Vol 28 - Number 1 Spring 2016 - REHIS · HSE Local Authority Unit News 24 Enhanced Waste Duty of Care Interventions 25 Professional Development 27 Worldwide Deaths Attributable to

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Environmental Health Scotland

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The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8HXTel: 0131 229 2968 Fax: 0131 228 2926 Website: www.rehis.com

Officers of the InstitutePresident: Professor Kofi Aidoo

Senior Vice-President: Drew Hall

Past President: Martin Keeley

Northern Centre Chairman: Louise Cunningham

Northern Centre Secretary: Bob Drummond

Honorary Treasurer: Martin Henry

Junior Vice-President: Lorrainne MacGillivray

Past President: Colin Wallace

Southern Centre Chairman: David Duffy

Southern Centre Secretary: Pat Hoey

Courses Co-ordinator: Martin Keeley

Chief Executive: Tom Bell

Director of Professional Development: John Sleith

Training Adviser: Dr Jane Bunting

Director of Training: Jackie McCabe

Training Adviser: Raymond Hubbocks

Members of CouncilWendy Barrie

Paul Bradley

Gordon Brown

Louise Cunningham

Bernard Forteath

Christine Fraser

Sandy Fraser

Susan Geddes

Karen Keeley

Gwyneth Kerwin

Brian Lawrie

Lorrainne MacGillivray

Sarah MacLeod-Bonnar

Lisa McCann

Christine Morrison

John Murray

Honorary Vice-PresidentsGeorge Georgallas

Kenneth Macintosh MSP

Stewart Maxwell MSP

Ann Marie Part

Young Samanyika

John Scott MSP

Dr Jim Smith

***


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The Journal of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland

Volume 28, Number 1 Spring 2016

ISSN 0950-3277

Environmental Health Scotland is published by the Council of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland.

Editor: Tom Bell

The views expressed in this Journal are not necessarily those of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, the publisher or the editor. Articles, news items or letters are welcomed for publication but the publisher reserves the right to edit contributions as the editor sees fit. At the editor’s discretion, items submitted for publication will be peer reviewed. All material is submitted at owner’s risk. The publisher cannot be held responsible for loss or damage, however caused.

Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher and copyright holder.

CONTENTS

The President’s View 4

The 21st Century Sanitary Inspector 5

Scotland’s Handmade Cheeses 11

Management Committee 13

SEPA News 14

Prosecution of a Paisley Butcher 15

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of theIntroduction of Smoke-free Legislation inScotland’s Public Places 16

Scottish Pollution Control Co-ordinatingCommittee 18

Membership, Education and TrainingCommittee 19

An Environmental Health Manifesto forScotland 20

Examinations and Professional StandardsCommittee 22

Scottish Food Safety Officers’ RegistrationBoard 22

John Sleith, Director of ProfessionalDevelopment 23

HSE Local Authority Unit News 24

Enhanced Waste Duty of Care Interventions 25

Professional Development 27

Worldwide Deaths Attributable to Unhealthy Environments 28

Zika Virus Factsheet 29

On the cover: A Glasgow tenement: ‘The 21st Century Sanitary Inspector’ - page 5.


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PRESIDENT’S VIEW

As President, it is my aim to lead the Institute’s elected members and staff, to serve the needs of membership and to help champion the advancement and profile of Environmental Health. It gives me great pleasure and comfort to be able to call on past Presidents, Martin Keeley, Colin Wallace, Paul Bradley and Bernard Forteath.

The Institute continues to actively promote itself and the objects of its Royal Charter to the Scottish Parliament and to the Scottish Government and to this effect, meetings have taken place on Environmental Health workforce between the Institute officials and MSPs and further meetings are planned. With elections imminent, Environmental Health and Public Health issues in Scotland must be placed firmly on the agenda. Paul Bradley, Chairman of the Environmental Health Promotion Committee, and his team will shortly launch of ‘An Environmental Health Manifesto for Scotland’. It will be sent to each prospective MSP ahead of the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections.

There are many challenges in relation to protecting and improving the health and wellbeing, and in reducing health inequalities, of the people of Scotland. The theme for 2016 Environmental Health Forum aims to cover some of the issues. Following the 2015 Review of Public Scotland: Strengthening the Function and Re-focusing Action for a Healthier Scotland, the Institute is ready to assist in implementing the recommendations and therefore our membership on Health Protection Oversight Group is important. Martin Keeley and Tom Bell represented the Institute at a meeting held last November with representatives of the Health Protection Division of the Scottish Government. Further meetings are planned. One of the challenges facing the Environmental Health Service is lack of national funding

resources as the public purse strings are tightened. The Institute has often expressed its concerns about the reduction of funded local authority places for Student/Graduate Trainee EHOs in Scotland.

The working group planning the Institute’s Annual Environmental Health Forum has attracted excellent speakers from across the country and beyond and I hope members of the Institute, Registered Course Presenters, members of public health and related professions will support the event on 27 and 28 April 2016 at Glasgow Caledonian University. The Forum will follow the same format as the 2015 event which worked well with a plenary session on 27 April followed by four themed workshops on 28 April finishing around lunchtime.

Attracting and retaining an active and participative membership is key to the success of the Institute. Every effort is being made to attract and encourage more professionals as well as students to become members through various activities. I was gratified to see awards presented to well deserving candidates at the Institute’s Annual Award Ceremony 2015 held in Apex International Hotel, Edinburgh on 20 November 2015. The award for Meritorious Endeavours in Environmental Health went to Glasgow City Council Environmental Health team for its role in the highly successful delivery of the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The President’s Award went to Lorna Ross and Aberdeenshire Council. It was a proud moment for many budding professionals who received their Diplomas and Certificates in Environmental Health, Food Hygiene/Food Safety and Health and Safety and I hope they will maintain their membership of the Institute. I commend the office staff for arranging such a successful award ceremony.

I wish to express my gratitude to Chairpersons, members of the Council and members of the Scottish Food Safety Officers’ Registration Board for their continuing support and contributions and again to the Northern and Southern Centres for offering excellent activities for the membership. I have tremendous support from Tom Bell and all the staff at the Institute’s office. Jackie McCabe, Director for Training, continues to work hard in overseeing training and updates to trainers and training centres. I acknowledge the contribution from our recently departed Director of Professional Development, Brian Auld, who has moved on to greener pastures. I wish him well. At this juncture I offer my thanks to Robert Howe who kindly agreed to return as Acting DPD and welcome John Sleith who has just been recruited as Director of Professional Development.

by Kofi Aidoo


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THE 21ST CENTURY SANITARY INSPECTOR

The work of the Sanitary Inspector where the job was mainly based around overcrowding, infectious disease, poor housing, refuse issues and pest control must seem like ancient history for a lot of Environmental Health Officers. However, in Govanhill these issues are rife and are part of the daily job for the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) dedicated to this area.

GovanhillGovanhill is a residential area located on the south side of Glasgow bordered by the Gorbals, Pollokshields, Toryglen and Queens Park. The area itself dates back to 1877 when William Dixon opened the blast furnaces known as the ‘Dixon Blazes’. The main avenue that runs the length of Govanhill is called Dixon Avenue and some of the local streets are named after William Dixon Jr’s daughters; Annette, Allison and Daisy. Govanhill perhaps remains the best well-preserved example in Glasgow of a Victorian-era tenemental suburb.

Tenements make up a large percentage of the housing stock in Glasgow. This is particularly so in Govanhill, where tenements were built to provide high-density housing for the large number of immigrants coming to Glasgow in the 19th and early 20th century as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution. In response to chronic issues relating to slum housing conditions in the city, the Glasgow Corporation, as it was known, instigated a major renewal plan under which a third of the city was to be demolished. Between 1965 and 1970 approximately 25,000 new public sector houses were built. The 1969 Housing Act introduced a statutory duty on Local Authorities to identify all dwellings in their area which failed to meet a “Tolerable Standard’’ and to either improve these dwellings to that standard or arrange for their closure or demolition.

Govanhill was one of the few areas to avoid the Glasgow Corporation’s programme of ‘Comprehensive Development Areas’. The new replacement housing which was being built was high rise or deck access and non-traditional. It also lacked the local amenities which were an integral part of the tenement structures, such as public houses and shops. The residents of Govanhill did not like what was happening to other communities and, as a result, established a community-based Housing Association in 1974 which was run by the residents living in the

area. This was the start of what is now known today as Govanhill Housing Association.

Residents took charge of their community, leading the way for a steady process of improvement of the quality of the tenemental flats, rather than mass demolition. This allowed for the introduction of more modern amenities for the area. Unfortunately changes in policy and funding over the years meant that 13 of the tenemental blocks in South West Govanhill remained un-improved. To this day these 13 blocks are where the majority of the Govanhill Housing problems are to be found.

Since the early formation of Govanhill, the area has attracted many migrants settling in Glasgow and Scotland. As a result, the population of the area has regularly changed and diversified over the years. Early migration started with Scots migrating from the Highlands and lowlands; and then there were Irish settlers; the Jewish community fleeing persecution in Eastern Europe; the Asian community and, most recently economic migrants - a consequence of EU enlargement-from Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Romania.

The high density housing in Govanhill, the increases in population though migration and resultant overcrowding has ensured that the South West area of Govanhill is one of the most densely populated areas in Scotland. This unique tenure coupled with vulnerable pockets of the community and high concentration of privately rented properties in these 13 blocks has seen the proliferation of ‘rogue’ landlords and a marked increase in overcrowding and sub-tolerable standard living condition in the area.

