MEDICAL SERVICES Environmental Health Practitioner CURRENTLY RECRUITING

As an RAF Environmental Health Practitioner, you ensure the well-being and safety of RAF personnel. You work to minimise environmental risks to personnel on-base, and during operations and exercises.

Learn more about this role

Pay During First Six Months £16,800+ + Benefits

Pay Until Successful Completion Of Phase Two Training* £21,400+ + Benefits

Please Note: This role is recruiting for a potential training year 23/24 intake.

Apply as a Regular


Is this for you?

APPLICANTS MUST:

  • Be aged 17 – 47 years old (Must attest before 48th birthday)
  • Have 5 GCSEs minimum grade C/4 in Maths, English Language and the Double Science award or equivalent qualification, also need to have a minimum 104 UCAS points which must include a minimum of 32 UCAS points from two A Levels
  • You need to have a minimum 104 UCAS points which must include a minimum of 32 UCAS points from two A Levels (2 x E grades)
  • Be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, holder of dual UK/other nationality or have been a Commonwealth citizen since birth
  • Commit to minimum 12 years service
  • Meet the health and fitness criteria
  • Pass a Fitness test - Details below

GREAT FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN:

  • Analysis and maths
  • Gaming & Computers
  • Helping people

VIEW ALL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

TYPICAL RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Manage environmental health factors like food hygiene, water, buildings and pest control
  • Measure, assess and control toxic substances
  • Identify and assess hazards to the environment, like oil spillages
  • Recognise, assess and evaluate environmental risks
  • Control physical health hazards

As an Environmental Health Practitioner, you will help protect the health of military and civilian personnel, both on our bases in the UK and on operations and exercises overseas.
In the UK tasks could include; workplace inspections of a broad range of environments from catering facilities to engineering bays to check that personnel are working safely. You may have to monitor the emission levels of hazardous chemicals from a process, measure the lighting or noise levels in a workplace or provide a health brief for personnel before they deploy overseas. In all areas, you will provide specialist advice to minimise health risks.


On operations and exercises, it is the Environmental Health Practitioners responsibility to reduce or prevent non-battle related risks to our personnel. Your tasks could include advising on basic sanitation, pest control or ensuring that supplies of clean drinking water are available. You will also be responsible for monitoring the climatic conditions and other environmental and industrial hazards and help to reduce their impact on health.

Unified Career Management (UCM) is a new approach to managing cadres of people where the capabilities they deliver are very similar across two or more of the single Services (sS). Personnel within UCM cohorts will benefit from new and bespoke career pathways which offer individuals the opportunity to progress a career within specialist cohorts. Serving personnel will transfer to UCM Medical Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) on 1 January 2024 under their current engagement/commission type and length of Service (LoS), those joining the sS on/after 1 January 2024 will automatically be aligned with UCM Terms of Service (TOS).

WHY JOIN THE RAF?

Thanks to subsidised food, travel, accommodation and free gym you get more money in your pocket.

Salary
Benefits Salary
Civilian Role
RAF Role
  • Rent from £75p/m
  • Free gym
  • Subsidised food
  • Health care
  • World travel
  • 6 weeks holiday

See All Benefits

TRAINING AND CAREER

TRAINING YOU’LL RECEIVE

Your career will start with a 10-week Basic Recruit Training Course at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. The course is designed to help you adjust to a military environment. As well as fitness and military training, you’ll also learn about the RAF lifestyle.

SPECIALIST TRAINING

The next step is 4 years of specialist training leading to a BSc Honours Degree in Environmental Health Studies delivered in partnership with Leeds Beckett University. Training commences
with a 10 month classroom-based foundation course at the Defence Medical Academy (DMAcad) in Lichfield, Staffordshire. You will then spend 9 months based at RAF Henlow conducting
practical training so that you can experience many elements of the job, before returning to DMAcad for a further six months of classroom-based learning and confirmatory exercises. Once this initial part of training is complete, you will be assigned to your first unit and continue the remainder of your training from there. The final 2 years of academic study will fulfil the final modules of the degree which is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

More Details +

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATION OPPORTUNITIES

As an Environmental Health Practitioner, you will have extensive opportunities for further professional development throughout your career. During your training you will obtain the NEBOSH General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety and the BPCA Certificate in Pest Control. You will also receive driver training if you require it. Once you have completed your degree you will be able to gain Chartered Status with The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health. This is awarded in recognition of professional competence. You will also be encouraged to gain a qualification in Occupational Hygiene. In order to keep your skills up to date, you will be required to undertake at least 20 hours of Continual Professional Development (CPD) every year and 30 hours for Chartered Practitioners

ONGOING TRAINING/DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

As your career progresses, we will continue to train you in new skills. You will benefit from opportunities in management and leadership training and have many opportunities to undertake
adventurous training.

