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a local councillor s guide to environmental health june 2015 the chartered institute of environmental health june 2015 environmental health a profession that makes a difference if it affects the ...

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         A local councillor’s guide 
         to environmental health 
         June 2015 
                The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health – June 2015  
                 
                 
                                   Environmental health - 
                 
                                   a profession that makes a difference 
                 
                 
                                         
                 
                                     If it affects the health and wellbeing of the                                        These are just some areas where 
                                     public, or the stewardship of our natural                                            
                                                                                                                          necessary and proportionate regulation 
                                     environment, the chances are it is the role of                                       
                                                                                                                          is carried out by EHPs:  
                                     environmental health to do something about it.                                       
                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                          
                                     At local, national and international levels –                                        •    Air quality  
                                                                                                                          
                                     protecting people from excessive noise,                                              •    Carbon emissions  
                                     advising Government on food safety, tackling                                         
                                                                                                                          •    Contaminated land  
                                     the causes of climate change – Environmental                                         
                                                                                                                          •    Food safety  
                                     Health Practitioners (EHPs)* are out there                                           
                                     protecting people and our planet.                                                    •    Health protection  
                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                          
                                     EHPs work for national regulators like the Food                                      •    Housing conditions  
                                     Standards Agency, the Health & Safety                                                
                                                                                                                          •    Noise and other nuisances  
                                     Executive and the Health Protection Agency.                                          
                                     They work for businesses and other                                                   •    Pest control  
                                                                                                                          
                                     organisations in roles wholly or partly                                              •    Pollution control  
                                     responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance.                                      
                                                                                                                          •    Public health  
                                     And many more EHPs work for local authorities                                        
                                                                                                                          •    Smokefree public places  
                                     providing regulatory services.                                                       
                                                                                                                          
                                     Regulation fulfils a number of public policy                                         •    Workplace safety and health and wellbeing  
                                     objectives, including public protection, fair                                        
                                     business competition and environmental                                               
                                     stewardship.                                                                         
                                     In local authorities much of the work of EHPs                                       Our document Environmental Health 2012 – A key 
                                     involves the discharge of statutory duties                                          partner in delivering the public health agenda 
                                     imposed on local government by Parliament.                                          contained our vision for the contribution of 
                                     Many of the powers exercised by EHPs – for                                          environmental health to public health in 2012. This 
                                     example, the service of a Stop Notice or an                                         stated:  
                                     Improvement Notice or prosecution for a breach                                      “Environmental health practitioners, working 
                                     of the law – are given to them by Act of                                            with and alongside other public health 
                                     Parliament.                                                                         professionals, will be key partners in local and 
                                     When it comes to public health services, EHPs                                       national efforts to protect and improve the 
                                     are the main health practitioners within local                                      health and quality of life of individuals and 
                                     government. As such they make a unique                                              communities and to reduce inequalities.”  
                                     contribution to the wider public health service.                                    We believe that it is essential that the public health 
                                     EHPs have the knowledge, skills, experience                                         workforce is multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral 
                                     and level of engagement with their communities                                      and is not limited by professional boundaries.  
                                     necessary to provide robust health protection                                       Environmental charities provide another avenue, 
                                     and effective promotion of health and wellbeing.                                    working at home or abroad. British-trained EHPs 
                                     In the Government’s plans for new public health                                     are taking their skills to developing countries from 
                                     arrangements in England, EHPs should                                                Africa to Indonesia, where they make a real 
                                     naturally be part of the public health frontline                                    contribution to some of the world’s poorest 
                                     workforce.                                                                          communities.  
                                                                                                                          
                                      
                                      
                                      
                                      
                                     * In local authorities EHPs are often called Environmental 
                                     Health Officers  
                                      
                 
                2  Councillors’ guide: a guide to environmental health services for elected representatives  
                                                                     The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health – June 2015  
           
           
                      Environmental health - 
                      what we do 
           
           
           
           
           
