What do Environmental Health Officers do?

A: We carry out a wide range of functions to include Food Safety, Infectious Disease
Control, Health and Safety, Pollution Control, Housing, Public Health, Health Promotion, Licensing/registration, Street Trading, Refuse Control, Recycling, Pest Control, and Training.
e.g. of the main areas:

Food Safety
Food Inspection
Sampling of foodstuffs at raw, manufacturing and ready to eat stages.
Food Premises Registration
Food hygiene complaint work.

Infectious Diseases
Investigation of all notifiable diseases to include all food poisoning.
Infection control work.
Outbreak control and management.

Health and Safety
Inspections
Welfare of workers
Public protection
Promotional work
Joint partnerships with the Health and Safety Executive.
Complaint work
Accident investigation.

Pollution Control
Noise Pollution
Air Pollution
Odour Nuisance
Authorisations of specific processes.

Housing
Inspection of Houses in Multiple Occupation.
Grants
Complaint of poor housing conditions.

Public Health
Drainage complaints
Pest control
Filthy and Verminous premises

Environmental Health Promotion
Community Health Projects
Accident Prevention
Health Resources
Food Hygiene Training
Environmental Issues
Local Agenda 21
Disability Issues

I want to become an Environmental Health Officer, how do I go about it?

A: There are a number of ways you can become an EHO, some go from A levels and start a 4 year degree course in Environmental Health. Others start work for the local authority as an Environmental Health Technician and then partake in a degree course on a part time basis.

For further information and an information pack, please contact the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health www.cieh.org This web site is full of information and interesting articles on all subjects in relation to the profession.