1. Andy Hall Environmental Health Officer Birmingham City Council Regulation & Enforcement My Future World ‘Environmental Health’

3. Environmental Health is an umbrella term for a wide range issues. Can be traced back to the 1840’s and work by Edwin Chadwick who discovered that people often became ill because of ill health due to a bad environment. He pioneered work into improving sanitation and his work led to the introduction of the Public Health Act 1848 and the appointment of Inspectors of Nuisance The following 164 years have seen the role of Inspectors of Nuisances evolve to deal with emerging issues and result in the role of Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP). What is Environmental Health?

4. Founded in 1883 The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is a body acting as a professional voice for Environmental Health Practitioners. It provides the education and training requirements for qualification to the role of Environmental Health Practitioner. It provides training programmes which include food safety, health and safety and environmental awareness. It provides information, evidence and policy advice to national government, environmental and public health practitioners and public and private sectors. http://www.cieh.org Who are the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health?

5. Generalist or Specialist – – Environmental Health is a diverse role, some make a career in specialist roles e.g. food safety or health & safety others pursue a career based more in a generalist role in Consultancy or Local Authority. Public or Private Sector - – Some Environmental Health Practitioners seek roles in the Public Sector whether that be roles in Local Authorities including as far away as in New Zealand, Gibraltar, others take roles in the NHS, Royal Navy etc. – Other Environmental Health Practitioners take up roles in the Private Sector, in recent months job vacancies have been advertised by Tesco, Hilton Hotels various holiday package firms and Addis Ababa Airport. Where can I work as an EHP?

6. Specific qualifications and training have to be completed to gain a qualification as an Environmental Health Practitioner, the timescale varies but with an existing degree it could take as little as 2 years: 1.Obtain a BSc or MSc in Environmental Health 2.Complete the CIEH qualification process The Qualification Process Register with the CIEH as a student Complete a period of work based training (voluntary or paid) and submit a Portfolio of Professional Practice Pass a Professional Interview Pass a Professional Exam What qualifications are required?

7. 1.Graduated from Coventry University with a Geography BSc in 2000. 2.Environment Agency enforcing waste and water legislation between 2000- 2002. 3.Coventry City Council enforcing statutory nuisance and pollution control legislation between 2002 and 2003. 4.Birmingham City Council enforcing statutory nuisance and pollution control legislation between 2003 and 2008. 5.Gained a Diploma in Acoustics and Noise Control from the University of Derby in 2004. 6.Attended University of Birmingham and graduated with an Environmental Health MSc in 2008. 7.Qualified as an Environmental Health Practitioner in September 2009. 8.I have worked for Birmingham City Council in a District team covering mainly Erdington (NE Birmingham) since 2009. My path to qualification as an EHP

8. Environmental Health Practitioners within Local Authorities are generally employed to the post of Environmental Health Officer (EHO). The roles of a Local Authority Environmental Health Officer could be one of a number of posts including: Regulation and enforcement Education role Management role EHO’s work within a range of areas of specialism's: Housing Pollution Control Food Safety Health & Safety Health Protection A mixture of the above The role of an EHP in Local Authorities

9. Housing The quality of housing conditions within the UK have been a matter for concern for several years. EHO’s have played a lead role in assessing the conditions of both private and rented homes and continue to take action to ensure that conditions are deemed to be decent. The Housing Act 2004 introduced a risk rating system for assessing the quality of housing called the ‘Housing Health and Safety Rating System’.

10. Housing Interventions The Housing Act 2004 enables EHO’s to take a range of interventions to resolve problems: – Serve Improvement Notices – Serve Prohibition Notices – Take emergency remedial action to remedy problems – Require a property to be demolished – Declare a clearance area to remove unfit properties.

11. Empty Properties Birmingham City Council has taken a lead role in the UK in bringing unoccupied properties back into use. By chasing up absent landlords or in extreme cases compulsory purchasing properties the City Council has been able to bring derelict and empty homes back into use. Between 2003 and 2009 the number of empty properties in Birmingham dropped by 5000!

