1

WelcomeI am delighted to welcome you to this, the first,edition of the REHIS Newsletter.

Following the publication of the REHIS-commissioned Old Report last year, theCouncil of REHIS approved the publication ofa web-based monthly newsletter to ensuremore frequent communication with theenvironmental health community and with thewider public health community in Scotland.

Each edition of the Newsletter will feature shortarticles on news, initiatives, events and otheractivities which promote environmental healthand public health across Scotland. It is theintention of REHIS to highlight the work of allpublic health professionals and theircontribution to the improvement and protectionof the health of the people of Scotland. Thismonth�s spotlight falls on Environmental HealthOfficers and a new leaflet produced by REHISoutlines the training, qualifications andcompetencies that are unique to theProfession. The leaflet will be of interest toanyone wanting to find out more about theProfession including prospective or currentMSPs, Councillors and senior Council officials.Further information available from ValCameron, Director of ProfessionalDevelopment on 0131 225 5444 orvc@rehis.com.

If you wish to feature any initiative, event oractivity in the REHIS Newsletter, pleasecontact Jennifer Watkins, ProfessionalDevelopment Officer, on 0131 225 5444 orjw@rehis.com.

I hope you enjoy reading the newsletter andthat you find it useful and interesting.

Bernard ForteathPresident

Conference 2006Last year�s REHIS Conference was heldbetween 22-24 November in Glasgow. Theevent was very enjoyable with excellentspeakers and topics including sustainability,biodiversity, environmental health surveillance,community planning, avian flu pandemic, foodand health, food safety, occupational healthand safety, private water supplies andenvironmental protection. A number ofpresentations are included in the recentlypublished Winter/Spring edition of the REHISJournal Environmental Health Scotland. Alsoincluded in the Journal are a number ofphotographs taken during Conference andduring the Civic Reception at the Glasgow CityCouncil�s magnificent City Chambers and atthe Annual Awards Ceremony that followed.Members can view the most recent Journal onthe REHIS website.

Professional ExaminationsThe next diet of the Professional Examinationsfor Environmental Health Officers and FoodSafety Officers will be held, in Edinburgh, onWednesday 18 and Thursday 19 April. Allcandidates for this diet should now beregistered with the REHIS office.

Successful Skin Piercing Seminar forEnforcers75 environmental health professionals, from 31Scottish local authorities, came together for atraining seminar in Edinburgh in February todiscuss the new skin piercing legislation. Theseminar was organised by REHIS inpartnership with Health Protection Scotlandand the Scottish Executive.

April 2007

2

Housing (Scotland) Act 2005REHIS welcomes this new legislation and thepositive impact that it will have on poor housingacross Scotland. As an outcome,Communities Scotland has set up a TolerableStandard Expert Panel and Andrew Lamb, anEHO with the City of Aberdeen Council, is theREHIS representative on this group.

Environmental Incivility and PublicHealthThe Southern Centre held another popularlunchtime event last September in Glasgowwith the following keynote speakers: GeorgeMorris, Scottish Executive; Emily Postan,SNIFFER; and Donna Niven, Keep ScotlandBeautiful. The presentations outlined theproblems associated with EnvironmentalIncivility and the current published researchand national initiatives which are underway.

CareersLate last year, career advisors on Orkneyspent two days with the Orkney IslandsCouncil�s EHOs to discover what a career asan EHO entails. This innovative approachgave them a great insight into the work of anEHO and will allow them to advise schoolpupils appropriately.

Scheme of Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment for EnvironmentalHealth OfficersAt the March meeting of the REHIS Council itwas agreed that all scheme participants will, asfrom 2008, be required to submit corroborativeevidence of activities along with their recordcards. CPD record cards can be downloadedfrom the members� area of the REHIS websiteand are also available from the REHIS office.

Training and Development SurveyLate last year REHIS sampled 100 EHOmembers to determine the level of their post-qualification training. The survey also sought

the views of the sample on the trainingopportunities provided by REHIS and theirfuture training/development needs. We wouldlike to thank all members who completed andreturned their questionnaires.

Annual Awards CeremonyAs reported above, the REHIS Annual AwardsCeremony was held in Glasgow City Council�sCity Chambers as part of the REHISConference last November. We weredelighted to present a total of 46 awards,including 14 candidates who received theirDiploma in Environmental Health which allowsthem to practice as Environmental HealthOfficers in Scotland and the UK.

Community Training UpdateThe 1,000th REHIS Elementary Food andHealth Course Certificate was recentlypresented to Ann Sargent of South AyrshireCouncil. Ann prepares lunches in the kitchenat Dalmilling Primary School in Ayr andreceived her certificate from Councillor PamPaterson, Convenor of the Lifelong LearningCommittee. Bernard Forteath the REHISPresident and Graham Walker, the REHISDirector of Training were also present.

The REHIS Introduction to Health and SafetyCourse, a level 1 non-examinable, pre-employment health and safety awarenesscourse intended primarily for persons joiningthe workforce, was launched at the end of lastyear.

The REHIS HACCP for Caterers Course(CookSafe � A Food Safety AssuranceSystem) will be launched in April. The courseis aimed at those responsible for thedevelopment of maintenance of food safetymanagement procedures based on HACCPprinciples. Further information available fromthe Training Section on 0131 225 5444 ortraining@rehis.com.

