Noise and Nuisance Officer • Hammersmith & Fulham • £32,301–£42,609
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PUBLIC HEALTH PIONEER Meet CIEH VP Ilora Finlay
THE MAGAZINE FOR CIEH MEMBERS
www.cieh.org February 2022 Volume 37 Issue 1
STEPS TO SUSTAINABILITY Championing a better food system
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THE APPRENTICES How 5 new recruits are balancing work and study
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS CIEH
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FOOD POISONING TRAGEDY
For membership queries, including change of address: 020 7827 5815 membership@cieh.org ISSN 0969-9856 ART
EHN is published on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health by Think.
To advertise in EHN, call Paul Prior: 020 7827 9929 p.prior@cieh.org
Editor
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Sarah Kovandzich editor@cieh.org
Contributing editors
Steve Smethurst, Nicola Smith, Katie Coyne
Design
Matthew Ball, Amanda Richardson
Chief Sub-editor Sian Campbell CLIENT
Sub-editor
Andrew Littlefield
Client Engagement Director Anna Vassallo
Think Media Group 20 Mortimer Street London W1T 3JW Tel: 020 3771 7200 EHN is printed on paper made from pulp sourced from sustainable materials. It is also mailed in a wrapper that is made from potato starch and is fully compostable. You can even use it in your kitchen caddy.
SHUTTERSTOCK. COVER PHOTOGRAPH: TONY C FRENCH
The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of CIEH. All information is correct at the time of going to press. Articles published in the magazine may be reproduced only with the permission of CIEH and with acknowledgement to EHN. CIEH does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers. The contents of this magazine are the copyright of CIEH. Ideas and letters to the editor are welcome.
14
ILORA FINLAY: WORKING TO REGULATE
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HIGH STREET AESTHETIC PROCEDURES
PIGEON PATHOGEN RISKS
05 UPDAT E
News EC plans to update rules on waste; UN report warns of dangers of plastics in farming; huge rise in fly-tipping; President’s Challenge. 10 minutes with… Nourish Scotland’s Stephanie Mander on creating a healthier, fairer food system.
EVE RY I S SU E 32 TALES FROM THE FRONT LINE Haydn Bettles on serving up food safety and hygiene resources to primary schools.
G O ON L I N E Find your next job at www.ehn-jobs.com, and see how to further your career at www.cieh.org
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FEATU R E S 10 LEARNING CURVE East Suffolk Council staff share their experiences of an environmental health apprenticeship. 14 PUBLIC HEALTH PIONEER CIEH VP Ilora Finlay on her work in Parliament. 17 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Reducing carbon emissions from buildings.
1 9 L EGAL BR I E FI NG Opinion What’s the remit of the Office for Environmental Protection? Prosecutions Stairway to hell and deadly dinner.
2 3 YOU R CAR E E R Pests Are pigeons a threat to human health?
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London’s air pollution reached worrying levels in January when a layer of smog was visible across the city
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CIEH campaigns hit the spot with government S 2022 CANTERS
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BRENDAN MCGOWAN
forwards, our policy and campaigning work has hit new heights. Our flagship campaign for better regulation in the cosmetics industry has been the centrepiece of our work. Our amendment to the Health and Care Bill, introducing a licensing scheme for non-surgical aesthetic procedures in England, has reached the House of Lords where we have been cultivating a cross-party coalition of Peers to sponsor the amendment and to speak for it in debates. We’ve also been heavily engaged with government and stakeholders behind the scenes, and will continue to play a leading role in our coalition of public health organisations as we continue the campaign. Our other area of focus is the UK Government’s Levelling Up White Paper. Our vocal campaigning for a national landlord register has been rewarded as the White
DR SHAUN FITZGERALD “We can have our cake and eat it. We can make buildings better ventilated and make them lower energy”
STEPHANIE MANDER “No amount of food education can overcome the barriers of taking three buses to buy fresh vegetables”
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Paper commits the government to launching a consultation on it. Alongside ensuring that all homes reach a “Decent Homes Standard”, a new strategy for tackling health inequalities and air pollution, and plans to take forward Henry Dimbleby’s National Food Strategy, the Levelling Up White Paper covers a vast array of our key policy areas. We’re also gearing up for an expected Renters Reform White Paper, the result of the government’s review into the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, new battles with Defra over air quality targets and a whole new campaign on climate change and the role of environmental health. It’s a phenomenally busy but rewarding time.
ROSS MATTHEWMAN CIEH Head of Policy and Campaigns FEBRUARY 2022 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 3
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In a bid to make the EU more responsible with its waste, the EC could inadvertently reduce recycling rates, EuRIC warns
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Eco shame
Brussels plans to increase Europe’s recycling capacity The EC’s more rigid waste proposals ring alarm bells with recyclers
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Commission wants to update its rules on waste shipments to keep plastic, paper, iron and steel within European recycling facilities, as well as ensure materials are handled according to the waste hierarchy and don’t add to pollution. Under the proposals, a non-OECD country would have to notify Brussels if it wanted to receive an EU waste shipment, and prove it was able to treat the waste sustainably. WWW.CIEH.ORG
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Brussels also wants to increase monitoring of waste exports and secure more powers to investigate. If concerns are raised, and it is found a country cannot process materials properly, it will then remove permission for continued export. European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius said: “The goal is to make the EU take a greater responsibility for the waste it produces. That’s not the case today and that’s what needs to change.”
However, recyclers are concerned the proposals may have unintended negative consequences. The European Recycling Industries’ Confederation (EuRIC) has written an open letter to the Commission warning them that if the changes result in a blanket ban that would prevent exports of raw materials from recycling (or RMR), this would pose a threat to the developing circular economy and green jobs, and could actually reduce recycling rates.
33m
tonnes of waste was exported by the EU in 2020 to non-EU countries
70m
tonnes of waste are shipped between EU countries each year. Administrative procedures limit the circulation of waste between EU Member States and this slows down the move to a circular economy at an EU scale
9.5bn
euros are estimated to be earned each year by illegal traders from the EU’s illicit waste market
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Soils contain far more microplastic pollution than oceans do
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CIEH calls for decisive action following Food and Agriculture Organisation report
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way in which plastic is used in farming across the world is threatening food safety and potentially human health, according to a report from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Assessment of agricultural plastics and their sustainability: a call for action explains that soils contain far more microplastic pollution than oceans do and that there is “irrefutable” evidence of the need for better management of the millions of tonnes of plastics used in the food and farming system each year. Agricultural plastics include plastic greenhouse films to protect and enhance plant growth, mulching films to
reduce weed growth, polymerData suggests that only coated controlled-release small fractions of agricultural fertilisers and silage plastics are films that lengthen collected and the lifespan of recycled, fodder. Plastic predominantly tree guards are in developed also used economies. extensively in Evidence Microplastics plantations. suggests that under the The FAO says they are mostly microscope that the range of burned, buried or benefits plastics offer is sent to landfill. not in doubt. However, they Burning leads to toxic pose a serious risk to human emissions, including and ecosystem health when polychlorinated dibenzo-pthey are damaged, degraded or dioxins and furans, both discarded in the environment. persistent organic pollutants.
“Data suggests that only small fractions of agricultural plastics are collected and recycled”
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DEMAND UP The agricultural plastics industry has forecast that the global demand for greenhouse, mulching and silage films is likely to increase by 50% from 6.1 million tonnes in 2018 to 9.5 million tonnes in 2030. Maria Helena Semedo, deputy director general at the FAO, said: “Most agricultural plastic products are single use and can transfer and accumulate in food chains, threatening food security and food safety.” She said the FAO report filled a substantial gap in scientific research. Kate Thompson, CIEH director, said: “This report is affirmation that decisive action is needed to reduce plastic in agriculture and replace it with biodegradable alternatives.”
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Plastic in farming poses risk to food safety, says UN
xRa
Update, 2 Rubbish dumped at the side of the road became a more common sight in lockdown
Fly-tipping in England up by 16% since 2019/20 Lockdown fuels rise in the illegal practice and CLA calls for tougher punishments for perpetrators
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Local authorities dealt with just under 1.13 million flytipping incidents in 2020/21. As in the previous year, just under two thirds (65%) of fly-tips involved household waste. Total incidents involving household waste were 737,000 in 2020/21, an increase of 16% from 635,000 incidents in 2019/20.
43%
of total fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21 were on highways (pavements and roads)
485,000 highway incidents occurred in 2020/21, an increase of 16% from 419,000 in 2019/20
EFRA’S LATEST
fly-tipping statistics reveal that local authorities dealt with just under 1.13 million fly-tipping incidents in 2020/21, up from the 980,000 cases reported in 2019/20. The first national lockdown in March 2020 is thought to have played a significant role as some local authorities were unable to maintain collections of dry materials, with some suspending collections of garden and bulky waste. There was also a widespread temporary closure of household waste recycling centres. However, as the Defra figures only account for the waste dumped on public land and reported to the local authority, the scale of the problem is much greater. Country Land and Business Association (CLA) regional director Cath Crowther said: “Fly-tipping is a constant menace and a crime that continues to take place with worrying regularity. When
fly-tipping occurs on private land, the landowner is a victim of crime. Clearing up comes at significant personal cost and can average around £1,000 per incident. Many areas are targeted on a regular basis. “There won’t be a reduction in this crime until those caught are given much tougher punishments. In many cases this is serious organised crime, and should be treated as such.” Resources and waste minister Jo Churchill said: “We have given local authorities a range of powers to tackle fly-tipping and we are … strengthening powers to detect and prosecute waste criminals through the new Environment Act, consulting on introducing electronic waste tracking and reforming the licensing system.” CIEH policy and campaigns manager Tamara Sandoul said: “Unscrupulous operators undercut and undermine waste businesses operating within the law and place a large financial burden on enforcement authorities and landowners.”
Spotlight on calorie labelling OUT OF HOME CALORIE
labelling regulations come into force on 6 April 2022. Businesses
with 250 or more employees will be in scope as will food sold for immediate consumption which is not prepacked. Businesses selling food within the remit of the regulations must: ● display the energy content of
the food in kilocalories (kcal) ● reference the size of the
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portion to which the calorie information relates ● display the statement that ‘adults need around 2,000kcal per day’
● the method businesses have
information on food and drink items that are in scope of the policy and that it is displayed correctly
For more guidance visit www.gov.uk/government/ publications/calorie-labelling-inthe-out-of-home-sector
It is expected that enforcement officers will check: ● the presence of calorie
used to calculate calorie content is appropriate and reliable ● that calorie information is displayed appropriately online, including on third-party delivery platforms
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ASSESSORS NEEDED FOR NEW EHP PATHWAY 2021-22 ACHIEVEMENTS
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With the launch of the Environmental Health Practitioner (EHP) programme last September, CIEH is now seeking a pool of volunteer assessors
79 walkers completed the 630-mile challenge 145 trees planted 111 meals donated More than £5,500 raised for Water for Kids
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WE ARE LOOKING FOR: 1. EHP portfolio assessors to review applicants’ submitted portfolios. 2. Professional discussion assessors for the online interview assessment.
Step up for a good cause CIEH President Julie Barratt reports on the President’s Challenge
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As the 2021-22 Challenge comes to an end, of the 191 ‘walkers’ who set out, 79 have completed the whole 630 miles to date. Participants have planted 145 trees, donated 111 meals and raised more than £5,500 for Water for Kids. The 2022-23 Challenge is again a virtual walk – this time on the Wales Coast Path. It is a slightly more stretching 870 miles, but still very achievable in the 12 months of the challenge. The walk starts, appropriately, on 1 March, St David’s Day, but participants can sign up until 31 July 2023. The sign-up fee of
NAO ‘CONCERN’ OVER PRIVATE RENTING REGULATION Latest National Audit Office (NAO) report shows that private renting in England is ineffectively regulated A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) has found that the way private renting is regulated is ineffective in ensuring the sector is consistently fair for renters or that housing is safe and secure. The headline findings of Regulation of Private Renting,
l Assessors should be CIEH members and Registered EHPs with EHRB or CIEH. l Assessors are paid a small fee per assessment in recognition of their contribution to sustaining the profession. They can also claim CPD. l If you are interested in participating in the new assessment process, send a short email by end of March 2022 to education@cieh.org l Successful candidates will be invited to a training webinar.
Some 13% of private rented homes are thought to be hazardous
published in December 2021, include that: l an estimated 13% of private rented homes (589,000 properties) have at least one category 1 hazard. l local authorities that are most active in inspecting properties had “significantly fewer” category 1 health and safety hazards than the least active. Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said the findings were “concerning”.
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£32.99 includes a finisher’s medal and t-shirt (or tree planted if you prefer). The chosen charity for this next challenge is The Trussell Trust. Go to the CIEH website to sign up and then join the CIEH President’s Challenge Facebook page to engage with a friendly and enthusiastic group of like-minded participants. I hope to ‘see’ you somewhere on the Wales Coast Path, in real life or virtually. Let’s do it! Read more at www.cieh.org/ news/blog/2021/president-schallenge and visit endtoend. run/cieh-presidents-challenge
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President’s Challenge, which started on 28 March 2021, was a 630-mile virtual walk along the South West Coast Path. Anyone anywhere could take part and, as well as benefiting participants’ physical and mental health, the challenge raised money for our chosen charity, Water for Kids. By reaching landmark points, participants also planted trees to help tackle climate change and donated meals to help the hungry.
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PUBLIC PROCUREMENT IS VITAL. We want to make sure
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Nourish Scotland’s senior project officer tells Mark Hillsdon how the charity is championing a food system that values nature and people FOOD DIDN’T GET A HIGH ENOUGH BILLING AT COP26.
Food systems produce 33% of greenhouse gas emissions, so they need to be recognised as one of the key contributors to climate change and the nature emergency. Our key message at COP was that the current industrialised food system is broken. Not only is it exacerbating the climate and nature crises, it’s also leading to food insecurity, health challenges caused by poor diet, and labour exploitation.
BUT FOOD AND AGRICULTURE SHOULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TOO. If we work to
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ensure that the way we produce and consume food is more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable, then we can start to fix lots of the issues facing the world.
HOWEVER, IT’S A CATCH-22.
On the one hand we want good,
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wholesome food to be cheaper, so that more people can afford it, but on the other we don’t want to drive prices down so low that the farmers can’t earn a living. The number of people working in the food system that have to use food banks is shocking. All the food system’s impacts need to be considered together, so we can more accurately diagnose issues and implement solutions that deliver progress across the board.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT 32% OF ADULTS LIVING IN THE MOST DEPRIVED AREAS ARE OBESE. That’s compared to 20%
of adults in least deprived areas. People who are struggling financially are much more
“We see paying for good food as an investment, not a cost”
likely to be facing food insecurity and the ill effects of diet-related illnesses.
A LACK OF RESOURCES – NOT KNOW-HOW – OFTEN PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM ACCESSING HEALTHY DIETS.
Research shows it’s not a lack of knowledge that is the main barrier to nutritious diets. People in food poverty may not have access to fresh produce or the equipment they need to cook. They may
that the food available in public kitchens, such as hospitals, schools and prisons, is more focused on supporting local food economies. We want to put more Scottish food on menus and make sure it is more nutritious. Cutting out expensive processed foods and having meat-free days can help to balance food spend. It also means fewer food miles and support for local producers.
IT SHOULDN’T ALL BE ABOUT COST. When it comes to larger
trade deals, there’s always a focus on price and the cheapest option. It’s really important to think about the longer term – we see paying for good, nutritious food as an investment not a cost. Take education – providing students with nutritious food can boost educational attainment.
GLASGOW WAS A START.
But next time we’d like to see food and food systems much higher up the agenda. The Scottish Government has brought forward the Good Food Nation Bill, a law that aims to work across the whole food system and enable a more sustainable, fair and healthy future.
Visit www.foodcoalition.scot for details of the Good Food Nation Bill and the campaign for a more sustainable and fair food system
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not be able to buy in bulk, which is often cheaper, because they cannot afford the higher upfront cost. They may not have the space to store it, or the means to transport it. This results in smaller, more frequent shopping trips, which costs time and energy. No amount of food Low prices mean many education can people working in the overcome the food system can’t earn a barriers of taking good living and have to three buses to buy use food banks fresh vegetables.
Apprenticeships VERSION
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Five apprentices at East Suffolk Council share their experiences of studying for an environmental health degree while they work WORDS BY SARAH CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY TONY C FRENCH
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five women from East Suffolk Council were selected for the council’s newly created environmental health apprenticeships. The apprentices – recruited internally from across the council’s port health, private rented sector, food safety and environmental protection teams – are released one day a week to study for an Environmental Health Practitioners BSc at Weston College. EHN asked them about their motivation for taking up the apprenticeship, the challenges of balancing study and work, and the value of starting together.
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NIKKI CRISP, 41 TECHNICAL SUPPORT OFFICER, FOOD SAFETY
Tell us about yourself
“I’ve been at the council for five years. I switched careers when I came back from maternity leave second time around – I’d worked at Aviva in pensions for 18 years, so this was completely different. I work on admin in the food safety team, freeing up officers so they can be out and about inspecting.”
Why did you want to do the apprenticeship?
“I’d always wanted to get a degree to do more than I have done in my career so far. When the council made this fully funded offer, it was too good an opportunity to say 10 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
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NIKKI
no to, plus it’s remote learning, which works with family life.”
What’s been the biggest challenge?
“Learning to juggle the kids and my assignments is challenging. The course has been quite heavy from the start – I don’t think I anticipated how much earth science and law there would be so early on. Year two looks like it will be more food-orientated, which will play to my strengths, fingers crossed!”
What are the positives so far?
“My eldest child, 11, can see me doing something for me and something that will really change our lives by allowing me to have a good career. She’s also learning that you don’t have to have your life mapped out for you while you’re still at school – you can do other things and change to something else later on.”
HOLLY
HANNAH GILSON, 36 AUTHORISED OFFICER, SUFFOLK COASTAL PORT HEALTH AUTHORITY, FELIXSTOWE
Tell us about yourself
“I previously studied footwear design at university, but I graduated around the time of the last recession so there weren’t many jobs going. I’ve had various jobs since, including running a tea shop and working on a cruise ship. I’ve been at the port for about six years. My role is dealing with agents, ID-checking products in containers and making sure everything runs smoothly WWW.CIEH.ORG
Where do you hope the apprenticeship will take you?
“I’m keeping an open mind about what I’d like to do. Port health is quite different to other parts of environmental health so I’m interested in where the course takes me and what I learn from it. I might find that I want to continue to work at a port health authority or I might find I become more interested in another area.”
How have the first few months of the degree been?
“For the first couple of weeks, my mind was completely blown by what I’d taken on. It differed so much from my previous degree, which was all artsy and sketchbooks. This involves a lot more writing and I’m dyslexic. I also thought I knew quite a bit about environmental health from my role in port health, but at times I’ve felt quite out of my depth. “However, I’ve had support from the college with essays and working with the other women has really helped – when I haven’t been able to understand something I put it in our group chat. I keep reminding myself I’ve only done a few months and I’ve got three more years to go after this one so, by the end, it’s all going to make sense – I hope!”
“The apprentices are released one day a week to study for an Environmental Health Practitioners BSc at Weston College”
HANNAH
MOLLIE
HOLLY MIDDLEDITCH, 31 TECHNICAL OFFICER, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION RIAN
What’s your background with the council?
“I started at the council when I was 17 through an NVQ admin apprenticeship. I’ve been a technical officer in environmental protection for the last five years and I’ve always wanted to develop – I just didn’t know where or how that was going to happen. When the environmental health apprenticeship opportunity came up, it was too good to miss.”
How has this opportunity affected your view of your employer?
“East Suffolk sometimes struggles to hire environmental health officers as we can be a bit too far out of the way for WWW.CIEH.ORG
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before products go to release stage for the vets and the officers.”
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people, so for the council to be able to train us up is key. They know they’ve got good people and they’re investing in us to stay. In fact, I don’t just want to stay but to strive and do well, for both myself and the council.”
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“Port health is quite different to other parts of environmental health so I’m interested in where the course takes me” HANNAH
Have you found studying for the apprenticeship difficult?
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“It’s been challenging getting back into academic work – things like reflective writing and critical thinking that we haven’t done for years. But the college has been good with study help sessions. We’ve done three assignments now and had marks back for two of them and all of us have surprised ourselves by how well we’ve done – I think we are all quite hard on ourselves and know more than we think we do!”
MOLLIE EVANS, 26 TECHNICAL OFFICER, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
“[The council] know they’ve got good people and they’re investing in us to stay. … I want to strive and do well, for myself and the council” HOLLY
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“I started with the council at 18 – very similar to Holly – as an admin apprentice in environmental health. Then about two years ago a position came up as a technical officer in environmental protection, which is what I’m doing now.”
“[The apprenticeship] has taught me how clever I need to be at managing my workload so I’m not overwhelmed” RIAN
What drew you to the environmental health apprenticeship?
What’s been the biggest challenge?
“The academic side – writing essays – has been the hardest and doing the apprenticeship alongside the day job, but we always knew it would be down to us to manage our time. My manager is very supportive and understands if it takes a little bit longer to do a job.”
Where do you think the degree will take you professionally?
“I definitely see myself as an environmental health officer. It’s all I’ve really known in my working career but it’s just such a varied profession. I love environmental protection but learning about health, housing, food and the private rented sector might also spark my interest so I go down one of those routes. It’s really exciting.” WWW.CIEH.ORG
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Tell us about yourself
“I’ve been with East Suffolk in the private sector housing team for nearly four-and-ahalf years. Like Nikki and Hannah, I’ve done quite a few jobs over the years – I’ve been cabin crew for an airline and a customer service adviser in a bank, but for nine years I worked as an estate agent, which is where my housing background comes from.”
What drew you to the EH apprenticeship?
Tell us about your background
“The degree and furthering my career, because I love working in environmental protection. Having the other four apprentices to get through it with is also important. I don’t think I’d be able to do it without that help and the group chats. It’s brilliant.”
TECHNICAL OFFICER, PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING
“This fully funded offer … was too good an opportunity to say no to, plus it’s remote learning, which works with family life” NIKKI
“The council in general is very good at putting staff through training. Right from day one, I was trained up in my HHSRS, then moved on to training courses in investigative practice and, more recently, I completed a shorter apprenticeship in social housing. I was planning to do my environmental health training anyway, but when the apprenticeship scheme was offered, it made sense for me to do that. The level of learning is clearly a step up from the housing apprenticeship I did and I knew it would be a challenge, but I was more keen to do it this way because I knew I’d be with these other lovely ladies.”
What have you learned so far?
“It’s taught me how clever I need to be at managing my workload so that I’m not overwhelmed. That’s just the nature of our job: our cases don’t stop coming in but I’ve got a supportive manager who understands that. I’ve had to tell myself that I’m not failing if I take longer to respond to things.”
Where might the degree take you professionally?
“Housing is my comfort zone, but I hope to find looking at other aspects of environmental health intriguing, At the same time, I love my current team so I’ve got no plans to change – I see myself as qualifying and hopefully moving into a more senior role within that team. But who knows?” “I definitely see myself as an environmental health officer. It’s all I’ve known in my working career but it’s just such a varied profession” MOLLIE
FIND OUT MORE The Environmental Health Practitioners BSc Apprenticeship, available across England, increases the opportunities for people to enter the profession and develop a career in environmental health. For employer guidance and information on setting up an apprenticeship, explore CIEH’s toolkit at www.cieh.org/professional-development/ apprenticeships FEBRUARY 2022 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 13
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FACING THE FACTS
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CIEH vice president Ilora Finlay on body image, cosmetic treatments, sunbeds and smoking BY STEVE SMETHURST
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Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, to give her full title, is something of a pioneer in public health terms. In 2003, the crossbench member of the House of Lords proposed a bill to ban smoking in public buildings in Wales, three years before it was eventually implemented. In 2007, she introduced a private member’s bill seeking to change the current system of organ donation from ‘opt in’ to ‘opt out’. And in 2010, she sponsored the Sunbeds (Regulation) Bill as it reached the House of Lords for scrutiny. So, in July last year, when CIEH announced the professor of palliative medicine at Cardiff University as one of a new group of vice presidents, it seemed a good match. Ilora and CIEH are currently working together on improving the safety and regulation of non-surgical aesthetic treatments. These include common beauty procedures offered on the high street to enhance or alter appearance, such as lip fillers, Botox injections, semi-permanent make-up and laser treatments, as well as piercings and tattoos. Procedures that puncture the skin carry the risk of transmission of blood-borne viruses, if appropriate infection control measures are not taken, while a lack of training and competence can lead to serious injuries. Surveys by CIEH and the Institute of Licensing have revealed numerous examples of infections, disfigurement, burns and allergic reactions.
