Environmental health officers

Environmental health officers (EHOs) help keep people and communities healthy. They make sure our food, drinking water, swimming pools, child-care centers, work-camps, homes, schools, and other public places are safe and clean. EHOs help stop the spread of illness by finding and fixing health risks. 

About environmental health officers

Environmental health officers (EHOs), also known as public health inspectors, are trained public health professionals, certified through the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors (CIPHI). They work across B.C. to protect the health of the public and promote healthy living through education, consultation, permitting, and inspection. EHOs may also work as restaurant inspectors, drinking water officers, and tobacco enforcement officers.

Environmental health officers can work in a variety of practice areas including food safety, drinking and recreational water safety, outbreak response, insect and rodent control, communicable disease investigation, and safety of licensed care facilities. Duties may include: 

  • Conducting inspections and following up on complaints at restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores to make sure food is safe 
  • Checking drinking water, pools, beauty salons, work camps, and other facilities to make sure they are safe and clean 
  • Enforcement of the tobacco and vaping regulations 
  • Investigating public health complaints, such as mold, pests, or unsanitary conditions 
  • Responding to emergencies such as disease outbreaks and natural disasters 
  • Inspecting daycares, long-term care homes, and public buildings 
  • Helping to educate businesses and the public on staying healthy and safe 
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To become an environmental health officer in B.C., you must:

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Environmental health officers are needed across the province, especially in rural and remote communities in Northern and Interior B.C. Please visit Explore jobs to discover opportunities across British Columbia’s public health authority employers.

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British Columbia’s publicly funded health authorities offer comprehensive compensation packages for regular-status employees, including employer-paid benefits:

  • Wages: $39.26 – $49.01 CAD per hour (as of April 1, 2024), plus applicable shift premiums
  • Paid Vacation Time: 4 weeks per year, after first year of employment   
  • Defined Benefit Public Pension Plan (Municipal or Public Service Pension Plan)  
  • BC Medical Services Plan (MSP)   
  • Extended Health Care   
  • Dental Coverage   
  • Life Insurance   
  • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability   
  • Employee and Family Assistance Plan   
  • Other Benefits: such as maternity, paternity and adoption leaves   
  • Relocation assistance may be available for many environmental health officer jobs. Please speak with health authorities directly for more information
  • Additional incentives such as retention bonuses, loan forgiveness programs, and paid training, may be available for rural and remotely located employees 
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Please visit the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors website for more information for internationally educated/trained environmental public health professionals.

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B.C. news for environmental health officers

B.C.’s Population and Public Health Framework

In 2024, the B.C. Ministry of Health released British Columbia’s Population and Public Health Framework: Strengthening Public Health. The renewed provincial strategy outlines the long-term vision and strategic direction for population and public health in B.C. 

Learn more about B.C.’s Population and Public Health Framework [5.9MB PDF]

What is environmental health?

Encompassing all aspects of our lives, from air to water to food, to employment and recreation, to our homes and families, environmental public health is a cornerstone of safe, functional, and thriving communities. 

Learn more about environmental health and the role of EHOs

Explore careers with B.C.’s public health employers

British Columbia’s health authorities offer outstanding and diverse opportunities, to not only build your career, but to forge your own lifestyle.

Explore job opportunities today