Author: Peacock Carter

NHS Fife has published a report on the health impacts of flaring at the Mossmorran plant.

The report, which investigates and assesses health-related claims with respect to the Mossmorran plant, is presented in three parts, firstly the report provides summaries both of recent public concerns expressed to SEPA as well as the work examining cancer incidence and/or mortality in the surrounding area. This is followed by a search and review of the literature, carried out by Health Protection Scotland (HPS), of the reported evidence of health impacts relating to flaring elsewhere. 

The report concluded that the “overall impact of flaring on people local to Mossmorran in recent years has not been acceptable and could plausibly affect health in the widest sense”.

NHS Fife have therefore recommended that “every reasonable effort to be made to reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of these events”. 

Scotland’s Chief Statistician has released Diet and Healthy Weight statistics.

This is a compendium publication bringing together data mostly already published by various other sources on obesity, diabetes, diet, healthy living awards and sales of soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits, cakes and pastries.

Main findings

·       In 2018, 65% of adults aged 16 and over were overweight, including 28% who were obese. Levels of overweight and obesity for adults aged 16-64 increased between 1995 and 2008, but have remained broadly stable since then.

·       Since 1998, the proportion of children aged 2-15 at risk of overweight (including obesity) has fluctuated between 26% and 33% (29% in 2018). In 2018, 13% of children aged 2 to 15 were at risk of overweight, with a further 16% at risk of obesity.

·       At the end of 2018, there were 304,375 people diagnosed with diabetes in Scotland recorded on local diabetes registers. This represented 5.6% of the population of all ages. Of all cases, 87.9% (267,615) were Type 2 diabetes. Prevalence of Type 2 diabetes continues to increase steadily.

·       In 2018, 22% of adults aged 16 and over met the five-a-day recommendation for consumption of fruit and vegetables. This figure has remained fairly constant since 2003.

·       In 2018, 15% of children aged 2-15 met the five-a-day recommendation for consumption of fruit and vegetables. This figure shows little variation over time, lying between 12% and 15% each year since 2008.

·       In 2017/18, the percentage of total food energy from all fats was 38.5%, above the Scottish Dietary Goal of no more than 35%. The percentage of total food energy contributed by free sugars (13.8%) also remained higher than the Scottish Dietary Goal of less than 5% of energy.

·       Between 2014 and 2018, the volume of sales of regular take-home soft drinks reduced by 11%, whilst the volume of sales of diet take-home soft drinks increased by 20%.

·       Between 2014 and 2018 sales take-home biscuits and confectionery have increased by 5% and sales of cakes and pastries have increased by 10%.

·       In 2019, 776 catering establishments held the Healthy Living award (HLA) or HLA Plus award, which is a 4% decrease since 2018

For the full statistical publication see here.

A single wildfire on peatland in Northern Scotland could have released carbon equivalent to six days’ worth of Scotland’s total greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, according to new research.

Analysis for WWF by Ricardo estimates the impact of a wildfire on the scale of the one which burnt for almost six days on part of the Flow Country in May this year.
The Flow Country is estimated to store 400 million tonnes of carbon and is under consideration for World Heritage Site status for its globally-rare type of blanket peatland.

The study used an approach based on International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods and estimated that 174,000 tonnes of carbon was lost from the peatland into the atmosphere during the fire.

This figure is the equivalent of 6.2 days of daily average greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland. The fire burned for almost six days in May 2019, across more than 5,000 hectares.

WWF Scotland is now calling for urgent action to protect and restore peatlands, described as “vital carbon stores”, including increased, multi-year funding from the Scottish Government of at least £20 million per year.

“We’re facing twin climate and nature crises. People and nature in the UK are already feeling the impacts of climate change, and we have little time left to act if we are to avoid its worst effects. This analysis puts into stark figures the importance of our peatlands and the huge cost to climate and nature when something goes wrong. Reports suggest that the vegetation is recovering well, at least in some areas, and we’ve had a lucky escape – this fire could have been even more damaging for our atmosphere.