This places a strain on the local infrastructure, leads to environmental issues and generates social impacts which can lead to community tension. Therefore Govanhill can be viewed as an area facing stark social, economic, health and environmental inequalities. However it is also one of Scotland’s most culturally diverse, transient communities and is currently host to the highest concentration of Eastern European migrants in Scotland.

by Sarah Groom and Lindsey-Anne McNeil, Glasgow City Council


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The Govanhill HubIn October 2008, as a response to the Health Inequalities Taskforce report, eight local Equally Well test sites were chosen to try out new public service approaches to tackle health inequalities. The various issues experienced in the Govanhill area meant that Govanhill was chosen to be one of the eight test sites – with the aim of initiating community regeneration and development.

The Govanhill Operational Hub was set up on the 6th April 2010 and is an example of Public Service delivery, characterised by the co-location of several key public services including Glasgow City Council Land and Environmental Services (LES), Development and Regeneration Services (DRS), Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue, Community Safety Glasgow, Govanhill Housing Association, Social Work Services and NHS Community Health Partnership. This service delivery relies on strong partnership working to deliver a multi-disciplinary, collaborative approach to complex and multiple needs. The Hub has progressed countless enquiries with strong evidence of improved information sharing, joint planning and collaborative working.

In March 2011, a multi-discipline enforcement team was set up with the remit of liaison with the Govanhill Hub. The team consists of an Environmental Health Officer, Community Relations officer, Private Landlord Registration officer and Slovak/Czech and Romanian interpreters. The strategic aims of the team were to impact positively on antisocial behaviour/fear of crime, improve the living environment and improve property management in the private sector. This was to be achieved through a multi-disciplinary approach to both reactive work and proactive work in the Govanhill area.

ChallengesGovanhill presents many challenges. Some of these relate to the housing tenure which has a high proportion of private rented properties provided at a low cost, attracting many people to the area, particularly those coming to Glasgow or Scotland for the first time. There is a particular high concentration of private rented accommodation within the 13 blocks. This high concentration of private rented property creates problems across the area:

• High turnover of tenants.

• Private landlords - there are over 2600 private landlords in Govanhill with a significant number not adequately maintaining their property.

• Overcrowding - in many cases, large extending or multiple families are living in private rented housing.

• Segregation- it is believed that there could be around 3,500 Romani people living in the 13 blocks. This creates issues around segregation and there are clear distinctions between the quality of life in this particular area compared to other areas of Govanhill.

• Pest Control - due to the transient nature of tenants, scavenging of furniture and lack of education, cockroaches and bed bugs infestations are rife in the area and hard to control.

As stated, Govanhill is an extremely ethnically diverse neighbourhood and is, historically, a first point of settlement for many who are new to Glasgow or even Scotland. Approximately 40% of Govanhill’s community is made up of minority ethnic people. Pupils at schools in Govanhill have 57 different home languages - and in one primary school, English is the home language of just 4% of pupils. This language barrier presents clear challenges to EHOs when attempting to communicate and many individuals lack the basic literacy levels to engage effectively.

In conjunction with this, Govanhill is a youthful population; there are many young children and families living in poverty, poor health and overcrowding.

Govanhill is an interesting, unique and diverse area but much of what is written and said about the area in the media focuses on its problems and many of the positive and successful initiatives and activities being passed over.

Environmental Health Officer in Govanhill Some of the issues within Govanhill are too complex for one organisation to tackle alone and are, consequently, dealt with by a multi-faceted, joined-up approach by the Govanhill Hub. Joint working

An old Glasgow tenement.


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enables expertise, resources and skills to be shared and helps to reduce duplication of work by various services routinely working in the area.

The dedicated Environmental Health Officer is unique to Govanhill - in other parts of the City, Environmental Health staff are allocated to much larger areas which includes a number of different neighbourhoods. The EHO sits on the Govanhill Operational Hub Forum along with a number of partners including:

• Development and Regenerations Services’ Enforcement Team

• City property

• Cleansing

• Community Relations Officer

• Govanhill Housing Association

• Police Scotland

• Scottish Fire and rescue

• Interpreters - Slovakian and Romanian

• Social Work Services

The Govanhill Hub Partners meet twice weekly at 10am. These meetings are key to the operation of the Hub as it allows partners to share, present and communicate information. The meetings are chaired by City Property and the format involves the different agencies in attendance raising their respective issues for discussion and to action partnership working with the Hub. Hub meetings also enable partners to discuss and plan collaborative responses to concerns on a weekly basis, often involving a “same day” joint visit or response to an issue or case raised. This inter-agency information sharing is central to effective communication and allows a more responsive partnership working, to be able to deliver quick

responses often resulting in early interventions to address social, environmental and health inequalities.

The Environmental Health presence at the Govanhill Hub facilitates the receipt of complaints and service requests from a variety of sources including those directed to the Hub itself, to the Glasgow City Council Customer Case Centre, to Development Regeneration Services, to Police Scotland and to Govanhill Housing Association. Even though Govanhill is only a small area, the EHO regularly receives around 20 new complaints per week, each requiring a visit with partners and generating phone calls, administration and revisits. As a consequence, the EHO operates in a fast-paced environment where time management and prioritising skills are put to the test.

Issues dealt with by the EHO include accumulation of refuse in closes and back courts, odours, drainage issues, insect nuisance, water penetration, dog fouling, inadequate water supply and sub-standard property conditions. On a typical day, the EHO begins their morning receiving new complaints. Visits are then made to the new complaints or revisits to existing ones to check on progress, especially if notices have been served and expired. Afternoons are then devoted to administration, phone calls, typing-up notices, letters and updating complaints

Tackling the Issues Tactics used to tackle the various issues in Govanhill are as unique as the area. The work in Govanhill is very much ground-based and foot patrols of the area are part of a daily routine.

Information-based campaigns and written materials aimed at the whole population in Govanhill have

An accumulation of waste in a back court prior to back court improvements being made.

A sub-standard property in Govanhill.


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proved to be ineffective due to language barriers and poor literacy skills. This means that going back to basics and talking to tenants to engage them is essential. Therefore, where there are closes with particular problems, door-to-door visits are conducted with translation support and advice sheets provided with pictorials. Sometimes it is necessary to physically demonstrate to tenants the correct methods of disposing of their refuse.

Informal action is preferred when dealing with issues. However, this has been shown to be unsuccessful due to the predominance of absentee landlords and problems in engaging tenants. As a result, enforcement action, i.e. the service of statutory notices, is used in the majority of cases - 256 statutory notices being served last year for the neighbourhood of Govanhill alone. This is disproportionate to the rest of the city. Figure 1 indicates that the number of notices served within the Govanhill neighbourhood is approximately 27% of the total enforcement action taken for the entire City. It should be noted that there are 56 neighbourhoods within the City and the disproportionately high percentage of action in Govanhill reveals the extent of the problem as well and reflects the efforts made by relevant agencies especially the EHO.

As a consequence of high levels of building disrepair and lack of on-going, regular maintenance (a symptom prevalence of absentee landlords) the majority of Statutory Notices served in Govanhill relate to water

ingress – accounting for 43% of notices served. The serving of the notices is effective for most cases with landlords/owners resolving the issue with a small percentage going to default.

In addition, 34% of notices served in Govanhill relate to accumulation of domestic refuse and take up a large proportion of the EHO’s time. In order to try and tackle the problem at source, a sizeable proportion of bags are searched in an attempt to find evidence thus enabling action to be taken against the culprit. Notices served for accumulation of refuse are given a 5 day limit, a time period which is unique to Govanhill. (In the rest of the city, a time period of 7 days is given.) This measure allows a quick response to ensure refuse is cleared promptly in order to minimise the risk of vermin and to prevent the dumping of more refuse at that location. Around 50% of notices served are abated by owners, with the other 50% going to default and being cleared by the Council’s Cleansing Service - with owners being invoiced for this cost. Where a close or address has to be targeted regularly for refuse issues, a more robust solution is considered by involving Development Regeneration Services who engage landlords and letting agents and also involve Govanhill Housing Association where appropriate.

In addition to dealing with the regular nuisance work, the EHO is required to carry out Tolerable Standard inspections where there is a concern for the property condition. These properties will have been identified

Notices Served In Govanhillcompared to rest of City

1000

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

Govanhill City

TotalWaterPenetration

RainwaterPenetration

DefectiveDrainage

Refuse Other

370

27%39%15%19%26%

Notices Served in Govanhill compared to City in Year 14/15.


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by the public, health visitors, social work or Govanhill Housing Association. In the past year, 13 properties were identified as being below tolerable standard with further action being taken against the owners to bring these properties back up to standard. These landlords are first served with a notice requiring that they remedy the problems. Alternatively, the properties are closed and the landlord removed from the private landlord register.

In many cases, for example, the dwellings have no access to hot running water, an unsatisfactory provision for heating, unsatisfactory facilities for cooking of food, dangerous electrics and unsanitary drainage. The fundamental nature of these defects reveals how neglectful some private landlords have been within the area. These poor housing conditions impact upon residents themselves, neighbours as well as the wider community. Many tenants also suffer from fuel poverty due to a lack of appropriate insulation and heating.

However, more action is now being taken to ensure landlords are fully aware of their responsibility to maintain their property and partners are working to a long term strategy with the aim to bringing lasting change to Govanhill.

Transforming South West GovanhillSince July 2015, Glasgow City Council has been supporting a second dedicated team, focusing particularly on South West Govanhill – which has

4 designated blocks comprising Scotland’s first Enhanced Enforcement Area (EEA) under Section 28 (2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014. The area contains a total of 579 properties within 78 tenements, with Govanhill Housing Association owning 40 flats and factoring 5 tenements.

With the EEA comes additional powers which allow Officers to tackle poor housing and a management standards. The designation will apply for minimum of 5 years and, in addition to existing powers, the Council will have the following discretionary powers:

• The right to entry to any property within the designated area.

• The right to request an enhanced criminal record certificate from any relevant person.

• The right to ask landlords to provide evidence of current building insurance policy, energy performance certificate and gas safety certificate.