12. Pollution Control EHO’s play a key role in the regulation of pollution, there is a huge range of legislation available to deal with a multitude of issues. The legislation available includes: Environmental Protection Act 1990 Environment Act 1995 Pollution Prevention & Control Act 1999 Licensing Act 2003 Clean Air Act 1993 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions Act) 1976 & 1982

13. Pollution Control – Environmental Protection Act 1990 The Environmental Protection Act includes provisions to address: Statutory nuisance Assessment of environmental noise Waste offences Contaminated land remediation

14. Littering – Environmental Protection Act 1990

15. Environment Act 1995- Air Quality Assessment

16. Pollution Control Pollution Prevention & Control Act 1999- regulation of prescribed processes - pollution to land air & water Prescribed processes include maggot farms, foundries, coating using solvents, petrol stations, roadstone coating… Requires regular monitoring of emissions and comparison to prescribed limits.

17. Pollution Control – Other areas of enforcement Dangerous Trees Drainage Traveller encampments Animal welfare Pest Control…

18. Pollution Control – Other areas of enforcement Dangerous Trees Drainage Traveller encampments Animal welfare Pest Control…

19. Pollution Control – Licensing Act - Temporary Event Notices for one off entertainment events - Review of premises licences - Formal action by way of public nuisance complaints

20. Food Safety Environmental Health Officers inspect food premises on a risk rating driven programme. They also respond to complaints of food hygiene and food standards. There are a range of interventions available to resolve poor hygiene and standards conditions. - Improvement Notices - Remedial Action Notices - Voluntary Closures - Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notices

21. Food Safety Premises closed for mouse infestation and poor cleaning. Owner pleaded guilty and was fined £1000 and £1369 costs One premises recently reported in local newspaper and business has now ceased trading.

22. Food Standards Environmental Health receive a wide range of complaints concerning food standards ranging from hair in food to finger nails, cleaning clothes and dead mice in food.

23. Food Fraud There is a market for unfit food which can make it way into the food stream. Many investigations into food fraud are multiagency with the support of Police, Trading Standards and Inland Revenue.

24. Health & Safety Health & Safety legislation is predominantly based around the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Local Authorities are responsible for inspecting health and safety accident notifications in places of work and for investigating complaints. There is a risk based inspection programme which is project led. This includes the investigation of fatalities and serious injuries.

25. Health & Safety Prosecution - Little Hippos Nursery. Birmingham Mail September 2012 3 year old boy fell 15ft landing head first on a concrete floor. Nursery owner lied and told staff to lie. Nursery found guilty and fined £16,000 and costs of £7,500.

26. Health Protection – Infectious Disease Infectious Disease legislation requires details on infectious disease to be reported to Local Authorities: EHO’s investigate the source of infection to prevent any outbreak. Require regular screening of individuals to determine when illness is no longer infectious. Have the authority to require people to keep away from work and school etc to prevent any spread. Investigations undertaken in close partnership with HPA and GP’s. These can cause diarrhoea, sickness, fever, and even death.

27. Health Protection – Filthy & Verminous Properties Powers to deal with filthy or verminous properties giving home owner / occupier notice to carry out works as to remedy the condition of the property by cleansing and disinfecting it. City Council has powers to force entry to default the work if required. Partnership working with GP’s, Social Services and family is often required.

28. Health Protection – Shisha The Environmental Health profession has in its history responded to emerging health risks and played an active role in education and enforcement. Most recently health risks from the smoking shisha have emerged. EHO’s in Birmingham are taking a proactive role in education and enforcement.

29. Contact Us: Environmental Health includes: Pollution, Food safety, Health & safety, Animal welfare, Pest control, Housing conditions, Antisocial behaviour Housing Tel: 0121 303 6007 Web: www.birmingham.gov.uk/eh Email: publichealth@birmingham.gov.uk Facebook: bccenvironmentalhealth Twitter: @envhealthbham