Author: Peacock Carter

Food Standards Scotland have updated its guidance for food business operators (FBOs) and their employees on 28 August. It aims to assist all businesses in the food and drink sector in following government guidance on infection prevention and control measures against COVID-19. It has been produced with input from the food industry and Trade Unions and reflects the most up to date advice from Scottish and UK Government and Health Protection Scotland.

A summary of the changes in the update are as follows:

• Update to advice relating to individuals who were shielding and those at increased risk of infection
• Addition of extra questions
• Removal of dates regarding implementation of mandatory wearing of face coverings
• Addition of increased cleaning as an additional mitigation measure for hospitality businesses moving from 2m to 1m distancing
• Addition of link to Q&A for hospitality businesses
• Addition of text highlighting mandatory requirements for the hospitality sector to collect customer information 

Former Chief Executive, Tom Bell is delighted to inform you that, following interview, Jackie McCabe has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive of the Institute. Jackie will take up her new post from 1 September 2020.

Congratulations to Jackie, we wish her all the best in her new role.

The Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland (SoCOEHS)  and the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS) have launched an information video showing the work, so far, carried out by teams in Regulatory Services of Local Authorities in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The two Societies, along with Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive established a National Expert Group to co-ordinate the Scottish enforcement community response and their work continues.

Environmental Health Officers have been involved with helping contain a number of coronavirus clusters across Scotland.

They have been supporting Incident management teams, providing support and guidance to businesses to make sure they comply with regulations, contacting premises who have had a confirmed case as well taking a central role on the Test and Protect approach.

In Perthshire, the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus has been closed on Monday 17 August after four members of staff tested positive for the virus. All workers were asked to self-isolate for two weeks and get tested.

An incident management team is working with the Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland and local environmental health teams to provide advice and support.

Meanwhile in the central belt in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have released statements on a cluster in North-East Glasgow, with a number of cases whom are pupils at Bannerman High School in Baillieston.

NHSGGC has confirmed that there is no evidence of transmission within the schools themselves. Local environmental health staff are working closely with the schools and a number of other local businesses to contact trace any close contacts of the cases and appropriate advice is being advice given to these individuals.

In Aberdeen, a timeline has been set out for lifting the local lockdown with restaurants, pubs, casinos and other hospitality premises, being able to open from Wednesday 26 August. The premises are only allowed to open once an environmental health check has been completed. Hospitality business owners are being now being urged to get in touch with Aberdeen City Council if they have not already had an environmental health check.

These examples show some of the hard work that Environmental Health are providing to help us keep safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following reports of recent clusters indoor hospitality settings such as bars and restaurant, the First Minister has announced new legislation for local authorities to be given the power to act in respect of individual, specific premises that are breaching guidelines and risking transmission of the virus.

In addition, the Scottish Government intends to give the police new powers to break up and disperse large indoor gatherings.

Regulations will be laid next week with the intention they come into force on Friday 28 August.

In addition, Scotland will remain in Phase 3 of the route map out of lockdown because COVID-19 remains a significant threat to public health, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.

In a statement to the Scottish Parliament the First Minister announced an earlier date for the re-opening of gyms, swimming pools and indoor sports courts, including dance studios. Subject to guidance, such facilities will now be able to re-open from 31 August rather than 14 September.

From 24 August organised outdoor contact sports, some outdoor live events, driving lessons, child contact centres, face-to-face advice services, bingo halls, amusement arcades and casinos, snooker and pool halls, indoor bowling and both static and travelling funfairs can re-open – subject to strict adherence to guidance and appropriate safety measures such as physical distancing.

On 18 August 2020, Health Protection Scotland (HPS), part of Public Health Scotland (PHS), published provisional information on Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157/STEC infection for Scotland for 2019. The information is compared to previous years’ data to show trends over time. 

In key points from the report: 

• During 2019, there were 150 cases of E. coli O157 and 108 cases of non-O157 STEC reported to HPS
• This was a slight decrease on the 156 cases of E. coli O157 and the 110 cases of non-O157 STEC reported in 2018. 
• Most isolates were reported in the summer months, a trend that is consistent with previous years. 
• E. coli O157/non-O157 STEC infection rates vary across the population, with overall higher rates observed in children under five years of age. 
• Enhanced surveillance information was available for 91% of cases.

An occupational health expert is calling for a major review of workplace health and safety in Scotland following “failings” revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a new report, Occupational health and safety in Scotland after the Covid-19 pandemic argues that current policies on health and safety – the power for which lies with the UK Government – are not fit for practice. It also makes a number of recommendations to protect employees – including the creation of a new independent health and safety body for Scotland.

The research by Professor Andrew Watterson of the University of Stirling. carried out on behalf of think-tank the Jimmy Reid Foundation, outlines the case for new principles, policies and practices based on three themes:

• The challenges to workplace health and safety in Scotland during the pandemic;
• How those challenges relate to past failures and missed opportunities in the UK and Scotland on workplace health and safety prior to 2020; and
• The future of workplace health and safety in a devolved or independent Scotland.

Professor Watterson, Head of the Occupational and Environmental Research Group at University of Stirling, said: “The challenges presented by COVID-19 have revealed many failings in the way the UK has addressed worker health and public health: the two cannot be divided. Scotland has faced the pandemic challenge far better than the UK Government.

“It is critical that it now builds on its work post-pandemic and improves worker health and safety through a range of measures involving health, social and economic policy changes, and with recovery plans that create healthy and safe jobs across Scotland in a radical Green New Deal.”

In the paper, Professor Watterson, makes the following recommendations:

• Scotland needs an independent, properly resourced and staffed occupational health and safety body with effective representation at board level for workers and their unions, employers, local authorities and communities. Safeguarding the workforce also safeguards communities, public health and the economy from the damage done by occupational illnesses and injuries.
• A Scottish Occupational Health Service Agency (SOHSA) should be developed and mainstreamed within NHS Scotland to end the employer driven, free market delivery of occupational health interventions deeply distrusted by workers and unions.
• Worker health and safety should be based on effective and coherent principles, policies and practices geared to prevention. This is currently often missing or marginalised in a deregulatory climate that highlights ‘flexibility, proportionate and common-sense action’, which is a code for inaction.
• Worker health and safety should never be neglected in pandemic planning by public health bodies lacking expertise and autonomy and unable to effectively safeguard all workers
• Unlike the UK, the Scottish Government should adopt, in a devolved or independent state, all International Labour Organisation conventions on occupational health and effective precautionary principles.

Professor Gregor Gall, Director of the Jimmy Reid Foundation, said: “The Foundation very much welcomes Professor Watterson’s valuable contribution to not only critically analysing the state of play of occupational health and safety in Scotland in the period of the pandemic, but also by setting out a number of key recommendations which would significantly enhance the health and wellbeing of workers in Scotland.

“After all, we are constantly told by employers that workers are their most valuable asset. It is time this perspective was realised and Professor Watterson has provided the recommendations which would allow this to happen.”

Views are being sought from consumers, health professionals and the food and drink industry as part of a UK-wide consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling (FOPNL).

The UK Government want your views on making sure the 'traffic light' front-of-pack nutrition labels (FOPNL) scheme continues to help people choose what food and drink to buy.

The consultation aims to build on the success of the UK’s FOPNL scheme to make sure it continues to inform consumers and support them in making healthier food and drink choices.

This consultation is inviting views and evidence on:

• the UK's recommended FOPNL scheme – how the current multiple traffic light label is being used by consumers and industry
• new international examples – including the composite nutri-score and Chile's health warning labels
• whether new nutrition advice on sugar and fibre should be incorporated into any future FOPNL

The consultation is now live and you have until 21 October 2020 to share your views.

The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence carried out Research into Private Rented Sector Legislation across the UK and has published a report and two briefing papers, one policy briefing and one practice briefing, summarising the key findings and making recommendations.

Full report – Improving compliance with private rented sector legislation

Policy briefing – Improving compliance and enforcement in the private rented sector: Information for UK and devolved governments

Practice briefing – Improving compliance in the private rented sector: Information for local authorities

From next month, the Institute will be running a series of articles titled ‘COVID DIARIES’ based on work being carried out during the pandemic and will be asking various members of the Institute and those leading, and working in the field of public health for their contributions.

The articles will feature in the eNewsletter each month and also will feature some responses in the EHS Journal.

We will be contact with various different people however, if you do wish to contribute please get in touch by contacting Sarah Groom sg@ or Jackie McCabe jm@.

Further rules for the hospitality sector, including the introduction of new statutory guidance are now in place, to increase compliance and keep the sector safely open.

From 14 August, new regulations make it mandatory for hospitality settings to collect customer and visitor information to their premises in support of Test and Protect. The new regulation mains points are:

• They apply to restaurants, cafes, pubs and hotels in which food or drink are sold for consumption on the premises.
• These businesses must now record the name and contact number of an individual – or lead member of each household in a group – that visits the premises.
• They must also record the date of the visit, the time of arrival, and where possible the departure time.
• The new regulations include customers, staff working on a particular day and visitors such as delivery drivers or cleaners.
• Premises must store the information for 21 days and share it when requested to do so by public health officers within 24 hours.

In addition there is new statutory guidance for the hospitality sector which was published on 14 August- this means the measures that were guidance before are now statutory. Some of the main points are:

• Hospitality premises should be collecting customer contact details for Test and Protect.
• Tables should be pre-booked where possible, with no queueing inside and to avoid queuing outside.
• There should be no background music and TVs should be muted to reduce the need for people to shout or lean in to each other.
• No more than three households at a time should be meeting in a group.
• Table service with no standing/all customers seated.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“While many hospitality businesses have acted responsibly by adhering to the voluntary approach of collecting customer details, unfortunately too many others have not, and so – given the established high risk of virus transmission within hospitality settings – we have decided to make this mandatory.

“Strengthening this requirement to collect and share the data by moving it from guidance into regulations ensures that in the event of an outbreak, through the Test and Protect process, it will be possible to get in touch with anyone identified as a close contact who was present at the same time as an individual who has tested positive for COVID-19.

“This will help us break chains of transmission while continuing to allow us to socialise and support our local businesses.

“It is worth stressing that for those hospitality venues which are already complying with guidance, they will see minimal change to their procedures and operations.”

Chief executive of the Scottish Beer and Pub Association Emma McClarkin said:

“The majority of Scotland’s pubs and bars had already gone above and beyond in putting measures in place to keep customers safe during this time.

“These changes today will help ensure those premises which have fallen short no longer do so, and we welcome that clarity.

“We’re all in this together and the stronger we are now, the sooner we will be able to see these restrictions disappear.”

REHIS President Lisa McCann attended a virtual event for stakeholders, showing Public Health Scotland’s proposed first strategic plan for the period 2020 -23. The event included request for comment on the strategic plan. REHIS submitted response indicating general agreement with the high level key priorities of the new Body but questioning the absence of tackling obesity challenges in Scotland. The response focussed on the importance of ensuring a competent workforce to tackle the priorities and in particular the challenges that the Environmental Health profession has, with regards to the issues highlighted in the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland/REHIS Workforce Strategy Report and the need for funding to support students through the professional qualification. Comments received from stakeholders are to be considered and a revised plan developed in September.