• The right to request from the landlord a copy of an acknowledgement from the tenant(s) that they have received a Tenant Information Pack and to demand evidence that tenants have a signed lease.

With only 50% of closes within the EEA being factored, the aim is to improve property condition within the area. So far, an additional 6% of properties have acquired a factor. It is anticipated that this number will continue to increase over the 2 year programme as more properties are acquired by Govanhill Housing

Notices Served In Govanhill

Refuse Defective Drainage Other Rainwater Penetration Water Penetration

34%43%

15%

4%

4%

Notices Served in Govanhill Year 14/15.


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Association, thus safeguarding the maintenance of the buildings for years to come. Moreover, the team has managed to get an additional 32 landlords registered who were previously unknown to the Council.

In addition to the £4.3 million Scottish Government grant, Glasgow City Council is investing £5 million to enable Govanhill Housing Association to begin purchasing up to 80 privately owned properties with a view to bringing them up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard for social rent. They will also take on the factoring role where they have majority ownership.

New Ways of Working Govanhill has a dedicated rapid response cleansing team, the only one of its kind in Glasgow, which collects approximately 10 tonnes weekly from the local streets. This is in addition to Cleansing’s normal service which deals with bulk uplift requests and collects approximately 5700 tonnes of waste and recyclable material from domestic and commercial properties in Govanhill annually.

In addition, Govanhill is the only area in Glasgow to have a funded cockroach and bedbug treatment service. In order to tackle the considerable insect infestation problems, a programme of proactive visits and treatments has been put in place. The programme aims to significantly reduce block infestation levels in properties.

Furthermore, new CCTV recently installed in the area will aid enforcement of fly tipping and other anti-social behaviour.

Ultimately, however, in order for real and significant change to occur, it is essential that there be a sustained commitment towards buy-in and ownership from the community. This can be facilitated by working to educate school children about their environment. It is also planned to have community champions who can act as the “eyes and ears” of the community and help new residents integrate more easily.

Conclusion Govanhill is a unique area with many social, health, environmental and economic problems. As discussed earlier, there is a large amount of resource from

various partners being deployed to the area in a bid to tackle these issues. Change will not happen overnight and Environmental Health and partner agencies will continue to tackle the issues on a proactive and reactive basis and will strive to press forward with new ways of working in order to adapt to new and emerging issues. However, in order to progress these changes, the community members need to take more of a responsibility for their neighbourhood and work with Glasgow City Council and others as their predecessors did in 1970s, when the residents took charge of their community and led the way to save their neighbour from mass demolition.

EHO Case Study: Govanhill Dealing with Below Tolerable Standard (BTS) dwellings normally poses a variety of problems. This particular incident of a sub-tolerable standard property, brought to my attention by a Health Visitor, was no exception.

After a visit was made to the property (with a Romanian interpreter) the dwelling was confirmed as BTS as it had no facility for the supply of hot water, dangerous electrics and no ventilation in the internal kitchen. When I raised this case at the Govanhill Hub meeting, it emerged that many agencies were already aware of the issues at this property. For example, Police Scotland had been advised by the landlord that he had an eviction order to remove the family; the Community Relations Officer was handling a case for anti-social behaviour; the Social Work team were also involved with the family and the landlord was known to Development and Regeneration Services. The landlord was not prepared to make improvements to the condition of the property due to the proceedings to evict the current tenants.

This was an example where a joined-up approach was incredibly beneficial as the Social Work team, who deal with Roma families in the area, were able to find alternate accommodation quickly once they became aware of the property’s sub-standard condition. As the owner failed to bring the property up to standard, the dwelling has now been closed until such time as the landlord makes improvements.


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SCOTLAND’S HANDMADE CHEESES

A few years ago I attended a fascinating presentation by a French affineur. In conclusion he invited questions and I asked his views on when it was appropriate to consume the rind of soft cheeses – not hay, wax or bark I hasten to add. He responded ‘You are asking the wrong question. Ask not whether to eat the rind but where the cheese was stored. If on a shelf, then eat it; if on the floor, do not’.

I can almost see you all shrink back in horror but please read on. Whilst I don’t advocate his views it was nevertheless a fascinating insight and a highly entertaining response.

Cheese has been eaten for millennia when a smart cookie discovered (assuredly accidentally) that the enzyme rennet, present in a calf’s stomach to coagulate its mother’s milk for digestion, had the same effect on their milk, when transported in sacs made from said item.

Across the world there is evidence of early cheese from camel and goat, cow and horse, donkey and no doubt many more. Cheese can be capricious and challenging to assess, and the best cheese will always vary in colour and taste according to the seasons – and should. Flavours develop according to breed, feed, animal husbandry, location and cheesemakers’ skills. Within cows’ milk for example, variations are endless in milk composition: the breed (Ayrshire, Galloway, Highland, Holstein Friesian, Jersey) and feed (grass, hay, silage, grain, herbs), and all this before we even start on vegetarian rennet, pasteurised or unpasteurised and terroir.

In Scotland cheesemaking would have been an everyday event on crofts across the land but thanks to the Highland Clearances they were decimated. Add two world wars and small-scale cheese production virtually vanished. In Scotland’s rich food culture it is to be celebrated that we have a growing number of cheesemakers again and they value our support.

In our current food climate, processing, conformity, capacity and consistency are buzz words often used in our industrialisation of foods, yet in the world of cheese this can take the very soul from the product. Cheesemakers have to be scrupulously clean or they will simply not make good cheese. From milking to end product, they need to know which bacteria are good (indeed essential) for cheesemaking. High quality, well-labelled cheese plays a healthy role in

a balanced diet. Like most foods you care to mention you can have too much of a good thing but in the world of cheese, a wee bit of money spent on a higher quality cheese results in a better buy; more flavour and often less consumed. A win win in my book.

Compare that to tasteless reduced fat cheese or mild processed cheddar – however much you add, the dish will never have that rich cheese aroma and flavour. Add the fact that some processed cheeses legally have starch added to improve their smoothness then that cheese is no longer fat, protein and water (plus valuable trace elements and vitamins of course) but also carbs. Surely that ain’t natural!

As we have become increasingly disconnected from food production, so malnutrition has proportionately grown, in terms of obesity and type 2 diabetes or, at the other end of the scale, a fear of natural foods – if a giant brand hasn’t packaged and promoted it, is it dangerous? Indeed in artisan cheesemaking the so-called food chain is so short it is arguably safer than many industrialised processes. Many folk are now so used to seeing food processing plants more akin to car manufacture assembly lines than small scale on farm production, it is perhaps no wonder there can be misunderstandings.

As you can gather I have a particular passion for dairy produce and have studied traditional cheesemaking in the wilderness of Norwegian seters and Swedish fäbods. I collaborate to promote Scottish cheesemakers and attended Slow Food’s Slow Cheese event in Bra, Italy, where I gained valuable insights. I tasted cheese bound in Spruce bark from Romania and fresh Saras del Fen swathed in hay from Torre Pellice. All EU, legal and delicious.

by Wendy Barrie, Scottish Food Guide


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My husband (biodiversity expert and retired farmer) and I are currently working on a Community Dairy Project with West Highland Dairy in the far north and look forward to the day production commences. In autumn 2015 I judged at the World Cheese Awards and this year am running, in conjunction with Kathy Biss from West Highland Dairy, a course entitled

Cheese Champion Training for those with an interest in selling, serving and working with cheeses. Kathy herself runs courses in Cheesemaking and related dairy products, and is currently involved in the planning of a course for interested EHOs who wish to gain additional insight and understanding of this fascinating edible science.

Many of our artisan cheesemakers are on the Scottish Cheese Trail and more are coming on stream as we go to print – a really positive step for small-scale food production and our local food culture.

As Kathy Biss says ‘The interest in small scale cheesemaking is increasing and it is essential that the enforcement agencies work with the cheese makers. Both parties have a lot to contribute to the continuing development of a unique industry.’

As Jane Stewart says ‘We are proud to be one of the ‘new breed’ of Scottish dairy farmer who have diversified into cheesemaking, and we are excited to be producing an artisan cheese which we hope can make a worthy contribution to our rich and varied food culture.’

For more information visit the Scottish Cheese Trail www.scottishcheesetrail.com.

Editor’s NoteAs well as being an enthusiastic campaigner for the finest local produce and a popular cookery show presenter, Wendy Barrie is a member of the Institute’s Council.


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MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Development Plan 2016/17The Committee recommended and submitted the Institute’s Development Plan 2016/17 to the Council which was approved at the Council meeting on 5 March.

FinanceThe Institute’s financial position remains robust. The principle income source continues to be community training.

The Committee is in the process of identifying projects, to be funded from the Good Works and Awards Fund, (formerly the General Reserve Fund) as the Institute is actively looking to invest in projects which meet its charitable purposes. A report on suitable projects will be considered at a future meeting of the Committee.

The Committee agreed to recommend no changes for 2016/17 to the levels of fees and charges including Community Training fees to the Council which was approved at the Council meeting in March 2016.

Enforcement Officer Training (Non Food)The Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland has requested that the Institute consider developing a training course for Enforcement Officers that work in Environmental Health in local government. The Committee agreed to discuss the proposal in more detail at the next planned liaison meeting with the Society.

Annual Environmental Health ForumThe Annual Environmental Health Forum, which is following the same successful format as last year, will be held at Glasgow Caledonian University on 27/28 April 2016. The programme for the event has now been circulated and is on the Institute’s website. The programme has been developed to cover the interests of all members and it is hoped that members will respond by attending the event.