           
                     EHPs need a wide range of skills and an                EHPs work in every sector of our economy and in 
                     understanding of a complex range of issues.            every community to keep people healthy and safe 
                     The diagram below demonstrates the diversity           and to reduce health inequalities. They contribute 
                     and comprehensive nature of environmental              to the local and national economy, specialising in 
                     health services.                                       one or more areas of environmental and public 
                                                                            health practice, as consultants and trainers and 
                     EHPs take responsibility for alleviating all kinds     working in central and local government.  
                     of stressors that affect our lives and in all          Whether it is a case of tackling a major 
                     settings.                                              outbreak of infection or helping to revive a run-
                     The education, training and experiences of EHPs        down neighbourhood, EHPs are highly valued 
                     make them exceptionally adept at problem-              by the communities they serve.  
                     solving, working in partnership with others and        It is vital work, satisfying too. It helps improve 
                     seeking holistic solutions.                            health chances for all, tackle the social 
                     Being able to communicate with a wide range of         determinants of ill-health and reduce health 
                     peoples, such as directors of powerful companies,      inequalities.  
                     landlords and the local police, is an essential        EHPs protect, support and improve the fabric of 
                     quality.                                               our communities and help maintain a level playing 
                                                                            field for good, wealth-creating businesses. 
                                                                             
                                                                             
           
           
                    Scope of Environmental Health  
           
           
                                             
                                              Councillors’ guide: a guide to environmental health services for elected representatives   3 
               The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health – June 2015  
                
                
                               About environmental health 
                 
                 
                
                
                
                
                
                               Climate change                                                                  Food safety  
                               Climate change is an observable reality. The                                    EHPs protect the public from food poisoning 
                               change under way is impacting on us now and will                                including serious diseases resulting from E.coli 
                               continue to impact in future years.                                             and Salmonella outbreaks. They lead the way 
                                                                                                               when it comes to food safety and hygiene as well 
                               Preparing for sudden and unexpected weather                                     as promoting a healthy diet, access to wholesome 
                               incidents, like overwhelming flooding or life-                                  food and sources of food and drink that are secure 
                               sapping heat waves, involves critical                                           and sustainable.  
                               environmental health readiness. So too the need                                 EHPs are involved in tackling food fraud, which 
                               to adjust to new air and water borne diseases,                                  can be very harmful to public safety, economic 
                               new pest threats and exotic diseases brought to                                 development and fair business competition. 
                               our shores by the change in climate.                                            They conduct investigations with the police to 
                               In all probability, the main cause of climate                                   target criminals supplying unfit meat.  
                               change is human activity, particularly our                                      They also teach those on low incomes the basics 
                               propensity to burn carbon fuels. Without change                                 of cookery and nutrition, while the CIEH is a major 
                               in our habits, climate change will go on getting                                supplier of training products and qualifications for 
                               worse, causing catastrophic harm to future                                      food safety and food hygiene training. All these 
                               generations. We have to mitigate future climate                                 approaches have a bearing on obesity, the quality 
                               change by changing our habits now.                                              of school meals, the effect on anti-social 
                               Greater energy saving efforts, more use of                                      behaviour and many other aspects of daily life.  
                               renewable energy sources, changes in travel                                      
                               patterns with more walking, cycling and use of                                  Food inspections, in hotels and cafes as well as 
                               public transport, these are some of the solutions                               hospitals and schools, have as their primary 
                               – and EHPs promote them all.                                                    purpose the protection of the public. And 
                                                                                                               increasingly, public information schemes managed 
                                                                                                               by EHPs are displaying information about food 
                               Environmental protection                                                        hygiene that enables all consumers to make 
                                                                                                               informed choices.  
                               There is growing public awareness of the science 
                               linking our physical environment and human 
                               health.  
                               The air we breathe, the water essential for so 
                               much of our daily routine, the noise we are 
                               exposed to, the land we build on and cultivate, all 
                               can affect our health. It is the role of EHPs 
                               working in environmental protection to protect us 
                               from potential danger.  
                                EHPs co-ordinate responses to disasters, assess 
                                contamination of sites proposed for new 
                                development and control noise from a variety of 
                                activities. They have good scientific knowledge as                                                                                                      
                                well as technical, communication and arbitration 
                                skills.  
                
                
                                                                 
               4  Councillors’ guide: a guide to environmental health services for elected representatives  
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