“How we manage and care for our peatlands influences their effect on climate change, as well as fire risk and how the habitat responds, so protecting and restoring peatlands needs to be a vital part of our response to both the climate and nature crises. That’s why we need to see increased, long-term funding for peatland restoration in the next Scottish Government budget.”

WWF Scotland said that the level of climate emissions from peatland wildfires can depend on the severity of the fire and prior condition of the peat. Healthy peatlands in good condition will release around five times less carbon during wildfires, compared to a peat bog that has been drained. More severe fires will leave bare peat, damaging the ability of peatlands to take carbon out the atmosphere, and needing restoration to return the peatland to good health more quickly.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Restoring peatland has an important part to play in delivering the our climate change ambitions. The impact of peatland degradation on climate change cannot be overstated – particularly in Scotland, where around 25% of the country is covered in peat soil. If all of the C02 from that peatland were released then it would be the equivalent of more than 120 years of our emissions being released at once.

“We are committed to delivering the peatland restoration targets set out in the Climate Change Plan. We are currently updating our Climate Change Plan which will set out detailed actions to deliver on our climate change ambitions.

“In addition, as set out in our Programme for Government, with increased temperatures and changes to our weather, there is an increased risk of wildfire in Scotland.
“The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service will develop a wildfires strategy to ensure it can respond to these new and increased risks.”

Lisa McCann has been installed as the REHIS President for the coming year. David Duffy, who stood down as President, handed over the Chain of Office at the Institute's Annual General Meeting on 15 November in Edinburgh. Congratulations to Lisa, we wish her all the best in her new role.

The New REHIS Council were also elected at the Annual General meeting, you can view Members of the Council here.

Scientists have detected an exotic tick-borne parasite within sheep in the North of Scotland, according to a new study.

The research, by scientists at the University of Glasgow’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, was published in Emerging Infectious Diseases, the journal of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC). 

The study reports that this is the first time this organism, called Babesia venatorum (B. venatorum), has been identified in animals in the UK, and the first time it has been found in sheep anywhere in the world.

The identification of this parasite in the UK raises concerns for European public health and farming policy, according to the study’s authors. Although some evidence suggests this parasite may be more virulent than the species of Babesia usually found in the UK, the risk of people contracting this infection is believed to be low.

The parasite causes babesiosis, an economically important tick-transmitted animal disease, which is recognised as an emerging infection in humans. In the last two decades, the parasite has been recorded extensively in the Far East (China) and also in Europe with two confirmed human infections in Italy. Fortunately, babesiosis is treatable in most cases, although this depends on rapid and accurate diagnosis.

To conduct the study, scientists collected blood from sheep, cattle and deer in the northeast of Scotland, in areas where tick-borne diseases have previously been detected. DNA from the B. venatorum parasite was detected in the blood of a large number of sheep, which were not showing any signs of disease, and which therefore can be considered as carrier animals.

The scientists believe that B. venatorum may have been carried by migratory birds coming to the UK from Scandinavia, where the parasite has previously been found in ticks collected from the environment and migratory birds.

Dr Willie Weir, Senior University Clinician in Veterinary Pathology, Public Health & Disease Investigation, said: “The presence of B. venatorum in the UK represents a new risk to humans working, living, or hiking in areas with infected ticks and livestock, particularly sheep. Although we believe the threat to humans to be low, nevertheless local health and veterinary professionals will need to be aware of the disease if the health risk from tick-borne disease in the UK is to be fully understood. 

“Our findings follow the recent report of the detection of tick-borne encephalitis virus in the UK. Taken together, these findings signify a change in the landscape of tick-borne pathogens in the UK, and the underlying causes for this need to be investigated.”

