Environmental Health Officer

Salary
Graduate: £20,000 - £30,000
Employee with 10-15 years in the role: £30,000 - £60,000

Main Employers

• Central government and local authorities
• Large retailers 
• Airline and shipping companies 
• The NHS
• Research organisations and academic institutions
• The Food Standards Agency
• Environmental agencies
• Environmental consultancies

Job Profile
Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) protect people from environmental health risks, developing, co-ordinating, implementing and enforcing public health policies. EHOs are employed within distinct divisions, such as food safety; environmental protection and pollution control; noise control; health and safety; public health; waste management; housing standards; odour emissions; animal health; contaminated land; communicable diseases; and air pollution control.

Role and Responsibilities
Jobs will vary according to each employer; however you could expect to be involved in:

• Carrying out inspections and collecting samples for lab testing
• Monitoring levels of noise, air, land and water pollution
• Taking enforcement action if necessary and participating in legal proceedings
• Giving educational talks

Qualifications
Relevant further education subjects include: Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Civil Engineering; Environmental Health; Environmental Sciences; Environmental Technology; Geography; Maths; Physics

To qualify as an EHO, you must gain an accredited degree or postgraduate qualification in Environmental Health. In England, Wales or Northern Ireland your degree must be accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH); in Scotland by the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS). Graduates from relevant HND programmes may be able to enter into the second year of a BSc course. An alternative route is to enter employment at technician level and study on a part-time accredited course.

Career Development
Most EHOs operate within specialist divisions and have defined roles. There is scope to work within a discipline that interests you once qualified, such as food standards, environmental pollution, housing and workplace health and safety. Positions dealing with all environmental health-related issues are also available. There are increasing opportunities for experienced EHOs to diversify into other fields in central government, consultancies and the private sector.

In local government there is a clearly defined promotion structure to senior, principal and chief environmental health officer. However, due to the flat management structures of some local authorities, there are fewer opportunities for promotion to senior positions.

EHOs are able to work abroad, with many opportunities in the developing world, where EHOs work to ensure the sustainable development of communities.

For more information about a careers as an Environmental Health Officer, go to the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health

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