REHIS News

People across disciplines are invited to take part in a series of hackathons to crunch data to gain new insights into the impact of COVID-19.

Some waste and recycling collection services across Scotland are temporarily disrupted as a result of the coronavirus. This is necessary to prioritise the health of workers in line with government guidance and deal with the impact of staff shortages.

In responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Councils have undertaken significant work in protecting the health of the public by ensuring social distancing while shopping for essential goods and in protecting employees. One of the key changes in the way they deliver services has been the implementation of new powers to ensure that those businesses which are permitted to open have appropriate social distancing measures in place and to ensure that other businesses remain closed.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning of an increased legionella risk if a building has been closed or reduced occupancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This is because water systems can stagnant due to lack of use, increasing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease. This may particularly affect:

As we move into the next phase of the Scottish Government COVID-19 response, a "test, trace, isolate, support" approach will be introduced. Read the Scottish Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): test, trace, isolate, support strategy.

As NHS Scotland moves to implementation of this strategy, current contact tracing capacity will be enhanced to deliver a sustainable service across Scotland.  

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a report on the public health risk posed by Listeria monocytogenes in frozen fruit and vegetables that have been blanched during processing. Blanching before freezing is often carried out by food business operators to prevent enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavour, colour and texture.

Health Protection Scotland has produced guidance to support those working in non-healthcare settings give advice to their staff and users of their services about COVID-19.

This guidance covers:

The UK Government, in consultation with industry, have published guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest guidance covers eight workplace settings:

The Scottish Government has published a paper outlining their “test, trace, isolate, support” strategy for COVID-19, within which the Environmental Health profession plays a key role. It is expected to be in place end of May.

Food Standards Scotland has published guidance intended for Food Businesses in the Take Away Sector.