Environmental health officers

Where accidental discharge of untreated effluent does occur, the appropriate water authority and/or environmental health officer should be advised immediately. All steps should be taken to limit the extent and intensity of any potential contamination. 

Numerous leaflets can be obtained from the local offices of the Health and Safety Executive or HSE Information Points. Remember, if you have any doubts about the health and safety risks involved with respect to any substance you may consider using, or any work you are planning to undertake, seek advice. This information may be obtained from your company safety officer, consultants, manufac-turer/supplier or equipment/materiaPsubstance, HSE or local Environmental Health Officer. Use their expertise and knowledge. Do not be a statistic. 

In establishing potential hazards in carrying out specific tasks, other sources may have to be consulted (e.g. manufacturer, supplier, HSE, environmental health officer, consultants, etc.) and protective clothing and equipment must be considered. 

It is hoped that this book will prove valuable to safety advisers, environmental health officers, emergency services personnel, safety representatives and those engaged in the transport or disposal of wastes — in fact, to anyone involved with chemicals in the field . 

INSTITUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICERS (1982) Appendix to annual report. London IEHO... 

BATTERSBY, S.A. Institute of Environmental Health Offices Agricultural Odour Survey. April 1980—March 1981. MAFF Farm Odour Group paper FOG/14 (unpublished). 

Complaints reach the manufacturer either directly from the consumer or via a retailer or from a government agency (in the UK either a Trading Standards Officer (TSO) or an Environmental Health Officer (EHO)). Most complaints fall into one of the following categories ... 

The processing of organic products must be done in such a manner as to prevent contamination or accidental substitution of organic and non-organic food products. All processing operations must be registered with the local health officials (Environmental Health Office in UK) and comply with the relevant food safety regulations. 

B. Hutter (1988) The Reasonable Arm of the Law The Law Enforcement Procedures of Environmental Health Officers (Oxford Clarendon Press). 

HSE inspectors and local authority inspectors (Environmental Health Officers [EHO]) have the following general powers ... 

Local authority inspectors, the Environmental Health Officers, have similar powers to an HSE inspector but report to the local authority. They may seek advice from the HSE on particular matters. 

Professional - the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Officers, British Occupational Hygiene Society, etc. 

Enforcement of health and safety laws in particular areas of employment is undertaken by specialist inspectorates such as the Nuclear, Mines and Quarries, Railway, Agricultural and Explosives Inspectorates as well as Environmental Health Officers and Department of Energy Inspectors of Offshore Installations. Responsibility for the enforcement of fire matters is delegated to the Fire Authority and for offices and shops to the Local Authorities. 

An individual who breaks criminal law is deemed to have committed an offence or crime and, if he is prosecuted, the court will determine whether he is guilty or not. If he is found guilty, the court could sentence him to a fine or imprisonment. Due to this possible loss of liberty, the level of proof required by a criminal court is very high and is known as proof beyond reasonable doubt , which is as near certainty as possible. While the prime object of a criminal court is the allocation of punishment, the court can award compensation to the victim or injured party. One example of criminal law is the Road Traffic Acts which are enforced by the police. However, the police are not the only criminal law enforcement agency. The Health and Safety at Work Act is another example of criminal law and this is enforced either by the Health and Safety Executive or Local Authority Environmental Health Officers. Other agencies which enforce criminal law include the Fire Authority, the Environment Agency, Trading Standards and Customs and Excise. 

The Health and Safety at Work Act established the HSC and gave it the responsibility to draft new Regulations and to enforce them either through its executive arm, known as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), or through the Local Authority Environmental Health Officers (EHO). The HSC has equal representation from employers, trade unions and special interest groups. 

Table 1.8 shows the number of prosecutions by HSE over the same three-year period. HSE presents 80% of all prosecutions and the remainder are presented by Local Authority Environmental Health Officers. For construction, most of these prosecutions are for infringements of the various Construction Regulations and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. 

In addition to fire safety legislation, health and safety at work legislation also covers the elimination or minimization of fire risks. As well as the particular and main general duties under the HSW Act, fire risks are also covered by specific rules, such as for dangerous substances and explosive atmospheres, work equipment, electricity and other hazards. Thus, environmental health officers or HSE inspectors may enforce health and safety standards for the assessment and removal or control of process-related fire risks, where it is necessary, for the protection of workers and others. 

Part B processes, which may be classified as those from less polluting industries with only emissions released to air being subject to regulatory control. For such processes local authorities are the enforcing body through the Environmental Health Officers and the system is known as Local Air Pollution Control (LAPC). 

The Regulations are enforced by HSE inspectors and local authority environmental health officers. 

They are also involved in liaison with a wide range of outside bodies and individuals, including local authority environmental health officers and licensing officials, architects and consultants, etc., the fire service, contractors, insurance companies, clients and customers, the HSE, the public, equipment suppliers, HM Coro nor or Procurator Fiscal, the media, the police, general practitioners and hospital staff. 

Occupational health practitioners liaise with a wide range of enforcement officers, such as medical and nursing advisers of the Employment Medical Advisory Service (EMAS), HSE inspectors, environmental health officers, planning officers and staff of the local Health Authority. They also liaise with local medical practitioners, keeping them informed of any health-related matters as far as they affect patients who may be employed by the particular organisation. 

The Environmental Health Officer at your local Council Offices will always give advice and point you in the direction of specialist companies dealing with toxic waste disposal. 

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