YOUR FIRST TOUR

For your first tour, you will likely be assigned to work within a team of Environmental Health Practitioners at RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire. In this role, you could carry out food hygiene
assessments or occupational health surveys at many locations throughout the RAF. You could also be required to respond to aircraft incidents and outbreaks of communicable disease. During
this time, you will also be completing the final modules of your BSc (Hons) degree.

YOUR FUTURE CAREER PROSPECTS/PROGRESSION

Environmental Health Practitioners are highly employable within a variety of roles, both in the UK and abroad. You may be based in a medical centre on an RAF base, with responsibility for all
environmental and occupational health matters on that base. During other tours you may work as an instructor at the DMAcad or be based at RAF Henlow working in food safety or occupational
hygiene. There will also be opportunities for deployment overseas. After completing one year total service you will be eligible for promotion to Senior Aircraftman. Progression to Corporal and
Sergeant, subject to the completion of service courses, will be on a time promotion basis. Further promotion beyond the rank of Sergeant is by competitive selection.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

The qualifications you will earn are as valuable in the civilian world as they are in the RAF – which means that whenever you decide to leave the RAF, you will be highly employable and able to benefit from a successful career in Environmental Health.

TRAINING AND CAREER

INITIAL TRAINING

Your training will start with a Basic Recruit Training Course (BRTC) consisting of 4 weekends at your chosen RAF Reserves Squadron, followed by a 15 day residential training course at RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire. This training course will prepare you for service life in one of the most respected military forces in the world; it is also designed to help you tune into the military environment and way of life. As well as military training, you will learn about the core values, code of conduct and history of the RAF, as well as its unique lifestyle.

SPECIALIST TRAINING

After successfully completing initial training, you will be trained for your specific role in the RAF either at your squadron or another RAF station in the UK.

Commitment and location

You will have to commit to 27 days per year for 12 years minimum.


Each year includes a 15-day block for general RAF training, and 12 separate days for extra training or exercises.


You might be deployed to a UK or overseas base for up to 6 months after the first year.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

ALL APPLICANTS MUST:

Be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, holder of dual UK/other nationality or have been a Commonwealth citizen since birth (with ‘right to work’ immigration status).

Be aged between 17 and 47 years old (Must attest before 48th birthday).

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

Have these minimum grades:

  GCSE GCSE 2017 SNE
Mathematics C Grade 4-5 Grade 5
English Language C Grade 4-5 Grade 5
Chemistry (or a Chemistry-based science) C Grade 4-5 Grade 5
Physics (or a Physics-based science) C Grade 4-5 Grade 5
One other subject C Grade 4-5  Grade 5 

Find a list of the approved subjects here

In addition you require a minimum of 104 UCAS points which must include a minimum of 32 UCAS points from two A Levels (2 x E grades), excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking.

Exceptional candidates that do not meet the above requirements in full will be considered under the Leeds Beckett University admissions policy, subject to satisfactory performance in the selection procedures. However, all applicants will be required to meet the GCSE requirements. For full entry criteria information, please visit the Leeds Beckett University Website.

You can see what the RAF accepts in lieu of GCSEs & A Levels here.

NATIONALITY & RESIDENCY

Be a citizen of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, holder of dual UK/other nationality or have been a Commonwealth citizen since birth (with ‘right to work’ immigration status).

Whether or not you were born in the United Kingdom, you should have resided there for the 5 years immediately preceding your application. However, candidates with a minimum of 3 years will be considered.

FITNESS REQUIREMENTS

You must be physically fit to complete both initial and specialist training, and to do your role effectively. To check your fitness levels, we put every candidate through at least two separate fitness tests as part of the application process.