THE DEHUMANISATION EFFECT
There has been a significant rise in the number and type of these procedures performed in the UK. Ilora, who is married to a dermatologist, already had an awareness 14 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS / FEBRUARY 2022
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of some of the things that can go wrong with such high-street treatments. But, she says, CIEH alerted her to the scale of the problem. “Some people have terrible reactions to the procedures and substances used,” she says. “A big factor is the ‘body image’ problem. People are under constant pressure from magazines, websites and social media. Unless you are young, beautiful, smiling and saying you’re having a wonderful time, it can make you feel that you’re an inferior person and be very undermining. “People sometimes go for these procedures when they have a distorted belief that they aren’t beautiful. Ironically, when they then paralyse their face so it doesn’t have any wrinkles, it’s harder to show any emotions, so you’re actually dehumanising yourself. I really worry about people sticking up a licence plate and making a profit out of other people’s distress in this way. It’s not an evidence-based approach to things.” Her focus has been on an amendment to the Health and Care Bill, which introduces an enabling power for the Secretary of State
“I really worry about people sticking up a licence plate and making a profit out of other people’s distress”
for Health and Social Care to bring into force a national licensing scheme for non-surgical aesthetic cosmetic procedures in England. However, the success of adding such amendments to a Bill isn’t guaranteed. “The problem with the Health and Care Bill currently is that it’s a bit like a Christmas tree – you can hang loads of things on it but, ultimately, there will only be a limited number of amendments. The government will be reluctant to ‘over-amend’ it and will keep it pretty tight. “A lot depends on how far the opposition benches want to push it, but even if we don’t get the amendment through, all isn’t lost because people are alerted to the issue. Sometimes the media picks something up and then the public become more aware. This was the case recently with sewage, where many people had been unaware of the extent of the overspill in heavy rainfall.”
MOLECULAR JUNKIES
Ilora’s interest in public health can be traced back to her early days of working as a health professional in South Wales. “I was all too aware of the problems of lung damage, particularly in miners, that had been caused by coal dust and smoking,” she says. “I made tobacco control one of my main projects in Parliament, and I’m very proud of the fact that we now don’t have smoking in public places and we have reined back on displays and advertising.” Other key concerns of Ilora’s are the effects of the environment on health, particularly in relation to child development, and of the impact of environmental toxins on our insect pollinators, and hence on food supply. “Ultimately, I suspect the toxic effect on humans is far greater than people have realised to date,” she says. Looking ahead at potential future legislation, the peer is concerned by the WWW.CIEH.ORG
VP Ilora Finlay, 1 Bright packaging helps attract people to junk food
amount of unnecessary chemicals and plastics being sold and used. “We need to look at food packaging. Junk food is packaged in the most attractive way and you can see why parents buy the brightly coloured packs of reconstituted sugar that their children are craving rather than fresh fruit and vegetables.” Toxins in air freshener products are another concern: “Instead of these so-called air fresheners that blow chemicals around the room, why don’t people just open the window? We’ve become molecular junkies, hooked on toxic molecules. It’s all very well saying something kills 99% of germs, but washing your hands with soap and water works very well on its own.” As with public health, Ilora has a clear focus when it comes to her role as a CIEH vice president. “It’s not my role to meddle,” she says, “but in terms of the support I give to the institute, I like to think that I respond when I’m asked to. I’ve certainly asked questions in the House of Lords as a result of CIEH drawing things to my attention. I’m not their puppet, but they are alerting me to problems and I need the intelligence they’re receiving from the membership.”
‘A CAMPAIGNING SORT OF PERSON’ Sarah Veale wants to see more resources going into enforcement and ensuring people are properly trained
CAR E E R H IG H L IG H T S
Ilora Finlay, a champion of public health in Parliament
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ILORA FINLAY, BARONESS OF LLANDAFF l Vice president, CIEH l Professor of palliative medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine l Co-chair, Bevan Commission, a health and social
care think tank set up to advise the Welsh Government l Chair, National Mental Capacity Forum for the Ministry of Justice l Board member, Living and Dying Well, a think tank looking at issues around the end of life
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be a hybrid ventilation solution, with heat-recovery systems for the colder parts of winter and the hotter parts of summer. Then natural ventilation for the shoulder seasons, when you don’t need to use fan power to drive air through the building.” It’s an approach he’s championed in schools, advising on the 2018 update of Building Bulletin 101, referred to in Buildings are the Part F of the Building Regulations. “biggest culprit” “We discovered many classrooms of harmful had controllable modulating flaps emissions, says in the low parts of the room Dr Fitzgerald combined with a heating element and then a high-level opening window. The idea being that when it’s a pleasant day outside, the air coming through the low-level window is heated by the air in the classroom, and then rises out through the upper window, providing draught-free ventilation. Then, in the winter, they would turn on the heating elements to ensure that the children weren’t subjected to cold draughts. We discovered that that was singularly the worst strategy to use.” The regulations have now been updated, leading to what he terms a transformation in the industry. “No schools are being built now with those products and manufacturers have changed their products to ensure that they’re bringing air in at a high level in the winter.”
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BUILDING SOLUTIONS FOR EMISSIONS
Dr Shaun Fitzgerald explains how the CCRC is working with business to reduce the impact of the built environment on climate change
“I
HAVE SPENT MY
entire career worrying about climate change,” says Dr Shaun Fitzgerald. “Even in the late 1980s as a young engineer, I was unhappy with the production of energy from fossil fuels and what it was doing to the environment.” What Shaun soon realised was that the biggest opportunity to reduce harmful emissions lay within the built environment. “There are obviously emissions associated with transport, industry and agriculture,” he says. “But the energy required for the worldwide provision of heating, ventilation and air conditioning is just horrible. Buildings are the biggest culprit.” Now, as director of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge (CCRC), he says it’s
“We can make buildings better ventilated and make them lower energy” WWW.CIEH.ORG
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critical we reduce emissions, but even that won’t be enough on its own. “The role of the CCRC is to make sure we go as fast and as hard as we can on emissions reduction. But we also need to develop approaches to drain the atmosphere of some of the greenhouse gases that we have emitted historically.”
SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT
All climate-change solutions involve dramatic cuts in emissions and this forms the first pillar of CCRC’s strategy. Buildings are an important target here, says Shaun: “Most electricity to buildings doesn’t come from renewable sources. Furthermore, we use a lot of oil, gas or solid fuel to heat our homes. We have to do something about it.” COVID has heightened our awareness of the importance of good ventilation in buildings, says Shaun, who was awarded an OBE for his services to the COVID-19 response. However, he is a vehement believer that improved ventilation does not mean increased energy use. “We can have our cake and eat it. We can make buildings better ventilated and make them lower energy. In many cases, this will
LOCAL AUTHORITY ROLE
Shaun is quick to acknowledge that local authorities and environmental health are overstretched, but he sees an opportunity to help businesses, industries and contractors reduce the carbon emissions associated with refurbishments and new-builds. He says: “We need to encourage everyone to think about the future of their buildings. Even if it’s not something that can be mandated, it’s about setting the vision for the future. There’s an amazing opportunity in terms of the encouragement, the setting of the cultural expectations and, yes, even the cajoling.”
BIO G R APH Y Dr Shaun Fitzgerald OBE FREng is director of the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge (CCRC), where he works at the interface of academic research, business, government policy and public engagement. Prior to joining the CCRC, he was director of the Royal Institution, overseeing its programme for engaging the public with science and engineering.
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Office for Environmental Protection ready for action OEP must be “willing and able to enforce” and public bodies urged to be prepared to comply
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Written by STEVEN HARRISON
SHUTTERSTOCK, LISA MALTBY
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PATH TO PROTECTION Natural environment gets added protection with the Environment Act 2021 and a public body to enforce it
HE ENVIRONMENT
Act 2021 received Royal Assent on 9 November 2021. From an enforcement perspective, the Act heralds the creation of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), with the stated aim of protecting and improving the environment by holding government and public authorities to account. The OEP is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra. Its four main functions are: • Scrutinising Environmental Improvement Plans and environmental targets • Scrutinising environmental law • Advising government on proposed changes to environmental law and other environmental matters
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• Investigation and enforcement activity where government and public bodies fail to comply with environmental law. The draft strategy of the OEP was put out for an eight-week consultation on 25 January 2022 and is accompanied by the proposed enforcement policy. Priority will be given to cases that have or may have national implications and those involving ongoing or recurrent conduct causing serious damage to the natural environment or to human health. Further, cases will be prioritised that raise a point of environmental law of general public importance. A failure to comply with environmental law by a public authority may take the form of not
taking proper account of the law when exercising its functions and/ or unlawfully exercising, or failing to exercise, any function it has under environmental law. A complaint can be made to the OEP if a person believes a public authority has not complied with environmental law. To trigger an investigation the OEP needs to be satisfied a public authority may have failed to comply and the failure would be a serious one. A complaint to the OEP should only be on completion of the public authority’s complaints procedure. The enforcement powers of the OEP include issuing an information notice outlining the alleged failure, why it is considered serious and requesting further information. A decision FEBRUARY 2022 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 19
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Will resources be a barrier to the OEP’s success? Subletting tenants have rights under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977
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PRO S ECUT IONS This month’s selection of interesting cases and the lessons learned
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notice will follow when the OEP is satisfied the authority has failed to comply and will set out the steps the authority should take. Where a decision notice has been issued, the OEP may in certain circumstances apply to the court for an environmental review. A review could result in a statement of non-compliance and the court granting any remedy that could be available on a judicial review, other than damages. The OEP may also apply for judicial review, or a statutory review in urgent cases involving serious non-compliance. The OEP hopes that the mere threat of enforcement action and the risk of reputational damage will be sufficient to promote compliance. The OEP chair, Dame Glenys Stacey, has highlighted the importance of the OEP being “willing and able to enforce”. The year ahead will reveal whether it has a) the resources and intent to act on the volume of complaints received, and b) whether the enforcement powers available are sufficient to protect and improve the environment. Public authorities should take steps during this consultation period to ensure they have the necessary compliance measures in place. l Lawyer Steven Harrison is
an associate at DAC Beachcroft Claims Ltd, specialising in safety, health and environment
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A pen could be poked through the rotten timber
Injuries caused by collapsed wooden stairs as wedding guests gather for photos AUTHORITY: Dacorum DEFENDANT: HICP Ltd and Interstate United Kingdom Management Ltd OUTCOME: HICP Ltd: £80,000 fine, £30,000 costs and £170 victim surcharge; Interstate UK Management Ltd: £19,600 fine, £30,000 costs and £170 victim surcharge OFFENCES UNDER: Section 3 – Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
THE STORY On Saturday 25 February 2017, a couple held their wedding at the Holiday Inn, Breakspear Way in Hemel Hempstead. As the guests gathered for photographs, an upper flight of stairs collapsed like a trap door, causing 10 people to fall onto a hard courtyard below. Seven of the guests were hospitalised, two of whom sustained long-term injuries. The Environmental and Community Protection team at Dacorum Borough Council was contacted by Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue service the following Monday. The team also received a call from the HSE Incident Contact Centre to confirm that Dacorum had received the RIDDOR report submitted by the general manager of the hotel the same morning. Food, Health and Safety Lead Officer Rebecca Connolly visited the premises with EHOs Paul O’Day and Rachel Humphreys, and Building Control Officer Nik Sotiriadis. They found the wooden staircase and an adjoining wooden walkway rotten in many places, some parts inappropriately filled with foam filler or with solid filler which had been painted over. In places, a finger or ballpoint pen could be poked through the wood.
