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.

Personality Type

• Conventional / Realistic
• Realistic / Conventional
• Enterprising / Conventional

Knowledge

• 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.

• Public health

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

• Environmental legislation

  The environmental policies and legislation applicable in a certain domain.

• 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.

• 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.

Skills

• Provide improvement strategies

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

• Perform environmental investigations

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB