"Air Force Officer Job Descriptions & Qualifications
43EX - BIOENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER
AFSC 43E4, Staff
AFSC 43E3, Qualified
AFSC 43E1, Entry
Specialty Summary. Applies engineering and scientific knowledge and techniques in identifying and managing risks for health protection purposes; participates in developing procedures, techniques, and equipment; conducts or supervises engineering services; and participates in medical facility programs. Related DoD Occupational Group: 6H.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Performs and supervises bioenvironmental engineering programs. Applies knowledge of engineering and the sciences to assist commanders in employing risk management principles to meet their mission in peacetime and during contingency operations. Performs risk assessment surveys evaluating systems, installations, facilities, and planning documents for chemical, physical, and biological stress factors which may cause illness, injury, reduced productivity or performance, or significant discomfort among Air Force personnel or members of military communities in occupational and community environments. Advises commanders on impact to mission of unacceptable risks and provides possible solutions. Analyzes plans, blueprints, and design specifications of contemplated projects, such as weapon or support systems, maintenance activity facilities and community facilities, to ensure possible health hazards are identified and mitigated. Analyzes occupational and community environments and processes to determine whether toxic chemicals, ionizing and nonionizing radiation sources, shock and vibration, acoustic energy, and ergonomic stresses are adequately controlled. Promotes force protection by evaluating and suggesting corrective measures for abnormalities of temperature, humidity, and air motion that cause worker discomfort and decrease productivity or performance. Recommends ways for commanders to better accomplish the mission based on analysis of tests and laboratory findings. Advises commanders on protection and status of potable water. Participates in creating and designing control measures or procedures, including methods of minimizing or reducing exposure or providing individual protection. Participates in disaster preparedness activities and medical aspects of safety and accident programs by providing environmental health hazard evaluations and personnel protective equipment recommendations. Participates in evaluation of respiratory and acoustic personnel protective equipment effectiveness. Reviews facility requirements and modifications to ventilation systems. Performs research and development on potential health hazards and control techniques. Participates in epidemiological and accident investigations. Participates in development of governing policies. Directs and supervises technicians conducting base bioenvironmental engineering activities. Maintains liaison with local, state, and federal agencies on matters involving criteria, standards, performance specification, and monitoring related to environmental quality and occupational health matters.
Advises commanders and staff agencies in effective risk management decisions based on bioenvironmental engineering methods for control and prevention of diseases, work stresses and degradation of human performance, productivity, and efficiency resulting from Air Force industrial and operational activities.
Advises commanders and staff agencies in effective risk management decisions based on bioenvironmental engineering methods for control and prevention of environmental pollution and human health hazards resulting from Air Force activities. Participates in pollution prevention activities in acquisition of weapon systems, as well as in operational and industrial processes.
Applies human environmental stress response relationships to engineering design principles for medical facility requirements. Participates in developing designs and layouts. Serves as technical bioenvironmental engineering representative on construction of medical facilities and systems.
Applies knowledge of architecture and engineering to modernize and maintain health care, training, and laboratory facilities. Provides guidance on functional and technical criteria specific to medical design and construction. Programs and plans medical facilities projects, reviews plans, specifications, and other supporting data for their technical, medical, and functional sufficiency.
Participates in developing devices, equipment, and techniques for improving medical practice and the performance of humans in operating systems. Designs devices such as biomedical sensors and transducers. Applies technical knowledge to develop diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Advises on capability and limitations of electronic and mechanical devices associated with diagnosis or therapy. May perform, when qualified, in such specialized areas as biomedical computer systems engineering.
Plans and conducts health physics studies and activities. Acts as Medical Service Consultant in planning, designing, and constructing facilities for storage, use, and disposal of radioactive material or radiation producing devices. Ensures adherence to prescribed safety standards by inspecting all procedures used to handle, ship, store, use or dispose of nuclear components. Maintains liaison on health physics matters with representatives of the Radioisotope Committee, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other pertinent governmental and civilian agencies. Serves as Radiation Safety Officer where required.
Specialty Qualifications:
Knowledge. Knowledge is mandatory of bioenvironmental engineering principles for health protection purposes.
Education. See specialty shredouts.
Training. For award of AFSC 43E3A/B/D/F/G, completion of the Bioenvironmental Engineering course, B3OBY43E1000, is mandatory.
Experience. The following experience is mandatory for award of the AFSC indicated:
For entry into 43E3B/D/F/G qualification and possession of AFSC 43E3A is mandatory.
For award of AFSC 43E3X, a minimum of 24 months experience is mandatory in bioenvironmental engineering assignments. Completion of a master’s degree program in one of the bioenvironmental specialties at a recognized institute may be substituted for 12 months of the experience requirement.
Other. None.
Specialty Shredouts:
A..................General. Possess a baccalaureate in engineering from an institution accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) or, Bachelor of Science (BS) and a Master of Science (MS) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in engineering from an ABET institution or, A BS degree in a science and pass the “Fundamentals of Engineering” is mandatory.
B..................Industrial Hygiene. A MS in industrial hygiene (industrial health), or certification by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene as an industrial hygienist is mandatory.
C..................Medical Construction. Baccalaureate degree in architectural, civil, mechanical, electrical, or structural engineering, from an institution accredited by ABET or a baccalaureate in facility construction from an institution accredited by a national professional accreditation board or council is mandatory.
D..................Environmental. A MS in environmental or sanitary engineering or, certification by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers is mandatory for entry.
E.................. Architecture. Baccalaureate degree in architecture from an institution accredited by the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB) is mandatory for entry.
F..................Biomedical. Undergraduate academic specialization in biomedical engineering is mandatory for entry.
G..................Health Physics. A MS in health physics, radiological physics, radiation biophysics, or other health physics related subjects acceptable to the Surgeon General, HQ USAF, or A BS degree in nuclear engineering, or Certification by the American Board of Health Physicists is mandatory for entry into this shred.
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Above Information Derived from AFMAN 36-2105"
http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/afoffjobs/bl43ex.htm