HOW IT PLAYED OUT The area was secured and a HSAWA Section 22 prohibition notice was served due to the risk of further failure of the structure. HSAWA Section 20 requisition for information notices were also served requesting CCTV footage, maintenance records and ownership details. Building control also arranged for an independent surveyor to inspect the structure. When it became apparent that the premises were owned by HICP Ltd but managed by Interstate UK Management Ltd, additional notices were served on Interstate. On 22 September 2021, Peterborough Crown Court imposed penalties totalling £159,940, which were reduced in sentencing to reflect the impact of COVID-19 on hospitality companies’ finances and the defendants’ previous good character and early guilty pleas. LESSONS LEARNED Rebecca Connolly said: “Dealing with the injured parties was quite emotional and the investigation was very complex. It was intimidating dealing with the two defendants’ legal representation, but I was fortunate to have a very supportive management team who gave me the confidence to keep pushing and not back down. “For an investigation of this scale you need to be organised as it can be fast-paced and you need to manage the expectations of the injured parties carefully.” WWW.CIEH.ORG
Legal briefing/Prosecutions, 2
Suspended sentence for pub chef after shepherd’s pie causes death of 91-year-old AUTHORITY: West Northamptonshire Council DEFENDANTS: Pub chef John Croucher, landlord Neil John Bellingham and pub operator Bobcat Pub Company Ltd OUTCOME: Croucher: Four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, 100 hours of unpaid work in the community, £4,000 costs; Bellingham: £9,000 fine, £1,000 costs; Bobcat: £2,928 fine OFFENCES UNDER: Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013
THE STORY On 8 October 2018, a church group was celebrating harvest festival at the Crewe Arms pub in Hinton-inthe-Hedges near Brackley, West Northamptonshire. The following day, the local council’s Health Protection and Compliance team received a call from the event organiser to report that nearly all the group had been taken ill. One of them, Elizabeth Neuman, 91, subsequently died in hospital of a gastrointestinal haemorrhage. In total, 32 out of 35 diners were struck by food poisoning and they had all eaten shepherd’s pie prepared by chef John Croucher. Three diners who were not taken ill had all eaten the vegetarian option. HOW IT PLAYED OUT EHOs at West Northants Council worked alongside colleagues from Public Health England to conduct a full investigation. Lamb mince samples taken from leftovers and faecal samples from diners were sent
Food superstore fined more than £111,000 for putting public at serious risk AUTHORITY: Hillingdon DEFENDANT: LB Enterprises Ltd/ Vipul Sedani OUTCOME: LB Enterprises: £85,000 fine, £7,145 legal costs, £190 victim surcharge. Sedani: £18,700 fine, £190 victim surcharge OFFENCES UNDER: Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974
HAD A SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION? Please tell us about it: email editor@cieh.org
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THE STORY In March 2020, EHOs from Hillingdon Council’s Food, Health & Safety Team visited superstore Quality Foods on Uxbridge Road, Middlesex, following a complaint. Their inspection found serious risks to public safety. They witnessed lorries entering the car park to deliver goods and unloading very close to pedestrians. They also observed a lorry reversing onto a faded pedestrian crossing without anyone there to direct the lorry to reverse or stop if there were people passing by. HOW IT PLAYED OUT Following the inspection, officers
Leftover pie was found to contain Clostridium perfringens
for analysis. All samples were found to contain Clostridium perfringens of the type that causes diarrhoea. Further testing revealed the food and faecal samples matched. Poor cooking, cooling and reheating of various ingredients had created a perfect environment for bacteria to grow rapidly. Charges were brought against the chef, landlord and the pub’s operator. All three defendants pleaded guilty to all charges at Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court on 25 November 2019. Due to the severity of the case and the fact a death had been linked to it, the case was sent to Reading Crown Court for sentencing, which took place on 30 November 2021. The pub has since changed ownership and when inspected in December 2019 received a five-star food safety rating.
Reversing lorries were deemed a hazard to pedestrians
issued an improvement notice to Quality Foods’ operator LB Enterprises, and its director, Vipul Sedani. The notice required the store to install clear signage, separate routes for pedestrians and vehicles, clearly marked crossings with barriers, a system to inform staff about on-site rules, and a system to check, monitor and record compliance.
LESSONS LEARNED Claire Turner, Environmental Health Officer, Regulatory Services at West Northamptonshire Council, said: “Being able to link the food with the faecal samples so conclusively is what ultimately secured the case. “EH teams need to ensure adequate resource allocation in any outbreak situation so that evidence can be secured in a timely manner. Obtaining the samples and information from 35 individuals was a huge challenge, especially when there was also a need to attend outbreak meetings with PHE colleagues and internal briefings to keep senior management, legal teams, councillors and media teams updated. “I had not long had refresher prosecution file training and this helped me massively in understanding the process and being able to gather key information.”
On their return visit, the team found that the company had failed to act and was not complying with the requirements. On Friday 8 October 2021, the case was heard at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court. Fines of more than £111,000 were imposed. LESSONS LEARNED Councillor John Riley, Hillingdon Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Safety and Transport, said: “Every business has a duty of care to protect its customers and staff from harm. Quality Foods and its director failed to carry out the necessary improvements to prevent a near miss or serious injury. One visit alone uncovered how serious the situation was. I hope this serves as a warning to other businesses who are operating dangerously.” FEBRUARY 2022 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 21
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PESTS ON TEST Feral pigeons harbour many pathogens but few transmit to humans
ART PRODUCTION
Report outlines chances of transmission of bird pathogens to humans and ways to mitigate the risk
I
ZZY DAWSON WAS
asked by Mendip District Council to write a report in response to several complaints from the public who were concerned about the public health risk posed by pigeons and their guano. The report aims to reassure them that the public health issue is small.
Written by IZZY DAWSON
ABRIDGED REPORT
SHUTTERSTOCK, LISA MALTBY
CLIENT
Are pigeons a risk to public health?
The rock dove or feral pigeon (Columba livia) is a wild ancestor of the domestic pigeon and there are currently an estimated 550,000 breeding pairs in the UK. Feral pigeons can harbour at least 70 different human pathogens, but only seven are known to have been transmitted to humans. From those seven organisms, there have been a total of 207 zoonotic transmissions
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(between 1941 and 2004) and 206 of these infections were transmitted via an airborne route.
COMMON PATHOGENS The most commonly transmitted pathogens are Chlamydophila psittaci and the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcus neoformans infections are extremely rare among people with healthy immune systems. Most cases occur in people with weakened immune systems, particularly those with advanced HIV/AIDS. It is transmitted by inhaling the microscopic fungus that can be found in pigeon droppings. Psittacosis is also extremely uncommon in the UK, with between 25 and 50 laboratory confirmed cases annually in England and Wales. It is transmitted from birds to humans
by breathing in aerosols or dust of contaminated material, e.g. dried faeces or feathers, or via respiratory secretions. Alternatively, infection may be oral, usually via infected plumage or feathers. Those at greatest risk of contracting the disease include bird fanciers and owners of pet birds. Pet shop employees and others who work with birds (such as poultry slaughterhouse workers, veterinarians, and wildlife and zoo workers) are also at risk.
RISKS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC The way these rare zoonotic diseases are spread renders the risk to the health of the general public very small. Passing pedestrians are unlikely to be exposed to disturbed dried droppings and oral exposure via direct contact with predominantly floor-level FEBRUARY 2022 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 23
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droppings or the bird itself is also improbable.
