Environmental health
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
Environmental health is concerned with physical, chemical and biological factors that impact on health. It is aimed at preventing disease and creating healthy environments.
[edit] Environmental health professionals
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health are the professional body for environmental and public health and safety. The broad roles of environmental health practitioners can be categorised as:
[edit] Environmental protection
Implementing UK and European laws in relation to air, water, noise, contaminated land and so on. In relation to air pollution control and air quality management, audits and action plans may be undertaken to identify and rectify any problems. The management of noise is a key role within neighbourhood noise disputes.
[edit] Food safety
Ensuring food is stored, handled, prepared and served in a hygienic and safe way:
- Inspections of food businesses.
- Advising businesses and schools on food regulation and hygiene improvement.
- Investigating food complaints.
- Investigating food poisoning cases.
- Issuing hazard warnings if outbreaks occur.
[edit] Health and safety
Offering advice about health and safety in the workplace, safeguarding employees and the public, carrying out visits and inspections looking into health and safety incidents.
[edit] Housing
Monitoring housing standards within rental properties to ensure they are a suitable standard to live in and inspecting facilities such as fire escape routes, smoke alarms, sanitation and so on. If necessary, enforcement action will be taken to secure improvements.
[edit] Public health
Working alongside doctors, health visitors and dieticians to help protect and promote better public health. Human health can be affected by the environment we live in, the job we undertake, the food we consume and the lifestyle we live, as well as diseases.
[edit] Local authority environmental health
Local authority environmental health services are generally administered by the local authority which has a range of responsibilities and the power to prosecute and enforce regulations and legislation.
Typical areas of responsibility include:
- Food hygiene and safety.
- Control of infectious disease.
- Health and safety at work.
- Pollution control.
- Animal welfare.
- Pest control.
- Private water supplies.
- Private sector housing.
- Health promotion.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki.
- Building regulations.
- CDM.
- Competent person.
- Construction dust.
- Contaminated land.
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH).
- Designing to reduce the chemical, biological and radiological vulnerability of new buildings (IP 7/15).
- Ergonomics in construction.
- First aider.
- Health and Safety Executive.
- Health and safety inspector.
- Health and safety.
- Human comfort in buildings.
- Local authority.
- Manual handling.
- Mental health.
- Nature and Wellbeing: The Evidence.
- Noise nuisance.
- Occupational health.
- Pollution.
- Public Health Act 1984.
- Reporting accidents and injuries on construction sites.
- Wellbeing.
- Work at height regulations.
[edit] External references
Featured articles and news
The restoration of the novelist’s birthplace in Eastwood.
Life Critical Fire Safety External Wall System LCFS EWS
Breaking down what is meant by this now often used term.
PAC report on the Remediation of Dangerous Cladding
Recommendations on workforce, transparency, support, insurance, funding, fraud and mismanagement.
New towns, expanded settlements and housing delivery
Modular inquiry asks if new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing.
Building Engineering Business Survey Q1 2025
Survey shows growth remains flat as skill shortages and volatile pricing persist.
Construction contract awards remain buoyant
Infrastructure up but residential struggles.
Home builders call for suspension of Building Safety Levy
HBF with over 100 home builders write to the Chancellor.
CIOB Apprentice of the Year 2024/2025
CIOB names James Monk a quantity surveyor from Cambridge as the winner.
Warm Homes Plan and existing energy bill support policies
Breaking down what existing policies are and what they do.
Treasury responds to sector submission on Warm Homes
Trade associations call on Government to make good on manifesto pledge for the upgrading of 5 million homes.
A tour through Robotic Installation Systems for Elevators, Innovation Labs, MetaCore and PORT tech.
A dynamic brand built for impact stitched into BSRIA’s building fabric.
BS 9991:2024 and the recently published CLC advisory note
Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings. Code of practice.