What is Environmental Health?

Environmental Health (EH) is a chartered profession promoting and monitoring good practices that protect public health and help make local environments safe, hygienic and healthy to live and wrk in. 

We started way back in the mid 19th century, when sanitary inspectors first came along to help improve housing conditions, deal with adulterated food and generally clean up the unhygienic environment. Several name changes later, today an EH practitioner or officer (EHP/EHO) will have a specialist degree from an accredited university. EH professionals in the 21st century can be found working in various roles in national and local government and business sectors. 

In local authorities, EHOs will be out most days in the community. To introduce you to our work today, our main activities are outlined here.

Food safety and standards

This involves inspecting and supporting food businesses for food hygiene, food standards/allergen compliance and issuing Food Hygiene Rating Scheme scores (FHRS). See https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/how-food-hygiene-ratings-work for more information. 

EHOs can enter a food premises at any time it is open for trade. Checks are made on restaurants, cafés, schools, child care services, mobile traders, care homes, hospitals, food retailers, warehouses and food manufacturers. We also inspect home-based food businesses and food shows and markets.

Another part of our role is investigating food complaints, food poisoning outbreaks and infectious diseases related to the environment. Other responsibilities include:

• Taking food samples and environmental swabs, checking imported foods and issuing export certificates. Officers can seize and detain unfit food.
• Providing food safety advice, but some local authorities may charge if it is more than a basic enquiry. 

For more information on food safety and standards, go to www.food.gov.uk

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974

This involves investigating complaints, accidents and fatal incidents at work, primarily in the catering, retail and leisure sectors. We also ensure large public events, sports and leisure activities are safely run.  

For more information on health and safety at work, go to www.hse.gov.uk

EHOs can also serve improvement notices to ensure standards improve and, if conditions are really unsafe, issue a prohibition notice to close a business or stop an activity. The latter has to be approved by a magistrates court. Most Environmental Health offences are criminal ones and a breach of a notice can lead to prosecution, with any court fines based on turnover of the business.

Statutory nuisance

This includes investigating complaints about noise affecting a neighbour’s ‘right to quiet enjoyment’ of their property. Statutory nuisance is defined by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and must meet criteria on volume, frequency, time of day and environmental conditions/threat to public health. 

If a noise nuisance is reported, our first step is usually an advisory letter to the alleged offender, with the complainant asked to complete diary sheets as evidence there is a problem. Business should note that an investigation may last many months. Examples of common complaints range from music played too loud at home, barking dogs and crowing cockerels, to extraction fans in businesses, loud music from pubs and clubs and noise from machinery/construction work. We can take noise measurements using sophisticated noise monitoring equipment.  

Other things that can be classed as a statutory nuisance are accumulations of waste, bonfires, excessive light, pests, smoke and odour. Less commonly, the physical state of a premises can also be classed as a statutory nuisance.  

If an officer confirms a statutory nuisance exists, an abatement notice must be served. Non-compliance can also lead to prosecution.

Housing standards 

This involves assessing housing conditions under the housing, health and safety rating system (HHSRS), which is a risk-based evaluation tool to help local authorities identify and protect against potential risks and hazards to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. It was introduced under the Housing Act 2004 and sets out a series of criteria private landlords must meet, such as a dwelling’s state of repair, safety, security and the comfort of tenants. This includes HMOs (houses in multiple occupation). EHOs can require landlords to do work through service of notices. 

Environmental protection

This involves a range of activities, including developing strategies for improving air quality, issuing permits to control emissions from industrial premises, reviewing planning applications, contaminated land, inspecting petrol stations and monitoring private water supplies.  

Animal welfare

This includes undertaking inspections of boarding kennels, zoos and other animal facilities. Dealing with stray dogs often sits with Environmental Health teams.  

Further information 

To find out more about what Environmental Health does in your area, visit your local authority website, which should have an Environmental Health advisory section.