Environmental Health Officer
Develops, enforces and evaluates environmental health policies, programs and strategies to improve health outcomes, and oversees the implementation and monitoring of environmental health legislation. Registration or licensing may be required.
ANZSCO 2013, the edition the department applies to the points tested visas (189, 190 and 491).
Specialisations within it
- Food Safety Auditor
- Food Safety Officer
Duties
Published for unit group 2513 Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals
- developing, implementing and reviewing environmental health management plans and occupational health and safety plans
- preparing and implementing plans and strategies for the safe, economic and suitable disposal of commercial, industrial, medical and household wastes
- advising on and enforcing legislation, implementing prevention programs and strategies for communicable diseases, food safety, waste water treatment and disposal systems, recreation and domestic water quality, contaminated and hazardous substances, and minimising air, sea, water and noise pollution to improve health outcomes
- identifying hazards, and assessing and controlling risks in the workplace
- developing, implementing and monitoring programs minimising workplace and environmental pollution involving chemical and physical hazards
- promoting ergonomic principles within the workplace such as matching furniture, equipment and work activities to the needs of employees
- inspecting and auditing workplaces, processes, plant, and chemical and physical hazards for legislative compliance
- training employees in personal protective equipment and safe working procedures
- recording and investigating injuries and equipment damage, and reporting safety performance
- coordinating the return of injured workers into the workplace
This is what the occupation is, not what a skills assessment requires. The assessing body applies its own criteria on top of this, and those criteria are not published here. Check them with the body itself.
Who assesses this occupation
Last confirmed against the department's list on 30 July 2026.
This occupation reads differently for the 186 and 482
Two editions of ANZSCO are current at once, and the department applies ANZSCO 2022 to the employer sponsored visas while everything above follows ANZSCO 2013.
The definition is identical in both editions, but the published duties are not:
- developing, implementing and reviewing environmental health management plans and occupational health and safety plans
- preparing and implementing plans and strategies for the safe, economic, and suitable disposal of commercial, industrial, medical and household wastes
- advising on and enforcing legislation, implementing prevention programs and strategies for communicable diseases, food safety, waste water treatment and disposal systems, recreation and domestic water quality, contaminated and hazardous substances, and minimising air, sea, water and noise pollution to improve health outcomes
- identifying hazards, and assessing and controlling risks in the workplace
- developing, implementing and monitoring programs minimising workplace and environmental pollution involving chemical and physical hazards
- promoting ergonomic principles within the workplace such as matching furniture, equipment and work activities to the needs of employees
- inspecting and auditing workplaces, processes, plant, and chemical and physical hazards for legislative compliance
- training employees in personal protective equipment and safe working procedures
- recording and investigating injuries and equipment damage, and reporting safety performance
- coordinating the return of injured workers into the workplace
If you are going for a 186 or a 482, this is the wording that governs you. Everything above governs the points tested routes.
Where Environmental Health Officer stands right now
Vizard tracks the live queue for this occupation: how many people are waiting at every points score for the 491, the recent invitation round cutoffs, and how far down the queue your own score puts you. 2 state nomination lists include this occupation.
Updated to 1 July 2026, from the department's own SkillSelect data.
See where you standWhere this comes from
Definition and duties: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ANZSCO
Assessing authorities and skilled lists: Department of Home Affairs skilled occupation list
Vizard is not a registered migration agent and nothing here is migration advice. It is published government information, organised. For advice on your own situation, speak to a registered migration agent.