Promotion of REHIS and the Profession to the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament The Chief Executive reported at the last meeting that, with the enthusiastic assistance of Stewart Maxwell MSP an Honorary Vice-President of the Institute, meetings had been arranged with Scottish Government officials to consider the reduction in the numbers of Environmental Health Officers

working in Scottish local authorities and the positive influence that the Profession has on the protection and improvement of the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s people. Mr Maxwell’s Freedom of Information request in September last year had proved very useful in highlighting the Institute’s concerns over current numbers of Environmental Health Officers, Food Safety Officers and Technical Support staff. Mr Maxwell has also facilitated a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Angela Constance MSP, to consider what can be done to reinstate a course in Scotland that would meet the Scottish Food Safety Officers Registration Board’s under-pinning pre-entry academic requirement (an HND in Food Science or Food Technology). The President, the Board Chairman and the Chief Executive represented the Institute at a meeting in the Scottish Parliament on 13 January 2016. The meeting, at which Mr Maxwell was present, was conducted in a positive atmosphere and the Cabinet Secretary will task her officials to convene a meeting to progress discussions with interested parties including industry and academic representatives.

International Federation Of Environmental HealthA party of Environmental Health students and academics from Coimbra Health School of the University of Coimbra, Portugal are planning a study visit to Scotland. Former President and the Institute’s Federation Representative Bernard Forteath has offered to act as the Institute’s co-ordinator. The party from Portugal hope to visit Scotland from 13 to 17 June 2016.

The Institute will be sending three representatives, including the President to the World Congress on Environmental Health in Malawi, as well as to the Federation Council and Annual General meetings.

REHIS Roadshows 2016A number of membership Roadshows will be held throughout Scotland this year. Watch this space.

by Drew Hall, Chairman


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SEPA NEWS

SEPA Chairman retiresSEPA’s Chairman, David Sigsworth, retired from the role at the end of December. He led SEPA as Chairman since January 2008 and, in that time, had been instrumental not only in transforming SEPA into a genuinely world-leading environment protection agency, but also in establishing SEPA as a leader in public service reform.

SEPA’s new Chair, Bob Downes, has been a SEPA board member since 1 January 2008. He has served as SEPA Deputy Chair since 1 January 2012, and chaired the Agency Board’s Audit Committee from 2010 to 2015.

Metal Theft Summit 2016SEPA joined enforcement agencies and industry experts presenting at the Scottish Metal Theft Summit 2016 in Cambuslang on 23 February 2016, ahead of a significant change to legislation.

The summit, hosted by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, highlighted the damaging implications that metal theft has for Scottish businesses and communities, alongside methods to reduce vulnerability and to increase reporting and vigilance.

SEPA’s National Operations Waste & Enforcement Manager, Willie Wilson, gave a presentation at the summit on ‘Metal theft on the move’ as part of the LIFE SMART Waste project. The presentation outlined SEPA’s role within the Metal Theft Task Force, forthcoming initiatives targeting the criminal activity of waste carriers and the LIFE SMART Waste project’s new approaches to tackling criminality in challenging waste streams.

Sustainability report launchedSEPA has exceeded its targets for reducing waste, significantly cut gas consumption across its estate and for the sixth consecutive year, put the brakes on its travel and transport emissions.

The ‘Sustainability report’ demonstrates SEPA’s achievements and actions to help tackle climate change (for the period covering 2014 – 2015), including:

• Reducing emissions from transport and travel by a further 1.3% during 2014-2015, exceeding its target to maintain emissions at 2013-2014 levels.

• Reducing energy consumption.

• Continuing to exceed targets for waste and once again improving its levels of recycling to a new high of 75% (well above the national average).

• Implementing a range of biodiversity projects across its estate and through outreach work.

International recognition of SEPA’s enforcement work on environmental crime

Fines totalling a record £284,400 were handed down to companies and individuals in the last financial year as a result of criminal cases instigated by SEPA.

This is the highest combined amount of fines in the last five years, and full details of these are revealed in SEPA’s Enforcement Report 2014-2015 which was published on 14 January.

Waste recycling firm given highest confiscation order for environmental offences in ScotlandAn Alloa based recycling firm was handed a confiscation order of £345,558.43 on 15 February for waste management licensing breaches.

The confiscation order is the largest result under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) to date for environmental offences in Scotland and was imposed in addition to fines amounting to £12,000 for failure to remove waste materials, and carry out adequate pest control measures at the facility.

POCA recovers the financial benefit made by those undertaking criminal activity. In addition to the confiscation, OES Ltd was fined for three charges of non-compliance to which they pled guilty on 16 February 2015.

The future of flood management in Scotland The Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Dr Aileen McLeod MSP, officially launched SEPA’s Flood Risk Management Strategies at the Selkirk Flood Prevention Scheme on 11 January.

by Gavin Henderson, Communications Officer


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PROSECUTION OF A PAISLEY BUTCHER

A partnership trading as Wm. Phelps Butchers within Paisley was successfully prosecuted after an employee suffered a serious scald injury.

Whilst carrying out cleaning within the shop, the employee was carrying a 15-litre open plastic container, containing water from a boiler at a temperature of approximately 93oC. The employee fell and the water from the container splashed onto her legs. The water had been obtained from a boiler that was intended for cooking meat but was also used for cleaning purposes when the hot water provided from the water tank ran out.

She sustained serious scald burns to her right leg, knee and left ankle. She required skin grafts to these areas and spent several periods of time in hospital. She has been left with scarring to her legs.

The incident occurred on 10 October 2014. Renfrewshire Council, as the enforcing authority, was

called to investigate the circumstances which led to the accident and a report was subsequently submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

On 27 January 2016 at Paisley Sheriff Court, Wm Phelps Butchers pleaded guilty to the following:

(a) Failing to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of their employees;

Contrary to Regulation 3 of The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999.

(b) Failing to provide a safe system of work;

Contrary to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The Sheriff imposed a fine of £6,000 reduced from £9,000 for an early plea.

by Irene Stevenson, Environmental Health Officer, Renfrewshire Council

The Flood Risk Management Strategies coordinate and prioritise the efforts of all organisations that tackle flooding. They have been developed in close collaboration with local authorities, Scottish Water and other stakeholders to reduce the devastating and costly impact of flooding in Scotland and concentrate the work of these organisations where the risk of flooding and benefits of investment are greatest.

Natural Flood Management HandbookThe Natural Flood Management Handbook was published in January 2016, providing guidance on how to take forward natural flood management practices and activities, which local authorities and landowners can utilise to help mitigate flood damage.

The handbook will support the sustainable approach to flood risk management as laid out in the recently published flood risk management strategies, and is a dynamic document which will be updated and supplemented as additional data and evidence become available.

An official launch took place on 20 January 2016 in Perth, hosted by the Chartered Institute of Water and Environment Management’s Scottish Branch, Royal Haskoning DHV and SEPA.

More information on both the Flood Risk Management Strategies and the Natural Flood Management Handbook can be found on the SEPA website.

***


16

CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTRODUCTION OF SMOKE-FREE LEGISLATION IN SCOTLAND’S PUBLIC PLACES

On 23 March 2016 politicians past and present, academics, third sector organisations, medics, Scottish Government officials past and present gathered at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh for a reception to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the introduction of smoke-free legislation in Scotland’s indoor public places.

Stewart Maxwell MSP hosted the reception which was organised by ASH Scotland. Mr Maxwell is one of the Institute’s Honorary Vice-Presidents.

I represented the Institute and joined Bernard Forteath, a past President of the Institute and one of the new members of the Board of ASH Scotland. We were delighted to be present and to hear the Environmental Health Profession in Scotland, Scottish local authorities and the general public being commended for their positive contributions to the success of the introduction of smoke-free legislation.

The event was a positive celebration and those present heard brief but impassioned speeches from Mr Maxwell and Shona Robison MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Sport; from Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale, former First Minister of Scotland; from Professor Laurence Gruer, former Director of Public Health Science, NHS Health Scotland; and from Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive, ASH Scotland.

All speakers emphasised the gains for Scotland’s

people resulting from the introduction of the hugely popular smoke-free legislation (in 2015 87% of Scottish adults were supportive). These gains, expressed as health benefits and positive behavioural changes and attitudes towards smoking, can be summarised as follows:

• An 18% reduction in the rate of child asthma admissions to hospital per year, compared to an increase of 5% per year in the years preceding it.

• A 17% reduction in heart attack admissions to nine Scottish hospitals. This compares with an annual reduction in Scottish admissions for heart attack of 3% per year in the decade before the ban.

• A 39% reduction in second-hand smoke exposure in 11-year-olds and in adult non-smokers.

• An 86% reduction in second-hand smoke in bars.

• An increase in the proportion of homes with smoking restrictions.

• No evidence of smoking shifting from public paces into the home.

• High public support for the legislation even among smokers, whose support increased once the legislation was in place.

The Institute has a proud record on this and related matters and has sought, and continues to seek, appropriate action. It has supported a number initiatives over the years including its first formal action in August 1999 when it responded to the Health and Safety Commission’s ‘Proposal for an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) on Passive Smoking at Work’. In its response to the Commission the Institute stated that an ACOP was not the right approach to controlling the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and opined that a much firmer approach was required. The Institute advised the Commission that no employee should be subjected to environmental tobacco smoke and that ‘the only mechanism to ensure absolute protection, particularly for those in the hospitality industry, is an outright ban on smoking in the workplace’.

The next significant step came in 2003 when a joint policy statement was agreed by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (the organisation which represents the Environmental Health profession in England, Wales and Northern Ireland), the Environmental Health Officers’ Association of the Republic of Ireland and the Royal Environmental

by Tom Bell, Chief Executive

Speakers at the Reception: Stewart Maxwell MSP, Lord McConnell, Shona Robison MSP, Sheila Duffy and Professor Laurence Gruer.


17

Health Institute of Scotland. The statement called on the UK and Irish governments to introduce legislation imposing an outright ban on smoking in all work places including pubs and restaurants. This statement highlighted the Profession’s continued support for the introduction of controls.