The first of these is the Pre-Joining Fitness Test (PJFT) which takes place at a fitness centre local to you. This consists of the following:

  • 2.4km (1.5m) run on a treadmill (set to zero incline)
  • Achieve the required number of press-ups - within 60 seconds
  • Achieve the required number of sit-ups - within 60 seconds

The second fitness test will take place at RAF Halton on day one of your initial training. This consists of the following:

  • Achieving the required score on the Multi-Stage Fitness Test (MSFT or Bleep test)
  • Achieve the required number of press-ups - within 60 seconds
  • Achieve the required number of sit-ups - within 60 seconds

How fit you need to be to pass these tests can vary depending on role, age and gender. The requirements are listed on the charts below (Male and Female).

MALES - 100% pass rates:
AGE 2.4 Km Run Multi-Stage Fitness Test Press-ups Sit-ups
  (Mins) (Score) (No.) (No.)
15-16 11.39 9.03 20 35
17-29 11.11 9.10 20 35
30-34 11.36 9.04 19 32
35-39 12 8.09 18 29
40-44 12.26 8.03 17 26
45-47 12.54 7.07 16 23

 

FEMALES - 100% pass rates:
AGE 2.4 Km Run Multi-Stage Fitness Test Press-ups Sit-ups
  (Mins) (Score) (No.) (No.)
15-16 13.54 6.07 10 32
17-29 13.23 7.02 10 32
30-34 13.47 6.08 9 29
35-39 14.13 6.04 8 26
40-44 14.48 5.08 7 23
45-47 15.19 5.04 6 20

You can see the protocols for Press Ups & Sit Ups here:

PJFT/PRFV Protocols

You can download an MP3 file of the Multi-Stage Fitness Test below, listen to the introduction file first:

RAF MSFT: Intro

RAF MSFT: Bleep Test

You can see a video demonstration of the PRFV Fitness Test here:

RAF PRFV Fitness Test

A 12-week fitness plan with detailed information to help you get ready for all of the fitness tests can be downloaded here.

HEALTH REQUIREMENTS

BEFORE YOUR APPLICATION:

There are health requirements that must be met by all applicants:

  • Body Mass Index requirements:
Age Male and female minimum Male and female maximum Male maximum with additional assessment Female maximum with additional assessment
18 + 18 28 32 30
16 to < 18 17 27 27 27
  • Eyesight requirements vary for different roles. A requirement to wear glasses or contact lenses may be allowed for aircrew.

Get in touch if you have any questions about the health criteria, or would like to find out if any additional health requirements apply to your role of interest.

DURING YOUR APPLICATION:

The Medical Risk Assessment that all candidates undergo is there to make sure that you are healthy enough for the intense training required by the RAF. Your application will be rejected if you fail to meet the minimum acceptable medical standard for entry. Your medical history is confidential and is not disclosed to those not authorised to hold this information.

BACKGROUND CHECKS

YOU MUST:

  • Declare any previous spent and unspent convictions
  • Check if you qualify under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 through this summary
  • Have a basic background check to get Security Check level clearance

DISQUALIFYING FACTORS

YOU CAN'T APPLY FOR THE RAF IF YOU:

  • Have been or are a member of a group that stirs up racial hatred and violence
  • Are waiting to appear in court, or have unspent convictions. You may also have to declare spent convictions for certain roles
  • Misuse drugs, solvents and anabolic steroids. But each case is considered upon its own merits
  • Have tattoos, brands or bead implants that are obscene or offensive. 
    Any permanent or temporary tattoos, whether ordinarily visible or not, must not be obscene or offensive (eg, racist, anti-religion or belief, crude, overtly sexist, homophobic, drug related or of an extreme political nature). Tattoos may be worn on the side and back of the neck but tattoos on the back of the neck must not extend above the natural hairline (scalp tattoos are not permitted). In addition, tattoos must not be visible below the sleeve cuff while wearing uniform, although a single finger (not thumb) tattoo that could be covered by a ring may be permitted
  • Have body piercing which causes holes that do not close up
  • Declare yourself to be an 'undischarged' bankrupt

Beard Policy:

A revised facial hair policy has been agreed by the Air Force Board which will allow serving personnel to wear a smart, neatly-trimmed, full-set beard whilst maintaining high standards of appearance. The length of acceptable beards is between Grade 1 (2.5mm) and Grade 8 (25.5mm).

The wearing of beards during Phase 1 and Phase 2 training is currently under consideration and details will be advised when available.

If you don’t have any of the above, you might still be able to apply. For more information contact your local AFCO.

GOT WHAT IT TAKES?

Apply here and receive an email that invites you to your full online application.

Apply as a Regular