimony in court hearings wear appropriate protective gear analyse health problems within a given community develop environmental policy communicable diseases perform risk analysis hazardous waste storage consumer protection maintain relationships with government agencies provide advice on breaches of regulation conduct educational activities enforce sanitation procedures environmental engineering chemistry pollution prevention pests and diseases

Common job titles

  • Public health inspector, food safety and community sanitation
  • Environmental inspector (multiple locations)
  • Health and safety specialist
  • Associate public health sanitarian ii
  • Health inspector
  • Environmental inspector/wetland scientist
  • Public health inspector, bureau of childcare
  • Spcc/tanks environmental analyst
  • Health and safety inspector
  • Agric consultant