First author Dr Alex Gray added: “Our study reveals that sheep can be a natural host for B. venatorum in the UK, which is surprising since we believed roe deer to be the main mammalian host for this parasite in Europe.

“Given our findings, ongoing active surveillance of this parasite in UK livestock would be useful to fully understand the prevalence and transmission of the disease, as such information may be critical for controlling the spread of babesiosis. As sheep are routinely transported large distances, including across international borders, we would also suggest the role that livestock play in transmission of the B. venatorum parasite in continental Europe be re-assessed.”

The paper, ‘Discovery of sheep as a host species for zoonotic Babesia venatorum in the United Kingdom’ is published in the December edition of Emerging Infectious Disease. The work was funded by The Scottish Government’s Strategic Partnership for Animal Science Excellence (SPASE).

Argyll and Bute have issued a food safety warning after 20 tonnes of salmon went missing following a lorry crash.

The salmon disappeared following an accident on the A82 near the Bridge of Orchy where a lorry overturned on 10 November.

Argyll and Bute Council environmental health officers say the salmon might have entered the food chain, is potentially unsafe to eat and should not be consumed.

Anyone who has any of the salmon is advised to dispose of it.

The council said in a statement: “It is potentially unsafe to eat and should not be consumed.

“At the time of the accident the salmon was head on and gutted and of various sizes. It had not undergone processing.

“This salmon cannot under any circumstances be used for further processing because of potential food safety issues and also because it does not comply with the requirements of food law.

“If you are in possession of this salmon you are advised to dispose of it immediately.

“Members of the public are advised that legitimate salmon, that complies with the requirements of food law, will be sold through reputable retail and wholesale outlets.”

Anyone with concerns is asked to call Argyll and Bute Council on 01546 605 519.

A checklist similar to that used by airline pilots has been developed to help farmers improve farm safety.

The pocket-sized guide to safety critical non-technical skills in farming was created by Dr Amy Irwin and the Applied Psychology and Human Factors Group at the University of Aberdeen.  The aim of the guide is to provide guidance on how to enable each farmer to tailor the guide to produce a bespoke handbook that is specific to them and their farm.

The guide condenses the findings from the research group from across the last five years into an easy to read format that encourages farmers to make notes as they go through. The team borrowed protocol usually used in the aviation industry to develop the guide – applying the concept of farming specific non-technical skills and providing practical tips for implementation.

The team are supplying these guides to farmers free of charge, and have sent out over 1000 copies already, both within the UK and internationally, to the US and New Zealand.

Dr Irwin explained the rationale behind the guide: “Farming is a high-risk industry with 39 fatalities recorded within the UK in the past year, making it THE most hazardous occupation with 18 times the average fatality rate across all industries. Despite the high fatality rate, a rate that has not altered by much in the past 10 years, there is very little support for farmers in terms of developing their safety critical non-technical skills (NTS) as a method of improving safety.

“Farmers work hard and work long hours especially during harvest and lambing times. We can't reduce the number of hours worked, or the effort required to feed the rest of us, but we CAN provide farmers with support and guidance to enhance their safety critical skills and make those hours as safe as possible!

“All of our research has been conducted WITH farmers, FOR farmers and this guide presents the main findings of the research in terms of best practice and practical recommendations. Farmers can fit this guide in their pocket, and there is room to personalise it with their own way of working.  The idea is to get farmers thinking about their own safety in a way they perhaps haven't before – thinking about safety, discussing it with others, and making some changes won't cost farmers anything but time and could save a life.

“I am keen to share this guide as widely as possible – if we save even one farmers life the guide will have done its job."

The guide can be found here and can be downloaded for free. 

Scottish Water is using earthworms and water fleas to treat waste water as part of an international study which aims to protect and improve resources across the world.

The EU funded project is currently being trialled in 11 different countries including Scotland, measuring the effectiveness of earthworms, water fleas and microalgae as a potential method to treat waste water.

The year-long pilot, which is being led by the Research and Innovation team, has just got underway in the small rural community of Littlemill in Nairn, after being chosen based on size, remote location and exposure to the Scottish climate – the perfect place to test the reliability and adaptability of the technology.

Two tanks have been installed at an existing treatment works to pilot the technique which aims to reduce the environmental impact from sewage. During the trial, the water will still be treated using conventional methods once it has passed through the new machinery. The clean water will then be released into local rivers.

Project Manager Anna Baran from Scottish Water’s Research and Innovation Team said: “This is a really exciting project for us to be part of and has the potential to have a real impact on the way waste water is dealt with around the world. The technology we are trialling basically replicates a process which happens naturally within soil but we are using it to clean waste water.

“The first stage of treatment involves a tank filled with earthworms – the worms eat the larger particles of organic matter in the waste water, before it is added to a second tank containing water fleas and microalgae which remove the finer bits of organic matter.

“At this stage, the water should be in a condition that would allow it to be returned back to the natural environment.”

She added: “The objective of the project is to provide a decentralised, ecological waste water treatment for use in rural communities like Littlemill, as well as industries such as agriculture and aquaculture.

“It would also have the potential to be used in developing countries – around 2.5 billion people globally are without sanitation facilities, so the development of an accessible method of treating waste water such as this could be very significant in tackling that issue.”

Plastic. It’s a hot topic right now. Kick-started in the mainstream media by the BBC’s Blue Planet 2, hardly a week goes by now without another headline image showing our oceans and beaches being overrun with plastic debris.

It’s never good to see resources being wasted – let alone something that can be widely recycled. It’s worse when you see the damage that our waste can cause to ecosystems and wildlife. But there’s good news. This focus on plastic is having an impact. 

In Scotland, steps are being taken to reduce reliance on single-use products and protect our natural environment. For example, a ban on the manufacture and sale of microbeads came into force in 2018. And we were the first country in the UK to ban plastic-stemmed cotton buds. Other items, including cutlery, plates and food and drink containers made of expanded polystyrene, will be banned or restricted by July 2021.

At a local level, Glasgow City Council will no longer provide plastic drinking straws in its museums, sports centres, offices, schools or city chambers (people who ask for one, will receive an eco-friendly alternative instead). This small change alone will prevent tens of thousands of plastic straws going to landfill every year.

Interestingly, it was campaigning by local primary school children that inspired Glasgow City Council to switch to more eco-friendly options. And these changing consumer attitudes are not being lost on businesses either.  

Iceland has led the big retailers by committing to eliminate plastic packaging from all its own-brand products. Other retailers are now making similar pledges, such as Selfridges, which has stopped selling single-use plastic bottles of carbonated drinks. 

The actions of big businesses are major steps along the way to tackling the plastic problem. But it’s not just the national brands that can make a difference. If you’re passionate about reducing the plastic waste that your business creates, there are lots of things you can do to make an impact too.

To help your business take action Resource Efficient Scotland has written a new guide: ‘12 ways your office can help tackle the plastic problem’. The FREE guide shares a range of no and low-cost actions your business can take now to reduce plastic in your workplace. 

Get started now by downloading your guide here.

I was delighted to celebrate my 43rd year in Environmental Health as a delegate at the Southern Centre two-day Private Water Supplies – Undertaking and Reporting Risk Assessments training event in Stirling on 31 October and 1 November. 

The first day was classroom based and Gavin McCulloch of WaterSense Ltd covered the theory of legislation, preparation, hazard identification, writing up reports and enforcement. A potentially dry topic was enlivened with enthusiastic contributions from the ten delegates (delegate numbers were kept low intentionally and the event has been presented at a number of other locations to meet demand) adding to Gavin’s own personal experiences as an expert and Director of his company.

The second day practical session took the form of a walk-through from source to tap at a private water supply in the Ochil Hills between Stirling and Dunblane. It was a dreich day to be out on the hills but all delegates turned-up in warm and waterproof clothing. The hands-on approach really brought the theory of the day one learning to life.

