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Public and environmental health and safety professionals

OaSIS code 21120.00

Public and environmental health and safety professionals review, evaluate and monitor public health and environmental safety hazards and develop strategies to prevent, control and eliminate disease and environmental impact caused by biological and chemical factors. They inspect restaurants, industrial establishments, municipal water systems, public facilities, and institutions to ensure compliance with government regulations regarding sanitation, pollution control and the handling and storage of hazardous substances.

Overview

Also known as

  • Environmental health officer
  • Environmental officer
  • Environmental safety advisor
  • Hazardous waste inspector
  • Pollution control inspector
  • Public health inspector
  • Public health inspectors supervisor
  • Public safety consultant
  • Public safety coordinator
  • Public safety officer
  • Restaurant inspector
  • Rodent control inspector
  • Water inspector

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Inspect the sanitary conditions of restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals and other public facilities or institutions
  • Conduct surveys and monitoring programs of the natural environment to identify sources of pollution
  • Collect biological and chemical samples and specimens for analysis; measure physical, biological and chemical; and conduct safety and environmental audits
  • Investigate health and safety related complaints, spills of hazardous chemicals, outbreaks of diseases or poisonings
  • Inspect workplaces to ensure that equipment, materials and production processes do not present environmental hazards to the environment or a health and safety hazard to employees or to the general public
  • Lead the development and the implementation of public safety and environmental health and safety programs and strategies to mitigate risk and optimize the general public and worker’s health and safety and environmental protection
  • Initiate enforcement procedures to fine or to close an establishment contravening 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.

Additional information

No data has been provided for this section.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

  • Engineering inspectors and regulatory officers (22231)
  • Occupational health and safety specialists (22232)
  • Construction inspectors (22233)
  • By-law enforcement and other regulatory officers (43202)
  • Occupational hygienist (in 41400.02 Occupational or industrial hygienists)
  • Ergonomists (41400.01)

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

2 – Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences

Sub-major group

211 – Professional occupations in natural sciences

Minor group

2112 – Public and environmental health and safety professionals

Unit group

21120 – Public and environmental health and safety professionals

Occupational profile

21120.00 – Public and environmental health and safety professionals

Work characteristics

Work characteristics gathers the various components describing the work environment of each occupation, such as employers, work activities, and the work context. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of complexity (for Work Activities) or other measurement dimensions (for Work Context), and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Work Activities

Proficiency or complexity level
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance
5 - Highest Level
Clerical Activities
4 - High Level
Getting Information
4 - High Level
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
4 - High Level
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material
4 - High Level

Work Context

Structural Job Characteristics

Structured versus Unstructured Work
Degree of freedom to determine tasks and priorities
3 - Moderate amount of freedom
Work Week Duration
Worked hours in a typical week
2 - Between 35 to 40 hours

Physical Work Environment

Physical Proximity
Physical distance from others
3 - Somewhat close (e.g. share office)

Physical Demands

Sitting
Duration
3 - About half the time
Standing
Duration
2 - Less than half the time
Bending or Twisting the Body
Duration
1 - Very little time

Interpersonal Relations

Contact with Others
Frequency
4 - Every day, a few times per day
Duration
4 - More than half the time
Work with Work Group or Team
Importance
2 - Somewhat important
Frequency
2 - Once a month or more but not every week

Workplaces/employers

  • Establishements throughout the private and public sector

Skills and abilities

This section displays the various competencies required for an occupation. Each category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency (for Skills and Abilities) or importance (for Personal Attributes) and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Abilities

Proficiency or complexity level
Problem Identification
5 - Highest Level
Auditory Attention
4 - High Level
Categorization Flexibility
4 - High Level
Colour Perception
4 - High Level
Deductive Reasoning
4 - High Level

Skills

Proficiency or complexity level
Monitoring
5 - Highest Level
Critical Thinking
4 - High Level
Decision Making
4 - High Level
Evaluation
4 - High Level
Instructing
4 - High Level

Personal Attributes

Importance
Attention to Detail
5 - Extremely important
Active Learning
4 - Highly important
Adaptability
4 - Highly important
Analytical Thinking
4 - Highly important
Collaboration
4 - Highly important

Interests

The OaSIS uses the Holland Codes to describe the work-related interests. According to the Holland model, people work best in work environments that match their preferences, which means that people and work environments can be matched for a best fit. Occupational environments in Holland’s theory are described according to a combination of main interests and the activities they represent. There are six interests in the Holland typology: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising and Conventional. All occupations in OaSIS have up to three interests assigned to them.

Interests

Preferences for work environments and outcomes.

Interests profile: ICE

Investigative (I)

Investigative occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail the observation and systematic or creative investigation of physical, biological, or cultural phenomena. These occupations require an extensive amount of thinking and frequently involve working with ideas, searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Conventional (C)

Conventional occupations are characterized by the dominance of activities that entail following sets of procedures and routines. These activities may include systematic manipulation of data, such as keeping records, filing materials, reproducing materials, organizing written and numerical data according to a prescribed plan, and operating business and data processing. They often require following a clear line of authority and usually involve working with data and details more than with ideas.

Enterprising (E)

Enterprising occupations are characterized by the dominance of action-oriented activities to attain organizational or self-interest goals. They frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects, influencing, leading or mobilizing people, making decisions, and sometimes require risk taking and dealing with business.

Employment requirements

Employment requirements includes the education, training, certifications and the knowledge required to work in each occupation. The Knowledge category displays up to 10 descriptors in descending order based, firstly, on their attributed ratings by the level of proficiency, and secondly, in alphabetical order. The whole list of Knowledge descriptors and their ratings can be expanded at the bottom of each page.

Education, certification and licensing

  • A bachelor's degree in a discipline such as food science, environmental studies, chemistry or health and safety is usually required.
  • Public health inspectors employed outside Quebec require certification with the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors.
  • Environmental health and safety professionals may require certification with the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals (BCRSP).

Knowledge

Knowledge level
Law
3 - Advanced Level
Public Safety and Security
3 - Advanced Level
Biology
2 - Intermediate Level
Business Management
2 - Intermediate Level
Chemistry
2 - Intermediate Level

Skills for success

 
Skills for Success Model
 
Skills for Success are skills that help you in a quickly changing world. Everyone benefits from having these skills. They can help you to get a job, progress at your current job or even change jobs. The skills also help you become an active member of your community and succeed in learning.
 
 
Linkages Between ESDC Skills Models and Frameworks
 
ESDC makes available a dictionary of over 300 terms (or descriptors) and definitions, known as the Skills and Competencies Taxonomy (SCT). Descriptor information from the Taxonomy is used in the Occupational and Skills Information System (OaSIS).
 
While there is general commonality of meaning between the descriptors in the SCT and the Skills for Success model, there are some differences in their definitions due to their distinct purposes. The Skills for Success Model [9 broadly defined skills] identifies the skills that are universally applicable. The SCT displays specific skills and competency requirements for 900 occupations. Users of the Skills for Success Model and Essential Skills content may find competency information from the Taxonomy and the OaSIS to be complementary.
 
Stay tuned to this section for more information and updates regarding linkages between the Skills for Success model and the OaSIS.

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

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