Workforce Standards

These workforce standards were established by the Special Commission in their final report (Blueprint).

Learn more about the Blueprint for Public Health Excellence.

Notes:

• All personnel should have at least ICS 100/NIMS 700 within 1 year of hire. Those who might have a leadership role should have ICS 200 and above.
• Boards of health may have stricter requirements, but they must meet these requirements.
• Boards of health with current staff who have worked for local or state public health for at least 7 years, but who do not meet these requirements, may request a waiver, except for inspectional trainings.
• Membership in professional organizations is deemed as critical for professional development, for leadership and mentoring opportunities, and for opportunities for sharing best practices. This is recommended, but not required.
• A TRAIN MA account is required to access many of the courses listed under the Workforce Standards. You can sign up for a free account at https://www.train.org/ma/welcome and click “Create Account.” Please contact us at [e-mail] for additional information or assistance.

Management

Includes Director, Assistant Director, Deputy Director - positions not conducting inspections but supervising those that do.

*Management positions should meet the requirements as set forth in this document for the position. However, a request may be submitted by the board of health to waive the Registered Sanitarian (RS) requirement if:

1) the Health Department has a management position and a separate full-time Environmental Health Director and;

2) the Environmental Health Director has an RS, oversees the inspectors, and reports directly to the management position.

***To Be Developed

Required at Hire	Required after Hire	Recommended after Hire
• Registered Sanitarian (RS) or equivalent eligible* • Master’s in relevant field or BA/BS with 5 years of relevant experience	• RS or equivalent within 1 year of hire* • Foundations for Local Public Health Practice (“Foundations”) course within 1 year of hire • Certified Health Officer (CHO) within 3 years of hire • Complete Master’s within 5 years of hire	• Health Association membership • Local Public Health Institute Managing Effectively in Today’s Public Health Environment (“Management”) course*** • Three years of experience in local or state public health • MAVEN training within 1 year of hire

Management / Agent

***To Be Developed

Required at Hire	Required after Hire	Recommended after Hire
• Registered Sanitarian (RS) or equivalent eligible	• Foundations course within 18 months of hire • RS within 18 months of hire • Specific certifications for inspections performed, such as soil evaluator, system inspector, food inspector training, housing inspection training, certified pool operator/certified pool inspector, lead determinator within 1 year of hire	• Health Association membership • Local Public Health Institute Management Course*** • CHO within 3 years of hire

Inspector / Environmental Health Specialist

Required at Hire	Required after Hire	Recommended after Hire
• High School Diploma or equivalent	• RS within 6 years of hire • Foundations course within 18 months of hire  • Specific certifications for inspections performed, such as soil evaluator, system inspector, food inspector training, housing inspection training, certified pool operator/certified pool inspector, lead determinator within 1 year of hire	• Health Association membership • Associate's degree in science or public health, at hire

Public Health Nurse

Required at Hire	Required after Hire	Recommended after Hire
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) • Registered Nurse (RN), current MA license	• MAVEN-trained within 6 months of hire • Foundations course within 1 year of hire	• MA Association of Public Health Nurses (MAPHN) Membership

Clerical Staff

Required at Hire	Required after Hire	Recommended after Hire
• Microsoft Office (or similar) applications	• Modified Foundations Course for Administrative Staff within 1 year of hire	• On-line permitting

Board Of Health Member **

**Board members performing inspections must meet the requirements under "Inspector/Environmental Health Specialist"

Upon Appointment or Election
Orientation to Local Public Health in Massachusetts within 3 months of hire Foundations course within 1 year of hire

Food Protection

Required	Recommended
ServSafe or similar Local Public Health Intensive Training (LPHIT) Food Inspection Class (formerly known as Massachusetts Public Health Inspector Training (MA PHIT) Food Inspection Class  Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	Food and Drug Administration / Office of Regulatory Affairs - University (ORAU)

Housing

*** To be developed 

Required	Recommended
• LPHIT Housing Class (formerly known as LPHI Class) • Housing Court Training*** • Lead Determinator • Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	•Relevant TRAIN MA Modules (formerly known as LPHI Modules)

Title 5

*** To be developed 

Required	Recommended
Soil Evaluator System Inspector LPHIT Wastewater*** (formerly known as MA LPHIT Wastewater) Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	Relevant TRAIN MA Modules (formerly known as LPHI Modules)

Pools

Required	Recommended
• Certified Pool Operator or Certified Pool Operator with Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	• Relevant TRAIN MA Modules (formerly known as LPHI Modules)

Recreational Camps

*** To be developed 

Required	Recommended
LPHIT Camps*** (formerly known as MA LPHIT Camps) Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	Relevant TRAIN MA Modules (formerly known as LPHI Modules)

Tanning / Body Art

*** To be developed 

Required	Recommended
LPHIT Tanning / Body Art*** (formerly known as MA LPHIT Tanning/Body Art) Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	Relevant TRAIN MA Modules (formerly known as LPHI Modules)

Nuisances

*** To be developed 

Required	Recommended
LPHIT Nuisances*** (formerly known as MA LPHIT Nuisances) Applied Practice Component (formerly known as Field Component)	Relevant TRAIN MA Modules (formerly known as LPHI Modules)