A huge well done to Lynn Crothers, the Southern Centre Management Committee, those local members who prepared the groundwork for this event and, of course, to Gavin McCulloch.

My first major project as a recently qualified Environmental Health Officer in the early 1980s while working with the City of Edinburgh District Council was being given the responsibility of identifying, recording and sampling private water supplies mostly in and below the Pentland Hills ahead of the implementation of the first EC Directive on Private Water Supplies. Refresher training was long overdue – you’re never too old to learn!
 

Tom Bell

The annual food update, hosted by Martin Keeley, was held on Wednesday 18 September at the Holiday Inn, Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh and was a great success.

The event included speakers on a range of topical issues which all impact on the day to day work of anyone working in fields of food business inspection, auditing or enforcement as well as those providing training to food handlers.  From the “big picture” sense, Fiona Richmond of Scotland Food & Drink gave an overview of Scotland’s food and drink industry and desired growth in this area.  The growth of the industry is obviously dependant on business acting safely, complying with legislation and delegates at the event ensure this is the case though various lines of work.  

Karen Robertson and Steven Hendry form Food Standards Scotland (FSS) provided an overview of the current status of the Official Control Regulations (OCR) and allergen labelling respectively.  With the postponed Brexit situation the OCR Regulations will enter into force.  The different approach by FSS, to allergen labelling, to our colleagues south of the border was explained.

Col Baird from the Scottish Government provided an update of the progress with Restricting In-Store Promotions of Foods High in Fat, Sugar or Salt, a key public health topic for the Scottish Government and one which aims to address Scotland’s poor diet.

REHIS’s own Jane Bunting talked through the new REHIS Elementary Nutrition course and professionals are encouraged to promote this while visiting/inspecting/auditing business to enable those businesses to increase their knowledge of nutrition and assist to improve the diet and health of the nation.  Jane also highlighted valuable sources of CPD that professionals can complete for their own personal and professional development.

Pat Smyth of FSS and Graeme Corner of the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee and Highland Council closed the day by talking through the many, many challenges of Brexit in relation to the importing and exporting of foods.  The outcome of Brexit negotiations, in particular should there be ‘no deal’, will clearly have a significant impact on the food industry as a whole including the food enforcement community.

Overall the day was very well received by delegates with feedback indicating the event was varied, interesting and informative.  A copy of the speaker’s presentations are available on the members only section of the REHIS website. 

The REHIS annual health and safety update, hosted by Lisa McCann, was held on Tuesday 17 September in Edinburgh, offering an ideal opportunity for professionals to increase their knowledge on current topical health and safety at work matters and was a very well received event.

Health and Safety Executive representatives Alex Tsavalos and Frances Kelly started the day providing an update on Local Authority regulatory priorities for the year ahead and the Go Home Healthy initiative from a UK wide perspective.  Roderick Duncan from the Scottish Government provided an update on the Health and Work Review.  There is a clear focus on tackling mental health challenges, including work related stress both in Scotland and UK wide.

There are numerous organisations that offer support to business in relation to health and safety and at the event Robert Atkinson and Andy Cathro shared information on the LOcHER projects to show how they are developing a health and safety culture with young people, which can be maintained through their working lives.  Ian Tasker of Scottish Hazards talked through the support they offer to business to support health and safety improvements.

John Ruddock of ADIPS offered opportunity for questions before the event so these could be built into his presentation and shared beneficial information on the safe operation and use of inflatables.

Brain Auld, former Director of Professional Development with the Institute, now with the Church of Scotland gave a fascinating overview of the challenges working in an organisation with a significant number of older buildings and a non-standard structure of management in the operation of these buildings.

Overall the event provided excellent presentations of health and safety at work challenges and information to assist delegates in their day to day work.  The presentations from speakers are available on the members only section of the REHIS website.