Each military base is a small community. The health and well-being of the residents and surrounding land is a major concern of the services. Keeping military work places and living areas sanitary helps to prevent illness. Environmental health and safety specialists inspect military facilities and food supplies for the presence of disease, germs, or other conditions hazardous to health and the environment.
What They Do
Environmental health and safety specialists in the military perform some or all of the following duties:
- Monitor storage, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste
- Analyze food and water samples to ensure quality
- Conduct health and safety investigations of living quarters and base facilities
- Provide training on industrial hygiene, environmental health, and occupational health issues
- Monitor noise and radiation levels at job sites
Helpful Attributes
Helpful school subjects include algebra, biology, chemistry, and general science. Helpful attributes include:
- Interest in gathering information
- Interest in protecting the environment
- Preference for work requiring attention to detail
Training Provided
Job training consists of classroom instruction, including practice in making health and sanitation inspections. Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses. Training length varies depending on specialty. Course content typically includes:
- Identification of health hazards
- Inspection of food products and food service operations
- Inspection of wastewater and waste disposal facilities
Work Environment
Environmental health specialists work indoors while inspecting food facilities and buildings. They work outdoors while inspecting waste disposal facilities and field camps
Civilian Counterparts
Most civilian environmental health and safety specialists work for local, state, and federal government agencies. Their duties are similar to the duties of military environmental health specialists. They may be called food and drug inspectors, public health inspectors, health and safety inspectors, or industrial hygienists.
