Environmental Health provides the basis for public health. Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) implement environmental control to help safeguard the health of the community by maintaining a safe, healthy and supportive environment for us to live in.
Environmental Health Officers keep basic necessities of life like water, food, air, land and public facilities safe of public health risks and hazards. EHOs engage in initiatives to protect, promote and educate on public health matters. In order to promote good health, hygiene and environmental practices, EHOs regulate and enforce laws and regulations governing public health, buildings and environmental management practices. Monitoring, investigation and surveillance form the core duties of EHOs for disease control and prevention. They implement measures to prevent communities from getting sick from their environment. They help control vectors that can cause and spread diseases, for example, mosquitoes and rodents.
Why are EHO important?
The main aim of an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) is to assist in disease control and prevention so that people area protected from sicknesses that can be caused by a poor hygiene standards and environmental practices. Diseases require an agent, host and environment to spread. An agent could be a microorganism (virus, bacteria) , chemical or physical cause of a disease. A host could be a human or animal that can get the disease. For an agent to get to its host, it requires an environment such as water, food, air, sewage.
EHOs focus on the environment and find answers as to how and why a disease occurs. They recommend corrective actions to stop the spread of the disease and shield the host through environmental controls and education. This step stops the agent from causing harm to the host. For example Japanese encephalitis virus are spread by mosquitoes to its human host. To stop the spread of the virus environmental controls include educating public to cover up with loose fitting clothing, spray insect repellent, avoid going out in peak times such as dusk and dawn. Remove water holding containers from around the home and screen your home.
Sectors
EHO's regulate various sectors such as:
Operating in a regulatory and compliance based role, Environmental Health Officers performing audits, inspections and risk assessment making sure all aspects meet required standards and regulations. EHOs are also involved in managing health related projects and educating the general public about relevant topics.
Roles & Responsibilities
Roles & responsibilities of an Environmental Health Officer as stated by the NSW Government:
Provide advice on environmental health related matters
Investigate complaints about food and make sure that food is hygienically prepared, stored, served and sold by inspecting places such as shops, cafes, food processing factories and licenced facilities, and by collecting food samples for chemical and microbiological analysis
Conduct food hygiene education workshops and other community health education programs for students and food handlers
Monitor and control water, air and noise pollution and collect water samples for chemical and microbiological analysis to make sure that it complies with standards
Prepare policy documents, guidelines, pamphlets and brochures relating to environmental health matters
Undertake risk assessment for anything that might impact the community’s health
Manage childhood immunisation campaigns targeting infants and children
Prepare and conduct health promotion programs for students, community groups and industry
Investigate and manage significant incidents concerning public health like outbreaks of infectious or communicable diseases such as hepatitis A, legionella or mosquito borne diseases
Audit and license public entertainment areas by assessing fire safety, seating capacity and sanitary facilities
Assess building and development applications to make sure that they comply with environmental and health standards
Ensure that, caravan parks and other public buildings and locations are clean and not overcrowded, and have adequate ventilation, lighting, washing and toilet facilities and garbage disposal systems
Inspect and license premises, such as tattoo parlours, premises where skin penetration and body piercing occurs, and inspect hairdressing and beauty salons
Provide communities with advice, reports and expertise regarding environmental health matters or anything that may affect the health and wellbeing of the community
Initiate and conduct environmental health impact assessments
Maintain records, prepare statistics, write reports, and give evidence in court cases where health or environmental regulations have been violated
Investigate building blocks and proposed subdivisions in unsewered areas for suitability of on-site waste water disposal
Assess the risks associated with poisonous materials within the local community
Manage the collection and destruction of used syringes from doctors, dentists and nursing homes
Supervise the exhumation of bodies and inspect funeral directors and mortuaries
Design and develop public information campaigns using newspapers, radio and television and/or pamphlets, posters and other printed material.
Educate communities on environmental controls through face to face advice, media releases, information stands, social media, flyers and websites