Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety (NOC 2263)

Inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety:

• evaluate and monitor health and safety hazards and develop strategies to control risks in the workplace
• inspect restaurants, public facilities, industrial establishments, municipal water systems and other workplaces to ensure compliance with government regulations regarding sanitation, pollution control, the handling and storage of hazardous substances and workplace safety
• work throughout the private and public sectors

Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a health and safety consultant is like.

4:54

Health and safety consultant

Source: WorkBC's Career Trek

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Inspectors perform some or all of the following duties:

• inspect the sanitary conditions of restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals and other public facilities or institutions
• carry out surveys and monitoring programs of the natural environment to identify sources of pollution
• collect samples of water for analysis, measure physical, biological and chemical workplace hazards and carry out safety and environmental inspections
• investigate health and safety related complaints, spills of hazardous chemicals, outbreaks of diseases or poisonings and workplace accidents
• inspect workplaces to ensure that equipment, materials and production processes do not present a safety or health hazard to employees or to the general public
• develop, put into use and evaluate health and safety programs and strategies
• initiate enforcement procedures to fine or to close an establishment breaking municipal, provincial or federal regulations
• provide consultation and deliver training programs to employers, employees and the general public on issues of public health, environmental protection or workplace safety

Work in this occupation is typically performed in a structured environment, such as an office, hospital or school, or an outdoor work environment where the worker is exposed to various weather conditions.

Also, workers may be exposed to chemicals that may endanger health through inhalation, absorption, ingestion, contact with skin or eyes, or potential for fire or explosion; infectious bacteria and viruses as a result of indirect contact with, or direct handling of, infectious materials or micro-organisms that may cause illness; or ionizing radiation such as X-rays and radioactive substances or non-ionizing radiation such as radio frequencies and infrared, ultraviolet or visible light that may affect health adversely.