When the Scottish Executive published its proposals for the control of smoking in public places in 2004 the Institute responded by declaring its support for the introduction of such a ban. The Institute had also been supportive of Mr Maxwell’s ‘Prohibition of Smoking in Regulated Areas (Scotland) Bill’. This Bill was sidelined by Mr Maxwell in favour of the Scottish Executive’s wider ranging proposals.

The culmination of this activity came into being on 26 March 2006 when the smoke-free provisions of the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Act 2005 (Prohibition of Smoking in Certain Premises) Regulations 2005 came into effect.

Over the years members of the Institute, its Council and staff have been very active on a number of committees including active representation on the Scottish Parliament’s Cross Party Group on Tobacco and Health and on the Scottish Tobacco-free Alliance (formerly the Scottish Tobacco Control Alliance) Scotland’s forum for information exchange, discussion and collaboration on all aspects of tobacco control and health promotion relating to smoking. In recent years the Institute has publicly supported, often through formal consultation processes, the introduction of standardised packaging for tobacco, for controls on electronic cigarettes and for a prohibition on smoking in motor vehicles when children are present but much remains to be done. It is estimated that every year in Scotland there are 10,000 deaths attributable to smoking and 128,000 smoking-related hospital admissions. Scotland has unacceptably high lung cancer rates and the cost of smoking to the Scottish economy is calculated to be a staggering £1.1 billion.

ASH Scotland and partners continue to lead the way forward and have launched Scotland’s Charter for a Tobacco Free Generation which aims to:

• Raise awareness of the Scottish Government’s tobacco control strategy and the goal of creating a tobacco-free generation of Scots by 2034.

• Support organisations whose work directly or indirectly impacts on young people and families.

• Inspire organisations to take action to reduce the harm caused by tobacco.

The Institute’s President, Professor Kofi Aidoo, previously signed the Charter on behalf of the Institute and Bernard Forteath and myself signed the Charter as individuals during the reception.

“The cultural impact of smoke-free public places has been profound, with a new generation growing up with smoke-free environments as their right and their expectation. On top of that the intended health benefits have been surpassed, with today’s new figure helping to explain why asthma and heart attacks have decreased so much.

It is frustrating that the voices who fought so hard against smoke-free public places peddle the same tired arguments against health measures today. But the hard-won success of smoke-free public places should inspire us that we can go on to achieve a tobacco-free generation.”

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive, ASH Scotland

“The passing of the smoke-free bill in Scotland was a team effort and it was fantastic to have so many of those who were involved in that team attend this 10th anniversary event. REHIS played a crucial role in what I believe was the most important piece of public health legislation passed by the Scottish Parliament since it was established in 1999.”

Stewart Maxwell MSP/ REHIS Honorary Vice-President

It was a great pleasure to have been invited to the reception and to meet many of the individuals whose personal energies and crusading zeal brought about one of the most significant contributions to the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s people.

Footnote: In 2006 and in 2013 the contributions of Stewart Maxwell MSP and Sheila Duffy respectively were recognised by the Institute when each was presented with the Institute’s Award for Meritorious Endeavours in Environmental Health for their outstanding contributions to the introduction of smoke-free legislation in Scotland.

Editor’s note: The statistics quoted in this article are taken from literature collated and published by ASH Scotland.


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SCOTTISH POLLUTION CONTROL CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE

The Scottish Pollution Control Co-ordinating Committee (SPCCC) continues to be the hub between the liaison groups and the Scottish Government and other interested parties (SEPA, EPS, STEP, SoCOEHS). Attendees are experts and contributors across the main subjects of Air Quality, Contaminated Land and Noise issues that affect Scotland and beyond are discussed. Iris White is Chair, Sharon Lindsay is Secretary and I’m the REHIS Council’s representative on the Committee.

There have been three meetings of the SPCCC since my last update to the Journal (September, November and February). As ever, there is too much to cover in this article but I will try to condense to some key announcements and developments. Members may have noticed that the SPCCC minutes are now available on the member’s section of the REHIS website.

Contaminated Land Update: Scottish Government advised that they are drafting guidance under Section 45 of the Regulatory Reform Act regarding removal of sites from Contaminated Land Registers. Consultation on this will happen in 2016. SEPA are ongoing with their internal review of Contaminated Land functions. A Technical Guidance document suggesting a verification process for Cover Systems supported by various northern English councils has recently been circulated and discussed at some of the liaison groups. SPCCC’s position is it will be for each local authority to determine what use it is for them. http://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/rcbcweb.nsf/web+full+list/873de95187777cb58 0257ab700574b8f.

Air Quality Update: Following on from the drafted Air Source Heat Pumps (Permitted Development Guide) consultation, views were sought primarily on the noise aspects of these installations from Ian Black (Scottish Government: Planning Policy Division) at the November meeting. The conversation started on heat pumps but moved toward the lack of Permitted Development Rights around Biomass installations/Wood Burning Stoves and the inherent concerns and problems that are being experienced across Scottish local authorities in terms of nuisance/air quality impacts. Ian was taking the comments back to Scottish Government, with a consideration for a Permitted Developments Right type approach to stoves/biomass units that fall out with the current scope of

the Planning and Building Standards processes. This was supported by the SPCCC. A request was to be circulated for any examples where local authorities have encountered problems to be forwarded to the SPCCC Secretary (Sharon Lindsay) or Regional Group Secretaries to forward on. From engagement with various EHOs across Scotland I am aware that there are quite a few out there, so send them on.

In relation to Air Quality, the biggest development is the publication and launch of “Clean Air for Scotland (CAFS) - Road to a Healthier Scotland”. The Scottish Government has stated how it intends to work with partner organisations to achieve further reductions in air pollution. If you are not aware of this document I would urge you to read it. It sets some high level ambitions in term of partnership working. http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/news/index?id=513. In addition, at the time of writing, the combined consultative exercise on both the draft Policy and Technical Guidance related to Scottish Local Air Quality Management. http://www.scottishairquality.co.uk/news/index?id=512 had just closed. We can expect draft Scottish Regulations introducing PM2.5 as a Scottish Air Quality Standard and Guidance on the revised LAQM approach.

Noise Update: Linda Storie, Scottish Government advised they are working with SEPA and Transport Scotland to collect data for 2nd round noise mapping. They are looking for a contractor to look after the Noise Mapping Website. A review that had taken place of the approach adopted by END across member states and the progress so far made by each was circulated, giving an idea of where the UK is in relation to its current EU partners.

If there is anything specifically you wish to know or discuss if you’re a local authority employee you should use your local pollution liaison group contacts. If you work with an interested agency or partner contact your representative on the group. These representatives can feed the enquiry through the appropriate communication channel.

by David Duffy, Member of the REHIS Council with responsibility for pollution control matters


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MEMBERSHIP, EDUCATION AND TRAINING COMMITTEE

I had the pleasure of chairing my first meeting of the Membership, Education and Training Committee as Junior Vice-President on 3 February this year. The committee which meets twice a year is responsible for overseeing the Northern and Southern Centres, Professional Courses, Community Training and membership of the Institute. David Duffy and Louise Cunningham were unanimously elected as Vice-Chairmen and I look forward to working closely with them, and the rest of the Committee, in the year ahead.

Northern and Southern Centres

The Northern Centre has planned to provide an electrical safety course in Inverness on 19 April and in Aberdeen on 20 April. A Spring Conference is also planned on 24 May. This will be held at Food Standard Scotland’s office in Aberdeen with video conferencing links to the Highlands and Islands.

The Witness Familiarisation Course organised by the Southern Centre on 19 February was fully booked and the course organisers are looking to see if it is possible to run the course again later in the year to meet demand. The very successful walking tour course which was held last year in Glasgow will be run after the Environmental Health Forum on 28 April to provide an opportunity to those from outwith the central area to attend this excellent event.

Both our Centres work tirelessly to provide a wide range of free or low-cost training to our members and details of all events are available on the REHIS website.

Professional CoursesThere were a number of successful Professional Courses run towards the end of last year and I would like to pass on the Committee’s thanks to the staff at the REHIS office for organising these. The number of delegates attending was up slightly on previous years and I’m sure is a reflection on both the quality of the event and speakers provided.

43 delegates attended the Health and Safety Update Course on 22 September, 64 delegates attended the Food Update Course on 23 September and 71 delegates attended the Environmental Health Update on 20 November.

Bookings are now being taken for the Public Health and Housing Update which will take place on 23 March at the Edinburgh Training and Conference

Venue, Edinburgh. This will also be a very popular course and early booking is recommended.

Community TrainingThere are two presenters updates proposed for this year. The first event which will focus on Food and Health will be a half-day event and will be held on 12 May. The other event covering Food Hygiene, HACCP, Control of Infection and Health and Safety will be a full-day course and will take place on 5 October.

Most of the REHIS courses syllabi and examination papers have now been updated for consistency including the Elementary Infection Prevention and Control Course. Jackie McCabe, the Director of Training, reported that the Elementary Health and Safety Course had been successfully accepted by the Construction Skills Certification Scheme.

The new Train the Presenter course syllabus has recently been agreed by the Working Party and the first course is planned for 26 and 27 May.

Following the tender submission to Food Standard Scotland, the contract to provide the Advanced HACCP Training in Food Manufacturing for Authorised Officers has been awarded to REHIS which is great news.

Joint AwardsThere were also proposals for two new joint awards submitted to this Committee. The first proposal, which was unanimously agreed, was for a Joint Award on Hoarding Awareness and Interventions from Linda Fay of Life-Pod Clutter Management. The second proposal was for a Joint Award in ‘How to Cook with Groups’ from NHS Forth Valley Nutrition and Dietetics Health Improvement Team. This proposal was also unanimously agreed.

