What does an environmental health officer do?
An environmental health officer is responsible for assessing risks and developing, enforcing and reviewing regulations and legislation related to public health. Their goal is to promote sound environmental practices and support human health. This includes ensuring safe and hygienic living and working environments for the population.
An environmental health officer usually focuses on noise control, waste management, food safety, occupational health and safety, pollution management, housing standards or environmental protection.
On a day-to-day basis, environmental health officers identify hazards and develop effective plans and strategies to combat problems and minimise risks in the aforementioned areas.
Environmental health officer skills and qualifications
To be successful in the role, an environmental health officer needs to have the following skills and aptitudes:
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
- Good organisational and problem-solving skills
- Ability to comprehend and explain laws and requirements
- Ability to be tactful and firm when communicating decisions
Environmental health officer experience requirements
Environmental health officers don’t have to complete a traineeship as part of their studies, so they’ll mostly be equipped with theoretical experience when they start their careers. Some employers may choose to hire a more senior environmental health officer with several years of experience, especially if the role deals with more complex legislation.
A driver’s licence is a plus, as environmental health officers need to travel to different sites to perform inspections and audits as part of their job. Environmental health officers typically work in teams, so there is the opportunity to progress to team leader.
Environmental health officer education and training requirements
Working as an environmental health officer in Australia requires a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health or a related field, such as public health or environmental management. These subjects can also be majored in as part of a three-year degree in science, health science, social science or natural science. Admission to such a degree will require the applicant to have completed Year 12 and some mandatory units, including English, maths, chemistry, physics and biology, as part of their senior schooling.
A postgraduate qualification, e.g. a Master’s of Environmental Health or a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Health, is not required but is pursued by many environmental health officers because it can give them a competitive edge. Qualified environmental health officers can also join Environmental Health Australia (EHA), the country’s premier environmental health professional organisation.
Environmental health officer salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for an environmental health officer is $95,120 per year. Notably, environmental health officers in Australia’s major cities, such as Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, are reporting significantly higher-than-average salaries, with Perth being well ahead of the field with an average salary of over $125,000. Many private employers also offer salaries in the six-figure range.
Job description samples for similar positions
There are a couple of roles that are similar to an environmental health officer. Take a look at their descriptions to determine if you need to hire one of these experts in addition to or instead of an environmental health officer:
Environmental health officer job description FAQs
Who does an environmental health officer usually work for?
Most environmental health officers work for local government departments, councils or organisations. Other opportunities are in the Australian Defence Force as well as in the health and environment departments of the different states and territories.
In the private sector, more and more opportunities for environmental health officers can be found with international airlines and food corporations.
What are the working conditions of an environmental health officer like?
Environmental health officers work in a range of environments and deal with a variety of different people, from legislators to food business owners. Their work often involves some travel to factories, businesses and worksites where they carry out health and safety inspections and ensure legislation is followed.
The nature of their tasks means that environmental health officers are exposed to the same conditions and potential hazards as the employees at the sites they are visiting. These may be unpleasant or dangerous environments, and the environmental health officer needs to be comfortable performing their role in these conditions.
Does an environmental health officer need to have a certain type of personality?
Environmental health officers need to have a confident demeanour as they sometimes need to communicate unpopular decisions, especially if the business in question is not following legislative requirements. An environmental health officer may need to shut a business – usually food businesses – down temporarily until all requirements are fulfilled, and this may be met with a negative reaction or potentially even aggression.
So, it helps if an environmental health officer is resilient and able to stay calm yet firm when communicating their decisions.
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