30% of the population must be sacrificed and culled birds are likely to be replaced by other immigrating birds. Therefore, it is better to focus on control methods based on the limiting factors of this species – the availability of food and nesting areas.
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For business owners or employees who at times may need to engage in activities such as cleaning windowsills, the risk to health is also small due to the low level of exposure from infected material. This risk can be further reduced by damping down the droppings before initiating cleansing.
COMPARING COMMON PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND VIRUSES
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A 2018 study found that 93.8% of public toilet door handles were contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria. Other surfaces with the potential to harbour bacteria and viruses include entrance doors, shopping baskets/trolleys, tables, chairs, credit card machines and coins. Further, up to 60% of smartphones may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria. An estimated 20 to 40% of viral infections in healthcare settings are thought to be transmitted via the hands of healthcare personnel, either from direct contact with an infected patient or from contaminated surfaces. Many common infections are spread in this way, including
FOOD
Leftover food encourages pigeons
influenza (thousands of hospital admissions annually), norovirus (nearly 400,000 cases per year) and COVID-19 (with more than 175,000 deaths in the UK to date).
HEALTH AND SAFETY RISKS The risk of slips, trips and falls from pigeon guano are minimal due to their location at the edge of public walkways. However, it is recognised that guano may be unsightly and there are several mitigation methods that local businesses may wish to adopt. Pigeons are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Research has also found that population control measures based on eliminating individuals are not effective, because at least
Call for training positions IEH is collecting entries for the Directory of Student Training Opportunities – an online compendium of training opportunities offered by employers in the public, private, third and military sectors to students completing their EHP Portfolio or Higher Certificate in Food Control. Employers can offer one or more opportunity, such as inspecting high-risk food premises or unfit houses, auditing premises and health and safety visits.
C
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Ketan Dattani, CEO of Buckingham Futures, which sponsors the directory, said: “This is a win-win for students, employers and the future of the environmental health profession.”
l To submit your training position go to www.cieh.org/ professional-development/ dtso
ABOUT THE WRITER Izzy Dawson is senior technical officer, Mendip District Council. This is an abridged version of her report produced for the council. For full details of the report, including references, contact izzy.dawson@ mendip.gov.uk
Soh et al (2019) found that pest bird abundances declined during COVID-19 lockdowns because there was less food available from human sources and that feral pigeons were most affected, feral pigeon flocks that foraged more on natural food sources were smaller, and limiting anthropogenic food sources can significantly reduce feral pigeon abundance. Therefore food limitation is vital in controlling pest bird populations. The public can help reduce aggregation by disposing of leftover food and not feeding pigeons. Cafe and takeaway owners can help by sweeping outside areas regularly and clearing away food debris promptly.
NESTING To reduce nesting, busineses can adopt measures such as netting or installing spikes. These physical barriers have been reported to have up to a 70% efficiency rate at reducing pigeon numbers.
C I E H ON L I N E EV E N T S CIEH offers a range of professional development and networking opportunities, including bitesize training, conferences and forums. Here is a selection of upcoming events: CONFERENCES l CIEH 14th Housing and Health Conference 24 May l CIEH Food Safety Conference 28 June MEMBER FORUMS l New to the
profession coffee and catch-up 15 February
l CIEHconversations: the leadership team 16 February l Housing coffee and catch-up 3 March l Health and safety coffee and catch-up 11 March BITESIZE TRAINING l Dampness in domestic dwellings 24 February l Statutory noise nuisance (module two): everyday noise and poor sound insulation issues 1 March l Statutory noise nuisance (module three): applying the
powers to deal with complex cases 31 March l Managing public events – a safer future 22 April WORKSHOPS l Understanding
and applying HHSRS 24 February l HMO practical inspection 15 March l Fire risk assessment and awareness 22 March
l For full details and to book visit www. cieh.org/events
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Front line Haydn Bettles, 1
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Bettles’ food safety resources are aimed at children aged five to 11
L EAR N I NG POI N T S BE VISUAL Children like physical things, like seeing the mould on bread after you touch a slice when you haven’t washed your hands.
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‘We’re giving them vital information so that they can be safe around food’ Haydn Bettles explains how CIEH is supporting him in delivering food safety and hygiene resources to primary schools
I
WAS 17 WHEN I WON A
‘Young Chef of the Year’ award for the North West. My dream was to work with Gordon Ramsay and, after a placement at his Mayfair restaurant, I was offered a job there but it wasn’t right for me at the time. After several years as a chef, I started to feel there was something missing. I wanted to make more of a positive impact. I realised I wanted to teach children about food and cooking. I studied to become a teaching assistant and was soon working with children at a primary school. Luckily, my head teacher was enthusiastic about food education, so when I said that I’d like to give it a try, she
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bought into it. We built it up over time by taking care of the school’s allotment, starting a rare-breed hen project and also pioneering outdoor learning. Every class visited a farm each year to learn where food comes from. I began to write and advise on educational resources for various farming organisations. This led to being a guest at the All-Party Parliamentary Group on School Food and being invited to join the British Nutrition Foundation steering group for primary school food education. All the time, I was increasingly aware of a gap in the market related to food safety and hygiene. Primary schools tend to avoid it because they don’t have the
BE CLEAR Educational resources need to be child-friendly in terms of images, wording and information, but professionals shouldn’t be afraid to spell things out.
2
BE HONEST Warn children about the dangers of food poisoning if you leave food out of the fridge and tell them that certain foods can kill people with allergies. These are lessons for life.
3
knowledge or the confidence, but it’s an essential life skill. At my last school, we looked at best-before dates and checking food labels. We also covered why you can eat raw steak, but not raw mince. But it wasn’t extensive and I wanted to create a scheme that was child-friendly. When I had a first draft, I sent it off to people in education and all the feedback was positive. That’s what gave me the confidence to approach CIEH to get its backing. The resource we’ve produced starts with the basics at Year One (age 5/6) then runs through to Year Six (10/11) with more advanced content. We’re giving them vital information so that they can be safe around food. It might be that in their teenage or university years they think about heating up or cooling down rice and they’ll remember that they need to do it properly. They’ll know the importance of hand washing and that it’s not safe to eat raw chicken. We’d love environmental health professionals to share the resources as much as they can. I’d urge them to contact their local school to see if they could visit to talk about food safety and hygiene.
Download the food hygiene resources at www.cieh.org/what-is-environmentalhealth/resources/school-materials
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