Committee MeetingThe next meeting of the Committee is due to take place on 14 September 2016 and any concerns or ideas can be raised with either myself or a Committee member.

by Lorrainne MacGillivray, Chairman


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The Royal EnvironmentalHealth Institute of Scotland

Protecting Scotland’s environment for life, work and travelWe face four challenges to protect and improve Scotland’s environmental health.The Institute stands ready to work with all stakeholders to face these challenges and to improve and protect the health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland.

Are you ready to work with us?

An Environmental Health Manifesto for Scotland


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An Environmental Health Manifesto for ScotlandProtecting Scotland’s environment for life, work and travelThe Environmental Health Manifesto for Scotland explains what Environmental Health is, its importance to the continued protection of Scotland’s public health both now and in the future and describes how Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and the wider environmental health workforce can help policy makers achieve their objectives. It also sets out four challenges facing the profession and the wider Scottish public.

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS) firmly believes that there are four key challenges that will act to protect and improve Scotland’s environmental health.

The Institute will work with all stakeholders to face these challenges and to improve and protect public health in Scotland.

Challenge 1 - Effective locally based Environmental Health REHIS believes that the Environmental Health Service in Scotland should continue to be delivered locally, be sustainably resourced and be aligned with Scottish priorities of health and wellbeing. Priorities for Environmental Health should be set in Scotland.

Challenge 2 - Adequate capacity and training of the Environmental Health workforceREHIS believes reduced public sector spending and the need to support its accredited degree courses must be addressed to ensure that the public have the protection of a properly resourced Environmental Health Service staffed by officers trained to a high standard and who can demonstrate their competence.

Challenge 3 - Protecting the public and ensuring a level playing field for businessREHIS believes that environmental health professionals protect the public by using advice, education, advocacy, support and persuasion to achieve compliance with environmental health legislation. Formal enforcement is used when it is needed and when it is appropriate to the circumstances. Enforcement must continue to be used to protect public health, to tackle unlawful activity and ensure a fair and level playing field for legitimate business activity.

Challenge 4 - Healthier and safer communities through education, training and qualificationsREHIS believes some of the most effective ways to use scarce resources to improve public health is through education, training and qualifications. Employers, employees and members of the public should be supported through cost effective training that will help them to be safer and healthier in their environment.

The full manifesto document can be downloaded from www.rehis.com/manifesto2016

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotlandlmproving and protecting the health and wellbeing of Scotland’s people through education, training and qualifications in Environmental Health.

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland is a registered Scottish charity, No.SC009406The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, 19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8HX© Copyright: 2016


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EXAMINATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMITTEE

SCOTTISH FOOD SAFETY OFFICERS REGISTRATION BOARD

Staffing changesAs the newly elected Chair of the Committee I would like to thank and commend the previous Chair Lorraine McGillivray for her stewardship over the last few years and wish her well in her Presidential journey. I look forward to working with Vice Chairmen Lisa McCann and Brian Lawrie and with other Committee members.

Members will be aware that Brian Auld our former Director of Professional Development has moved on to pastures new and he takes with him our best wishes for his future career. We have been very fortunate in securing the services of Robert Howe, the previous incumbent of the post, on a temporary part time basis to facilitate continuity following Brian’s departure. Meantime the recruitment process has been in full flow and I am delighted that John Sleith has accepted the post of Director of Professional Development on a full time basis. John, as many will know, has a strong REHIS pedigree being a Past President, former Chair of the Examinations and Professional Standards Committee and as an Examiner. Robert and John will work together to achieve a smooth handover until Robert resumes his more challenging duties as a childminder for his second grandchild.

Accredited Environmental Health Academic QualificationsA recent meeting between the Institute and the University of the West of Scotland confirmed accreditation requirements for the BSc Environmental Health degree course continue to be met. Discussions took place surrounding direct entry and work based learning plus useful and positive feedback from all four year students.

The final remaining student on the MSc Environmental Health degree course at Strathclyde University is due to graduate in September 2016 after which the accreditation agreement will be formally terminated.

The annual accreditation meeting with the University of Derby regarding the MSc Environmental Health degree course (by distance learning) has still to be arranged.

The next diet for the Institute’s Professional Examination are due to take place on 26 and 27 October 2016.

Scheme of Professional PracticeThe draft report from the Short Life Working Group on the Scheme of Professional Practice presented to the last committee is due to be considered at our next meeting in April following alterations and the inclusion of a roadmap outlining the timescales and priorities for implementation.

Following questions posed in the Scottish Parliament by our Honorary Vice-President Stewart Maxwell MSP regarding the Institute’s concern over the declining number of Food Safety Officers in Scotland and the lack of a suitable course to allow potential candidates an opportunity to obtain the necessary minimum academic qualifications to train as a Food Safety Officer, a meeting was arranged with Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning. The meeting in mid January was attended by Institute representatives, Mr Maxwell and a representative from Food Standards Scotland.

The issues were discussed openly and at length and the Cabinet Secretary was receptive and helpful. Accordingly it was agreed that interested parties including those present together with academic, trade and professional bodies would come together with a remit to find a solution to this important omission.

The Institute is committed to pursuing a sustainable pathway which will enable Trainee Food Safety Officers to access the minimum academic qualifications required to gain the SFSORB’s qualifications and undertake food enforcement duties.

by Colin Wallace, Chairman

by Colin Wallace, Chairman

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JOHN SLEITH, DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

John Sleith qualified as an Environmental Health Officer in 1978. He trained in Motherwell and worked as a young inspector in East Kilbride before moving on to Renfrewshire. For the last 10 years has been with Falkirk Council where he was, until recently, Environmental Health and Trading Standards Manager.

John has been fortunate to have experienced a wide range of duties in environmental health and over the years has served on liaison committees for food safety, occupational health and safety, public health as well as environmental protection and health promotion.

Since qualifying, John has always been an active member of the Institute. He joined the management team of the Southern Centre at an early stage in his career and participated in the organisation of meetings and seminars for colleagues. He has engaged fully since then in all areas of the Institute’s affairs, from being a member of the Board of Examiners, Council Member, Chairman of Education and Examinations Committee (now Examinations and Professional Standards) to having the honour of serving as President during the year 1998-99. He was instrumental in setting up and running the popular Law Enforcement Weekend course which ran at the Scottish Police College for 17 years.

In his role as manager at Falkirk, John has linked up with REHIS on many occasions to provide training and seminars in food safety and port health, in particular organising site visits for trainee EHOs to the port of Grangemouth, which handles the largest quantity of imported food in Scotland.

During his time as Chairman of the Examinations and Professional Standards Committee, he engaged with the then Director of Professional Development in overseeing the accreditation and re-accreditation

of the BSc (Hon) and MSc Environmental Health degree courses at the University of Strathclyde, the University of West of Scotland and the University of Derby.

John was honoured to be elected a Fellow of the Institute in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the work of the Institute.

He has been a Chartered Environmental Health Officer since the scheme was introduced and lately, before being appointed to this post was nominated as the Council’s representative for matters relating to food safety and food standards. He has been active in the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland and held the position of Chairman from 2011 to 2016.

On several occasions over the years John has presented guest lectures to the BSc (Hon) and MSc degree courses at the University of Strathclyde on a range of subjects including food safety, waste regulation and port health.

John is particularly keen to promote the work of the Institute; to maintain and further develop the education, training and qualification requirements for Environmental Health Officers and Food Safety Officers in Scotland; and to represent the Institute at the wide range of fora that this important role requires.

John is enthused by the challenges that the remit of the post of Director of Professional Development demands and is thoroughly looking forward to meeting these challenges.

Editor’s note: I am delighted to welcome John Sleith to the staff at Torphichen Street. His experience, expertise, friendly demeanour and sense of humour will be greatly appreciated by the Institute’s partner organisations and by the Institute’s staff.


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HSE LOCAL AUTHORITY UNIT NEWS

Getting risk management right is integral to good business; it enables productivity, innovation and growth and delivers greater levels of wellbeing for everyone. Great Britain’s health and safety record is one of the best in the world. Making it even better is the challenge for everyone (government, employers and workers alike) and the driver behind the new health and safety system strategy for Great Britain.

To help shape the future of health and safety, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recently ran a series of regional events across Great Britain to seek the views of a wide range of stakeholders with the first event being held in Glasgow on 18 January. Nearly 900 people attended the events and 4.2 million people have been reached via social media in relation to the new strategy.

There are six key themes which underpin the new strategy:

• Promoting broader ownership of workplace health and safety

• Highlighting and tackling the burden of work related ill health

• Promoting proportionate approaches to risk management as an enabler of business productivity

• Making sure SMEs can access straightforward advice that makes it easy for them to meet their responsibilities

• Anticipating and tackling new health and safety challenges

• Promoting the benefits and success of Britain’s risk-based approach to health and safety.

Crucially for small businesses, providing accessible, straightforward advice for SMEs was a key issue discussed at the events; other top-line messages included a shift in focus to workplace health and the need for greater and improved sharing of information and good practice between industries, sectors and businesses. Feedback from the events has been used to inform and influence the development of the new health and safety system strategy which will be launched shortly. I’ll give you more details in the next edition.

Everyone who has a role to play in health and safety is encouraged to get involved in the conversation and to help bring the strategy to life. The ‘Helping Great Britain Work Well’ strategy gives examples

of how others have helped make a difference by taking positive action. You can download a copy for free at http://www.hse.gov.uk/strategy/ and join in the conversation on social media by sharing your views on good health and safety management, using #HelpGBWorkWell.

