Careers in Environmental Health
The range of work carried out, and the vital role that work plays in protecting the health and environment of local communities, means that working for an Environmental Health Department is both interesting and challenging. It certainly isn't all a "Life of Grime".
Local authorities are often seen as being good in terms of the benefits they offer, such as flexible working hours, good holiday and pension entitlements and the opportunities for further training.
There are three main types of job within the Environmental Protection section,
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Environmental Health Officers
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Technical Officers
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Administration Officers
Most of our Technical and Administration officers entered local government with basic qualifications and have been trained by us to carry out a wide range of technical tasks. The work of the Technical Officers is particularly wide ranging, and in larger authorities can be very specialist - requiring a degree or even a PhD. !
Environmental Health Officers are able to deal with a wide range of pollution, housing, safety and food issues, although most are now becoming more specialist and some local authorities offer the opportunity to become expert in a particular field of work.
To be an Environmental Health Officer, a specific 4 year degree course is required, with a year long training placement with a local authority. Further details on how to become an Environmental Health Officer can be found on the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health web-site – www.cieh.org |
The work of the Technical Officers and Environmental Health Officers involves inspecting premises, visiting complainants and carrying out a range of investigative work. It generally entails being out of the office and officers therefore need to use their own initiative in sorting out any issues that they find. The job involves knowing and understanding a wide range of legislation and being able to enforce it – but it also involves understanding people, and how problems can be resolved informally to everybody's satisfaction.
If you want to work in Environmental Health, you need to be tactful enough to be able to ask a complete stranger about their food poisoning symptoms, diplomatic enough to persuade someone to turn their stereo down, and strong minded enough to prosecute an international company for breaking the law !
If you want to know more, give us a call. We are happy for people to come into the office and see what we do, and we offer student placements for people wishing to become Environmental Health Officers.