and approval Housing standards/quality inspection and control Infection prevention and control (IPAC) Urban renewal Pest control Emergency contingency planning and implementation Noise control Air quality monitoring Health and safety at work inspection and control Water protection and testing (drinking water and recreational water) Radon risk assessment in buildings Environmental sampling, analysis, and results interpretation Tobacco and vapour products control and reduction Community care facilities licensing Quality improvement The common identifier of environmental health personnel is that they are responsible for the identification, evaluation, and management of risks to human health from factors in the environment, whether on behalf of government agencies or commercial and industrial concerns. Roles An EHO investigates health hazards in a wide variety of settings and will take action to mitigate or eliminate the hazards. Usually, the public perception of a health inspector is someone who examines restaurants and ensures they maintain sanitary standards for food safety set by the regulating authority. However, EHOs have much broader job duties, including inspecting swimming pools, substandard housing conditions, shelters, public schools, daycares, nursing homes, conveyances (e.g., cruise ships, ferries, airplanes, trains), and personal service establishments (e.g., tattoo parlours, tanning salons, beauty salons, laser hair removal facilities, barbershops). EHOs permit and inspect wells, private water systems, and individual subsurface sewage disposal (septic) systems. Other tasks include: campground inspections, special events inspections, waste management inspections, petting zoo inspections, correctional facility inspections, mobile home park inspections, and homeless encampment inspections. Trained in communicable disease control and prevention, during a disease outbreak they investigate and recommend/apply interventions to stop the spread of disease. Also trained in noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and control, they work to prevent NCDs and control risk factors. EHOs also plays a vital role in community projects such as those concerning health promotion, health equity, tobacco reduction, healthy built environments/healthy communities, food security, and emergency preparedness. They may also respond to complaints such as animal bites (rabies control), garbage complaints, noise complaints, odor complaints, or sewage overflows. Due to their educational background and training they can provide information and referrals with regards to: lead, radon, mould, and emerging diseases (e.g., West Nile virus, avian influenza, COVID-19). The field also overlaps with hazardous materials (hazmat), and many hazmat responders are licensed environmental health practitioners or registered environmental health specialists. During a public health emergency such as a pandemic, they take on crucial emergency response roles, provide public education and advice, enforce