Envionmental+health+specialist

Susan Timko **Job Description**-An Environment health specialist can have a variety of job descriptions. They can work as: With the variety of work place the typical work day will vary based on the specific career path choosen.
 * Food inspectors** in hospitals, schools, restaurents, prisons and other institutions
 * Safety officers** in factories, retail stores, hospitals,day cares, construction sites
 * Water quality inspectors** in parks, sewage plants, public pools, municipalities

**Food inspectors** working in a hospital or other institution can expect to work varried hours starting in the early morning to late evening. The primary responsibility would be to oversee staff in the preperation, delivery and storage of meals. Record keeping and documentation would require time behind a desk completing paperwork. Food inspectors are also employeed by county and state health departments. This career is typically a 9 to 5 job which would require extensive travel to various retail prepaired food businesses to inspect for safety violations. This job would also require time behind a desk completing paperwork.


 * Safety officers** can work at any time of the day or night. They can work primarly outside if working construction or inside if working in a factory or retail chain. the primary responsibility is to identify any possible threats to safety of the workers and public and develop plans to reduce the threat. They are often resopnsible for inspection of equipment to be sure it is in good working order. They also make sure emergency equipment is available. Time behind a desk completing paperwork and good recordkeeping skills are a must.


 * Water Quality inspectors** primarly work daylight shifts. The majority of positions available require travel to different sites. Public pool inspectors will travel to different pools through out a region testing chlorine and other chemical and bacteria levels in pool water and public lakes. A wider degrree of travel may be required if you are a ground water inspector (pictured at right). A positon at a sewage plant would afford consistent hours and location. All of these positions require good documentation and recordkeeping skills.

**Personality Characters**- Enviromental health specialists must have good analytical and problem solving skills, work well with other people, and have a commitment to creating a safe environment. They also need to possess good oral and written communication skills, and need to be comfortable with computers and other high tech devices because they may be called upon to prepare and calibrate the equipment used to collect and analyze the samples **Working Conditions**- Enviornmental health specialists spend most of their time outside the office conducting field inspections and investigations. The work is often strenuous, and requires sustained physical effort in activities such as climbing, stooping, and walking. Some time is spent in the office studying data and making plans for health management. Since this career is dealing primarily with chemicals, bacteria, virisus, and unsafe conditions exposure is possible and could lead to illness. **Places of Employment**- Environmental health specialists can work in sanitary offices in the federal, local government units, colleges and universities, corporate and companies. Also there are jobs for environmental health specialists in the millitatry. Locally enviromantal health specialist are employeed at the Butler County Health Department, Moraine State Park, and Slippery Rock University just to name a few.

 **Recommended Education and Training**- Environmental health specialist should take high school courses in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, biology, **__chemistry__**, physics, English, literature, computer skills, and health occupations/medical professions education. Environmental health specialists should earn a bachelor’s degree in environmental health. Some have a degree in a related field such as biological/chemical sciences or environmental engineering.
 * Job Outlook **- Employment opportunities for environmental health specialists are expected to grow between 10% - 20% through the year 2012.
 * Salary Information **- Enviornemtal health specialists make between $39,200-$72,300. the average is $55,800.

__[|Http://www.abih.org/general/cihcaih.htm]__. __Http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/453/Environmental-Health-Specialist.html__. __Pagehttp://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/ENVHLTH.HTM//__. 24 Apr. 2009 []. __Http:www.mshealthcareers.com/careers/environmentalhealthspecialist.htm__. __Http://www.military-school.org/Military_Jobs_Careers/Environmental/Health_Specialists.asp__.