Recently, HSE’s chief executive Richard Judge met with the Scottish Trades Union Congress – who, as part of broader discussions, raised their concerns about stress in education and printing industries. With 1 in 4 people having mental health problems every year, the odds are that we all know someone affected. In 2014/15 stress accounted for 35% of all work-related ill health cases and 43% of all working days lost due to ill health. And, just over 1 in 100 workers are absent due to work related stress (WRS) in any given year – the most common causes being workload pressures, including tight deadlines, too much responsibility and lack of managerial support. The statistics are pretty much unchanged for the last decade.

HSE has designed the Management Standards approach to help employers manage the causes of work-related stress. It is based on the familiar ‘Five steps to risk assessment’ model, requiring management and staff to work together. The Standards refer to six areas of work that can lead to stress if not properly managed and can be found at HSE’s stress website: www.hse.gov.uk/stress.

by Tracy McTaggart, Health and Safety Executive, Local Authority Unit

REHIS

HEALTH & SAFETY

UPDATE

21 SEPTEMBER 2016

EDINBURGH


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ENHANCED WASTE DUTY OF CARE INTERVENTIONS

The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 came into force on 1 of January 2014 and amended the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (EPA). The Scottish Government, SEPA, Zero Waste Scotland and other organisations worked to produce guidance documents describing an enhanced approach to enforcing the Duty of Care included in the Act.

In April 2015, following internal changes within Fife Council, a new team of 4 Enforcement Officers formed within the Environmental Health (Food and Workplace Safety) Team and was tasked with enforcing the Duty of Care within Fife. Within the first few weeks it was recognised that different areas of Fife had different issues and needs. One area of concern was St Andrews, for which a large number of complaints had been received over a short period of time.

Historically there have been issues with the management of commercial waste in the centre of St Andrews. We identified Market Street, South Street, North Street and the associated lanes, closes and connecting streets like Bell Street as the worst affected areas. In the main, the problems resulted from the poor presentation of waste. Businesses were presenting waste containers with the lids up, presenting excess waste outwith their containers and some businesses were even using bins provided for the public.

This resulted in streets littered with commercial waste placing an additional burden on the street cleansing crews and attracting vermin such as crows and gulls. All of this was clearly visible to visitors and residents alike and negatively impacted on the visual amenity.

The situation in St Andrews was coming to a head and complaints were increasing. We were also aware that the 2015 Open Golf Championship was going to dramatically increase the footfall of visitors and place huge pressures on the traders and street cleansing crews. We therefore had to act.

In late April 2015, we began a series of morning patrols starting at 7am. This allowed us to see the state of the streets before the cleansing crews had been in and allowed us to identify the businesses that were presenting their waste in a poor manner. It also meant that we could be in the town before any of the waste contractors had serviced the bins. We were able to check public bins before servicing and identify any commercial waste. These patrols continued until the

end of September 2015, along with over 250 visits carried out.

Patrol priorities were to identify:

• Bins with lids up allowing waste to escape.

• Excess waste presented outwith bins (often bagged).

• Landfill bins with recyclable materials present.

• Businesses on bag systems presenting bags including food waste.

• Businesses using street litter bins for excess commercial waste.

Where we identified a non-compliant business we, where possible, approached them the same day and explained the contraventions to them. We would then book an appointment and carry out a Waste Compliance Audit. The audit identifies contraventions of the EPA but also identifies opportunities for the business to improve their waste management both internally and externally. We find that once the internal management is improved and taken under control, good presentation generally follows.

After the audit, we monitored the businesses’ waste presentation for approx. 28 days and we dealt with further contraventions with an immediate visit to explain the problem. If after the 28-day period there were still problems, we would then issue a formal warning. If we issued 3 warnings to the same business, we would then seek to take legal action such as a fine or a report to the Procurator Fiscal. We have not had to do so as yet and only 5 formal warnings were required.

In addition, prior to the Open Championship, we carried out a mail drop in the identified area of St Andrews prompting businesses to consider the impact the increased custom would have on the waste they generated and to contact their contractors if they were concerned. The letter also explained that poor presentation or presentation of excess waste would not be acceptable.

We have also tried to show traders that we are approachable and that our first priority in any intervention is to help the business get it right, through providing good advice and help rather than taking enforcement action for minor issues. This, we believe, demonstrates a proportionate approach to enforcement.

by Billy Stevenson and Andy Jones, Enforcement Officers, Fife Council


26

The programme of focused interventions in St Andrews has had a major positive impact on street cleanliness and general compliance with the EPA. Anecdotal evidence from the street cleansing teams appears to indicate a benefit, the amount of vermin appears reduced and we have had positive feedback from traders, residents and visitors. An American tourist approached us during the second week of September and explained that he and his wife were visiting last summer and had been shocked by the litter and overflowing bins on the streets. The difference he saw this year impressed him and he thanked us for the work we had put in.

However, historically, good waste management and presentation of such has been difficult to sustain in St Andrews. With this in mind, we have established a stronger relationship with the street cleaning crews and have improved the lines of communication. We will continue to carry out random early morning patrols, respond to requests for service and act upon information received from colleagues in other teams throughout the Council. Our latest spot checks were carried out in January 2016 and it was pleasing to find that a high level of compliance with the waste duty of care was being maintained.

Market Street, St Andrews.

Market Street, St Andrews.

Church Square, St Andrews.

Church Square, St Andrews.

College Street, St Andrews.

College Street, St Andrews.

Before Interventions:

After Interventions:


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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Continuing Professional DevelopmentMembers of the Institute who participate in the Institute’s Scheme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) should have submitted their 2015 record card by 31 January 2016. Last year, I reported on the key findings from a detailed audit of a random sample of CPD submissions, and I am pleased to say that the high quality of submissions continues this year. However, there are still incidences where members of the Institute are not submitting supporting evidence with their submissions. It is vitally important that evidence is submitted to support and substantiate the claims made within the CPD record form at the same time of submitting the CPD record card. Incomplete CPD submissions may cause significant delays in the processing of the submissions and this has a direct impact on the speed at which the Institute’s office can accurately update records.

I am pleased to report that several members of the Institute have also submitted their substantive report as part of their CPD submissions. One substantive report is required to be submitted by each scheme participant who is an Environmental Health Officer at least once every three years. The substantive reports must reflect at least one area of professional practice and at least one of the core competencies outlined within the Scheme. Additional guidance has been produced by the Institute to support members in writing and submitting their substantive reports. This guidance will be available from the Institute’s website shortly.

Professional CoursesA number of professional courses have been organised for the first quarter of 2016. The Witness Familiarisation and Crime Investigation and Report Writing Skills courses have been delivered in partnership with Betty Bott.

The Institute presented its Public Health and Housing Update Course on 23 March 2016 in Edinburgh. This course was organised by members of the Public Health and Housing Working Group and an excellent programme covering a variety of topics was presented on the day. Excellent feedback has been received. Well done to Lindsey-Anne McNeil and her colleagues.

Scheme of Professional PracticeThere are currently 51 Student/Graduate Trainee Environmental Health Officers registered with the

Institute as undertaking their professional training in environmental health practice. Whilst the majority of these individuals have a placement with a local authority, nearly 20 Student/Graduate Trainee EHOs are unattached. The Institute is currently looking for individuals who may wish to undertake the role of Professional Practice Advisor for unattached students. The role will involve supporting individuals during their training period and provide authoritative and professional guidance on the requirements of the Scheme. The Institute will be organising training courses for prospective Professional Practice Advisors.

Student Pre-Professional Examination SeminarThe Institute presented its pre-professional examination Seminar for Student/Graduate Trainee Environmental Health Officers on 9 February at the Institute’s office in Edinburgh.

The purpose of the seminar is to inform all Student/Graduate Trainee EHOs who intend to present themselves at the next diet of Professional Examinations on the structure and processes of the examinations. This year, in response to feedback from previous attendees, the Institute invited John Bell, an experienced Food Safety and Food Standards Examiner, to provide an overview of the examination processes from an examiner’s perspective. In addition, John hosted a mock food table where attendees were provided with invaluable advice on how to tackle questions relating to the fitness, identification and quality of food stuffs. The feedback was extremely positive and the Institute will continue to host a wide range of these seminars under this new format in the future.

Finally, I would like to express my thanks to all of the members of the Institute and the staff at 19 Torphichen Street for their support over the past two years.

by Brian Auld, Director of Professional Development


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WORLDWIDE DEATHS ATTRIBUTABLETO UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS

An estimated 12.6 million people died as a result of living or working in an unhealthy environment in 2012 – nearly 1 in 4 of total global deaths, according to new estimates from WHO. Environmental risk factors, such as air, water and soil pollution, chemical exposures, climate change, and ultraviolet radiation, contribute to more than 100 diseases and injuries.

Non-communicable diseases contribute to largest share of environment-related deathsThe second edition of the report, Preventing disease through healthy environments: a global assessment of the burden of disease from environmental risks, reveals that since the report was first published a decade ago, deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), mostly attributable to air pollution (including exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke), amount to as many as 8.2 million of these deaths. NCDs, such as stroke, heart disease, cancers and chronic respiratory disease, now amount to nearly two-thirds of the total deaths caused by unhealthy environments.

At the same time, deaths from infectious diseases, such as diarrhoea and malaria, often related to poor water, sanitation and waste management, have declined. Increases in access to safe water and sanitation have been key contributors to this decline, alongside better access to immunisation, insecticide-treated mosquito nets and essential medicines.

Healthier environment: healthier peopleThe report emphasises cost-effective measures that countries can take to reverse the upward trend of environment-related disease and deaths. These include reducing the use of solid fuels for cooking and increasing access to low-carbon energy technologies.

Environmental risks take their greatest toll on young children and older people, the report finds, with children under 5 and adults aged 50 to 75 years most impacted. Yearly, the deaths of 1.7 million children under 5 and 4.9 million adults aged 50 to 75 could be prevented through better environmental management. Lower respiratory infections and diarrhoeal diseases mostly impact children under 5, while older people are most impacted by NCDs.

