Occupational Health Technologist

Overview

As members of the military, Occupational Health Technologists help protect the health and safety of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel by identifying workplace health hazards, conducting occupational health workplace evaluations, and recommending measures to prevent illness and injury.

As members of the Health Services team, Occupational Health Technologists support the health and operational readiness of CAF personnel through occupational health programs, workplace evaluations, health surveillance activities, and recommendations to mitigate health risks. They assess occupational and environmental hazards and contribute to the prevention of work-related illnesses and injuries across a variety of military settings.

Their primary responsibility is to assist in the identification, evaluation, and control of health hazards that may affect CAF personnel. This includes:

• Conducting occupational health workplace evaluations;
• Performing occupational and environmental health surveillance;
• Monitoring physical, chemical, and biological workplace hazards;
• Providing recommendations to reduce occupational health risks and improve workplace safety; and
• Supporting force health protection programs.
  
  

This role contributes directly to maintaining a healthy, safe, and operationally ready force by helping prevent illness and injury before they occur.


Work environment


Occupational Health Technologists work in military clinics, operational units, training establishments, or deployed settings within Canada and around the world. They conduct workplace assessments in offices, workshops, maintenance facilities, airfields, ships, and field environments. They regularly visit CAF workplaces and operational locations to identify health hazards, conduct health surveillance activities, and provide recommendations to reduce occupational health risks and promote a safe and healthy work environment.

If you choose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part-time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.

Entry plans

• Direct Entry Options
  
  

The minimum educational requirement for this occupation is either the completion of a CAF approved Occupational Health and Safety college program or possession of a current ROHT professional designation through the Canadian Registration Board of Occupational Hygienists (CRBOH).

The ideal candidate will have both a diploma from a CAF approved Occupational Health and Safety program and a current ROHT professional designation. Applicants meeting either of these requirements may be eligible for enrolment. The CAF will assess each applicant's education, professional designations/certifications, and related experience to determine equivalency with the occupational training standards and may grant advanced standing or direct entry into occupation-specific training following Basic Military Qualification (BMQ).

CAF Approved Occupational Health and Safety Programs include:

• Occupational Health and Safety Diploma Program, British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
• Occupational Health and Safety Diploma Program, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
• Environment, Health and Safety at Work Program, Cégep de Jonquière
• Occupational Hygiene Program, Cégep Marie-Victorin
• Occupational Hygiene Program, Cégep de Jonquière
• Hygiène du travail (RAC), Cégep de Jonquière.
  
  

For further information, please contact a Canadian Forces Health Services Recruiter: [email protected]

Training

The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. A goal of this course is to ensure that all recruits maintain the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding.

Occupational Health Technologists complete their military occupational training at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre (CFHSTC) in Borden, Ontario. This training builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired through their civilian education and prepares them to apply occupational health principles within military and operational environments.

Applicants who enrol under the Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Program (NCMSTEP) may have the opportunity to complete a portion, or all, of their civilian occupational health training at an approved Canadian college before attending military-specific occupational training.

During their Occupational Health Technologist training, members learn to apply occupational and environmental health practices in support of force health protection, workplace occupational health workplace evaluations, health surveillance, and risk management within the CAF.

Occupational Health Technologists may be offered opportunities to develop specialized skills through formal courses, military training, and professional development programs, including:

• Occupational Health and Safety Management; and
• Leadership and Management.
  
  

As they progress in their careers, Occupational Health Technologists are encouraged to pursue advanced occupational health and safety qualifications. At the rank of Sergeant (Sgt), Occupational Health Technologists are required to obtain and maintain the Registered Occupational Hygiene Technologist (ROHT) professional designation. This professional designation demonstrates the knowledge and competencies required to manage occupational health risks, provide expert advice, and mentor junior personnel in support of CAF operations and workplace health programs.

Part time options

Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. They begin training by attending a basic military training course where they must meet the required basic professional military standards. Following basic training, Occupational Health Technologists (OHTs) will complete occupation-specific training at the Canadian Forces Health Services Training Centre (CFHSTC) in Borden to achieve their occupational qualification.

Reserve Force Occupational Health Technologists may serve part-time with reserve medical field units and may also serve in full-time positions at some units for fixed terms, depending on the type of work that they do. They are paid 92.8 percent of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.

Related Careers

Public Health Officer

Medical Officer

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