3

Environmental Health Officers -Training, Qualifications andCompetencies

The Environmental Health Officer inScotland � protecting and improvingpublic health.

Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) aremulti tasking public health professionalsqualified and competent:-

� to assess situations where the physicalenvironment may impact on public health

� to implement the appropriate interventionstrategy to protect and improve publichealth, this may result in enforcementaction when required

� to engage with, educate and givepertinent �on site� advice to businesses,the general public and a wide range ofother organisations.

EHOs working in local authorities acrossScotland have high levels of responsibility.They are authorised to take immediate actionto protect public health and to operate on thefront line from an early stage in their careersunder powers delegated from the localauthorities. EHOs can, for example, takeaction that will result in the immediate closureof certain premises and processes. They areeducated, trained and qualified and arecompetent to intervene in such circumstances.

The areas of work that EHOs are routinelyinvolved in are:-

� Public Health - joint working with partneragencies, outbreak control teams, porthealth, health promotion, private watersupplies, pest control, bereavementservices, animal welfare, swimming pools

� Food Safety - premises inspections, foodsampling, investigation of food poisoning

or food/waterborne disease

� Food Standards - inspections ofpremises and processes, compositionand labelling visits, import/export controls

� Built Environment - HMO licensing,houses below tolerable standard, grants,landlord�s registration, caravans,environmental assessment

� Occupational Health and Safety -workplace inspections, accidentinvestigations, complaints

� Pollution Control - air quality monitoring,anti-social domestic noise complaints,commercial noise nuisance surveys,contaminated land, working with ScottishEnvironmental Protection Agency

� Waste Management - waste collection,littering offences, abandoned vehicles,recycling, sewage treatment, working withother environment bodies.

EHOs are graduates of BSc (Hons)/MScEnvironmental Health degree courses that areaccredited by the Royal Environmental HealthInstitute of Scotland (REHIS). REHIS is aregistered Scottish charity and is establishedby Royal Charter to promote the advancementof environmental health, for the benefit of thecommunity by:-

� stimulating general interest in anddisseminating knowledge concerningenvironmental health

� promoting education and training inmatters relating to environmental health

� maintaining, by examination or otherwise,high standards of professional practiceand conduct on the part of environmentalhealth officers in Scotland.

REHIS accredited Environmental Healthdegree courses such as the BSc (Hons) andMSc offered at the University of Strathclyde inGlasgow, and the MSc, by distance learning,course at the University of Derby, provide theunder-pinning academic foundation (scientific,technical and professional) on which the

4

compulsory structured practical training, lastingapproximately one year, is built. REHIS willonly accredit courses which it deems toprovide the necessary under-pinning academiceducation essential for the development ofEHOs and the provision of a competent EHOworkforce/Profession.

The BSc (Hons) Environmental Health degreecourse (four years) at the University ofStrathclyde in Glasgow provides:-

� the higher education that underpins theprofessional practical training

� intellectual (critical, analytical,synthesising and problem solving),communication, study and research�transferable� skills

� broad science base in Years 1 and 2 ofthe curriculum reflects the generalistapproach of the Profession

� course focuses on the application ofscientific knowledge to environmentalhealth, protection and management inYears 2, 3 and 4

� research and critical appraisal themes inYears 3 and 4 are particular strengths ofthe course

� compulsory Professional credits taughtthroughout the course e.g. food safety,health and safety.

Structured practical training is provided byScottish local authorities and is specified in theREHIS �Practical Training Manual for Studentand Graduate Trainee Environmental HealthOfficers�. The student/graduate trainee mustspend around 1 year and complete the trainingthrough an �integrated� or �end-on� trainingmethod. Training is based on 7 technicalprogramme areas - Occupational Health andSafety, Food Safety, Food Standards, The BuiltEnvironment, Public Health, Pollution Control,Waste Management plus 5 programme areas

of general competence - Administration,Enforcement, Policy, Record Keeping,Sustainability/Sustainable Development.

Graduates who successfully complete thestructured practical training, set and monitoredby REHIS, may apply to take the ProfessionalExamination for the REHIS Diploma inEnvironmental Health. The examinationconsists of seven 30 minute oral examinationsand a case study. Possession of the Diplomadeems the holder to be competent todischarge the duties of an EHO in Scotland,the rest of the UK and in many countriesacross the world.

REHIS recognises that the maintenance anddevelopment of professional competencebeyond qualification is essential to thedevelopment and credibility of any professionalgroup and has, for a number of years,maintained a Scheme of ContinuingProfessional Development (CPD) for all itsmembers. EHO members who comply with theREHIS CPD Regulations may, after 3 years,apply for Chartered EHO status. This statusdemonstrates professional competence andacknowledges the individual�s professionalismand dedication to Environmental Health.Chartered EHO status is the highest possiblestatus for the profession.

If you wish to feature anyEnvironmental Health orPublic Health initiative,event or activity in the

REHIS Newsletter, pleasecontact Jennifer Watkins,Professional DevelopmentOfficer, on 0131 225 5444

or jw@rehis.com.