Burden of disease in WHO RegionsRegionally, the report finds, low- and middle-income countries in the WHO South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions had the largest environment-related disease burden in 2012, with a total of 7.3 million

deaths, most attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution. Further regional statistics listed in the report include:

• 2.2 million deaths annually in African Region.

• 847 000 deaths annually in Region of the Americas.

• 854 000 deaths annually in Eastern Mediterranean Region.

• 1.4 million deaths annually in European Region.

• 3.8 million deaths annually in South-East Asia Region.

• 3.5 million deaths annually in the Western Pacific Region.

Low- and middle-income countries bear the greatest environmental burden in all types of diseases and injuries, however for certain NCDs, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, the per capita disease burden can also be relatively high in high-income countries.

Top causes of environment-related deathsLooking across more than 100 disease and injury categories, the report finds that the vast majority of environment-related deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke and ischaemic heart disease:

Stroke – 2.5 million deaths annually.

Ischaemic heart disease – 2.3 million deaths annually.

Unintentional injuries (such as road traffic deaths) – 1.7 million deaths annually.

Cancers – 1.7 million deaths annually.

Chronic respiratory diseases – 1.4 million deaths annually.

Diarrhoeal diseases – 846,000 deaths annually.

Respiratory infections – 567,000 deaths annually.

Neonatal conditions – 270,000 deaths annually.

Malaria – 259,000 deaths annually.

Intentional injuries (such as suicides) – 246,000 deaths annually.

Strategies to reduce environmental disease burdenThe report cites proven strategies for improving the environment and preventing diseases. For instance, using clean technologies and fuels for domestic cooking, heating and lighting would reduce acute respiratory infections, chronic respiratory diseases,

from the World Health Organisation Media Centre


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cardiovascular diseases and burns. Increasing access to safe water and adequate sanitation and promoting hand washing would further reduce diarrhoeal diseases.

Tobacco smoke-free legislation reduces exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke, and thereby also reduces cardiovascular diseases and respiratory infections. Improving urban transit and urban planning, and building energy-efficient housing would reduce air pollution-related diseases and promote safe physical activity.

Many cities around the world are already implementing many of these cost-effective measures. Curitiba, Brazil has invested heavily in slum upgrading, waste recycling, and a popular “bus rapid transit” system which is integrated with green spaces and pedestrian walkways to encourage walking and cycling. Despite

a five-fold population increase in the past 50 years, air pollution levels are comparatively lower than in many other rapidly growing cities and life expectancy is 2 years longer than the national average.

Through WHO’s water safety plans, which work to identify and address threats to drinking-water safety, Amarapuri, Nepal identified open defecation as a water quality hazard contributing to diseases in the area. As a result, the village built toilets for each household and was later declared an Open Defecation Free Zone by the local government.

Currently, WHO is working with countries to take action on both indoor and outdoor air pollution. At the World Health Assembly in May, WHO will propose a road map for an enhanced global response by the health sector aimed at reducing the adverse health effects of air pollution.

WHO ZIKA VIRUS FACTSHEET

Key facts

• Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.

• People with Zika virus disease usually have symptoms that can include mild fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. These symptoms normally last for 2-7 days.

• There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available.

• The best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites.

• The virus is known to circulate in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

Genre: Flavivirus.

Vector: Aedes mosquitoes (which usually bite during the morning and late afternoon/evening hours).

IntroductionZika virus is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys through a monitoring network of sylvatic yellow fever. It was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of

Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.

Reservoir: Unknown.

Signs and SymptomsThe incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is not clear, but is likely to be a few days. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections such as dengue, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache. These symptoms are usually mild and last for 2-7 days.

Potential complications of Zika virus diseaseDuring large outbreaks in French Polynesia and Brazil in 2013 and 2015 respectively, national health authorities reported potential neurological and auto-immune complications of Zika virus disease. Recently in Brazil, local health authorities have observed an increase in Guillain-Barré syndrome which coincided with Zika virus infections in the general public, as well as an increase in babies born with microcephaly in northeast Brazil. Agencies investigating the Zika outbreaks are finding an increasing body of evidence about the link between Zika virus and microcephaly. However, more investigation is needed to better

from World Health Organisation Media Centre

***


30

understand the relationship between microcephaly in babies and the Zika virus. Other potential causes are also being investigated.

TransmissionZika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus, mainly Aedes aegypti in tropical regions. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. However, sexual transmission of Zika virus has been described in 2 cases, and the presence of the Zika virus in semen in 1 additional case.

Zika virus disease outbreaks were reported for the first time from the Pacific in 2007 and 2013 (Yap and French Polynesia, respectively), and in 2015 from the Americas (Brazil and Colombia) and Africa (Cabo Verde). In addition, more than 13 countries in the Americas have reported sporadic Zika virus infections indicating rapid geographic expansion of Zika virus.

DiagnosisInfection with Zika virus may be suspected based on symptoms and recent history (e.g. residence or travel to an area where Zika virus is known to be present). Zika virus diagnosis can only be confirmed by laboratory testing for the presence of Zika virus RNA in the blood or other body fluids, such as urine or saliva.

PreventionMosquitoes and their breeding sites pose a significant risk factor for Zika virus infection. Prevention and control relies on reducing mosquitoes through source reduction (removal and modification of breeding sites) and reducing contact between mosquitoes and people.

This can be done by using insect repellent regularly; wearing clothes (preferably light-coloured) that cover as much of the body as possible; using physical barriers such as window screens, closed doors and windows; and if needed, additional personal protection, such as sleeping under mosquito nets during the day. It is extremely important to empty, clean or cover containers regularly that can store water, such as buckets, drums, pots etc. Other mosquito breeding sites should be cleaned or removed including flower pots, used tyres and roof gutters. Communities must support the efforts of the local government to reduce the density of mosquitoes in their locality.

Repellents should contain DEET (N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide), IR3535 (3-[N-acetyl-N-butyl]-aminopropionic acid ethyl ester) or icaridin (1-piperidinecarboxylic acid, 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-methylpropylester). Product label instructions should be strictly followed. Special attention and help should

be given to those who may not be able to protect themselves adequately, such as young children, the sick or elderly.

During outbreaks, health authorities may advise that spraying of insecticides be carried out. Insecticides recommended by the WHO Pesticide Evaluation Scheme may also be used as larvicides to treat relatively large water containers.

Travellers should take the basic precautions described above to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

TreatmentZika virus disease is usually relatively mild and requires no specific treatment. People sick with Zika virus should get plenty of rest, drink enough fluids, and treat pain and fever with common medicines. If symptoms worsen, they should seek medical care and advice. There is currently no vaccine available.

WHO responseWHO is supporting countries to control Zika virus disease through:

• Define and prioritise research into Zika virus disease by convening experts and partners.

• Enhance surveillance of Zika virus and potential complications.

• Strengthen capacity in risk communication to help countries meet their commitments under the International Health Regulations.

• Provide training on clinical management, diagnosis and vector control including through a number of WHO Collaborating Centres.

• Strengthen the capacity of laboratories to detect the virus.

• Support health authorities to implement vector control strategies aimed at reducing Aedes mosquito populations such as providing larvicide to treat still water sites that cannot be treated in other ways, such as cleaning, emptying, and covering them.

• Prepare recommendations for clinical care and follow-up of people with Zika virus, in collaboration with experts and other health agencies.


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THE ROYAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTHINSTITUTE OF SCOTLAND

The Institute was incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee on 16th February 1983, to give effect to the amalgamation of The Royal Sanitary Association of Scotland and The Scottish Institute of Environmental Health. The Institute was Incorporated by Royal Charter on 8th March 2001, following which the Company was wound up.

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland is a registered Scottish Charity, Number SC009406.

The objects for which the Institute is established, contained in Article 3 of the Charter, are for the benefit of the community to promote the advancement of Environmental Health by:

a. stimulating general interest in and disseminating knowledge concerning Environmental Health;

b. promoting education and training in matters relating to Environmental Health; and

c. maintaining, by examination or otherwise, high standards of professional practice and conduct on the part of Environmental Health Officers in Scotland.

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland is an independent and self-financing organisation. It neither seeks nor receives grant aid. The Institute’s charitable activities are funded significantly by the subscriptions received from its members.

The Institute’s affairs are managed by a Council which is elected by members. The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland is a founding member of the International Federation of Environmental Health.

The Institute frequently uses the acronym: REHIS®.

REHIS and the Crest device are registered trademarks of The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland.

Developing and Maintaining a Positive Food Safety CultureThe importance of food safety culture and its effect on the implementation of food safety practices is increasingly recognised. However, there is a lack of information on the theoretical underpinning and practical application of food safety culture. This book seeks to redress these deficiencies.

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Health and Safety for ManagementThis folder includes all the latest information on health and safety legislation, training and best practice for managers to implement in their workplace. It is indispensable reading for owners and managers of all businesses, managers and trainers of health and safety.

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The Risk Assessment HandbookThis handbook covers the background and legislation associated with risk assessments, common accidents, incidents and near misses in workplaces, different types of risk assessment and how risk assessment relates to enforcement.

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A Question of Licensing for Scotland (for servers and sellers of alcohol)An excellent resource for personal licence holders and trainers, A Question of Licensing for Scotland provides 2 hours of licensing training for staff who sell or serve alcohol (as required by Scottish law).

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Food Safety Culture PresentationThis presentation is ideal for those delivering a Level 3 Food Safety Culture course. This presentation includes an introduction to the concept of food safety culture, components and composition of a food safety culture, and developing and promoting a positive food safety culture.

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Documents

Vol 28 - Number 1 Spring 2016 - REHIS · HSE Local Authority Unit News 24 Enhanced Waste Duty of Care Interventions 25 Professional Development 27 Worldwide Deaths Attributable to