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Environmental Health Officer
Alternative Titles:
Health Surveyor
Environmental health officers develop, regulate, enforce
and monitor laws and regulations governing public health,
building, and environmental management, in order to promote
good health, hygiene and environmental practices.
Environmental health officers may perform the following
tasks:
- investigate complaints about food and make sure that
food is hygienically prepared, stored, served and sold by
inspecting places such as shops, cafes, food processing
factories and dairies, and by collecting food samples for
chemical and microbiological analysis
- conduct food hygiene education seminars and other
community health education programs for students and food
handlers
- monitor and control water, air and noise pollution and
collect water samples for chemical and microbiological
analysis to make sure that it complies with standards
- prepare policy documents, guidelines, pamphlets and
brochures relating to environmental health matters
- undertake risk assessment for anything that might impact
on the community's health
- organise immunisation campaigns targeting infants,
children and adults
- prepare and conduct health promotion programs for
students, community groups and industry
- investigate and manage significant incidents concerning
public health like outbreaks of infectious or communicable
diseases such as hepatitis A, legionella or dengue fever
- audit and license public entertainment areas by
assessing fire safety, seating capacity and sanitary
facilities
- assess building and development applications to make
sure that they comply with environmental and health
standards
- make sure that houses, caravan parks and other public
buildings and locations are clean and not overcrowded, and
have adequate ventilation, lighting, washing and toilet
facilities and garbage disposal systems
- inspect and license premises, such as tattoo parlours
and acupuncturists, where skin penetration and body piercing
occurs, and inspect hairdressing and beauty salons
- provide communities with advice, reports and expertise
regarding environmental health matters or anything that
might affect the health and wellbeing of the community
- initiate and conduct environmental health impact
assessments
- maintain records, prepare statistics, write reports, and
give evidence in court cases where health or environmental
regulations have been violated
- investigate building blocks and proposed subdivisions in
unsewered areas for suitability of on-site waste water
disposal
- assess the risks associated with poisonous materials
within the local community
- manage the collection and destruction of used syringes
from doctors, dentists and nursing homes
- supervise the exhumation of bodies and inspect
mortuaries
- design and develop public information campaigns using
newspapers, radio and television and/or pamphlets, posters
and other printed material.
Environmental health officers may specialise in the areas
of air, food and water quality, disease vector control (e.g.
mosquito control), waste management, environmental protection,
health education and noise control.
Environmental health officers are also involved in
consultation, evaluation, managerial and health promotion
activities.
Required Skills - Environmental Health Officer
- good communication skills
- good negotiation skills
- tact and courtesy
- able to be firm but impartial when making decisions
- be resourceful
- have initiative
- good problem-solving skills
- able to work as a part of a team
- able to work independently
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