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The Institute supports Noise Action Week which is occurring on 22-27 May.

Noise Action Week is an annual initiative coordinated by Environmental Protection UK since 1996 and aims to raise the profile of unhealthy noise, simple solutions to avoid noise problems and the professionals trained to manage noise.

Noise is a major nuisance and pollutant that seriously affects people’s health and wellbeing and Environmental Health Officer provide invaluable work to resolve noise issues.

Often a noise problem is simply a lack of thought or consideration and solved by asking the noise maker to reduce the volume. However, noise management services are available to help with serious complaints. This includes:

• local authorities
• housing providers
• mediation services

Noise Action Week provides a focus for all services involved in neighbourhood noise management to raise awareness of  practical solutions to noise problems and also aims to get everyone considering the impact of the noise they make.

A ban on the sale of single use vapes is being called for by Scottish Local Authorities amid growing health and environmental concerns.

18 Councils are actively calling on the Scottish Government to ban disposable e-cigs: Aberdeen, East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk, Fife, North Ayrshire, Dundee, West Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Argyll and Bute, Renfrewshire, East Lothian, Moray, Edinburgh, Stirling, North Lanarkshire, Shetland and Highland.

Inverclyde Council and East Renfrewshire Council have both opted not to support the ban.

The Scottish Government is currently conducting a review of single-use vapes which includes consideration of a ban. The review will be led by Zero Waste Scotland.

The Australian Government’s have published their National tobacco strategy 2023-2030 which announces that they will ban single-use, disposable vapes and also the importation of nonprescription vaping products – including those that do not contain nicotine.

To tackle youth vaping, minimum quality standards for vapes will be introduced including restricting flavours, colours and other ingredients. Vape products will require pharmaceutical-like packaging, and the allowed nicotine concentrations and volumes will be reduced.

The main points of strategy include:

• Ban the sale of all single use disposable e-cigarettes
• Introducing minimum quality standards on certain flavours, colours and ingredients and reducing allowable nicotine content.
• Raise public awareness about the health impacts of e-cigarettes
• Prohibit advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of e-cigarettes 
• Monitor and prevent illegal importation and supply of non-prescription e-cigarettes in Australia.

Almost 150 enforcement notices were issued to Glasgow businesses in just seven weeks as part of efforts to tackle fly-tipping.

Commercial Waste Officers in the Environmental Health department issued the notices to businesses which were found to have no commercial waste contracts in place during seven Weeks of Action held since April 2022.

More than 600 businesses were visited by Glasgow’s Commercial Waste Officers during the council’s Weeks of Action which tackle environmental issues in city neighbourhoods.

Officers visited shops and other premises to ensure they had contracts in place to safely dispose of their rubbish as required by law. A total of 135 enforcement notices were issued to businesses which failed to supply evidence of a contract and three Fixed Penalty Notices were also issued for fly-tipping.

The council’s ongoing Weeks of Action tackle environmental issues in communities across the city on several fronts. As well as fly-tipping, council officers address problems like graffiti, dog fouling, overgrown foliage and litter.

In addition to the spot-checks on businesses, Officers also carried out 342 fly-tipping investigations, engaged with 283 households and issued a further 26 fixed penalty notices for fly-tipping during the seven Weeks of Action.

The work was part of a new wider strategy to tackle fly-tipping by taking pre-emptive action where possible and targeting hotspots identified using data and intelligence. Officers patrol problematic locations to deter dumpers. They also examine fly-tipping for evidence which could help identify those responsible, follow up on evidence unearthed and arrange to have debris removed. They also knock doors in the local areas, speaking to residents to offer advice on fly-tipping and correct methods of waste disposal.

In 2022/23, Environmental Health carried out 3885 visits in total to ensure businesses were complying with their waste disposal responsibilities under the Environmental Protection Act. 10% were found to have inadequate arrangements in place for waste disposal and needed follow up action to ensure compliance.

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, Glasgow’s Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, said: “Fly-tipping is a blight on our communities and the council is tackling it on several fronts. Everyone has a role to play in keeping the city looking its best and this report highlights one strand of work which is ensuring businesses are fulfilling their responsibilities on commercial waste disposal. Council officers are also working with residents and communities to tackle environmental issues – for example, through the rolling programme of intensive Weeks of Action which are in addition to routine council maintenance.

“We will continue to take enforcement action wherever possible against those who continue to dump in our city.” 

Work by Environmental Health also helped secure a prosecution, led by Police Scotland, against a fly-tipper who dumped 51 tonnes of tyres in Glasgow communities.

In June 2022, fly-tipper Declan Clarke, 30, from Dumbarton, was jailed for 11 months. He collected tyres from garages for a fee and hired workers and vans to dump them in car parks and on empty land.

Most of the tyres were dumped at Dalsetter Crescent in Drumchapel and went up in a fire on 24 July, 2020.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard the fire caused so much smoke it disrupted flights at Glasgow Airport.

The information on Enforcement Notices was part of an update to the council’s Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods City Policy Committee outlining the work of the Environmental Health team.

The report also showed that the Noise Service dealt with 3373 noise complaints in 2022/23 ranging from car alarms, entertainment noise, industrial noise, construction noise and burglar alarms to ice-cream chimes. Entertainment noise was the biggest source of complaints with 1281 calls.

Public Health also received 4708 complaints about everything from environmental pollution, cooking odours, dampness, smoke and vehicle idling to abandoned trailers and dog fouling.

The committee also heard there is a nationwide shortage of Environmental Health officers and that attempts to recruit additional officers in Glasgow had proved unsuccessful. The council is developing a strategy with Glasgow schools and universities to promote the profession as a positive career choice for young people.

Around 63,000 households in Scotland would no longer experience relative poverty if people are empowered to successfully give up tobacco, according to analysis released marking the launch of ASH Scotland’s new three-year strategy.

The analysis also shows that 42% of all households in Scotland containing people who smoke live in relative poverty, and there would be around 10% fewer in those circumstances if tobacco was out of their lives. Reducing smoking prevalence in Scotland by just one per cent could lift more than 3,700 households out of relative poverty.

The new research commissioned by ASH Scotland is being released to highlight the launch of the health charity’s new ‘Time for a tobacco-free Scotland’ strategy at the start of the organisation’s 50^th anniversary year.

The strategy sets out ASH Scotland’s vision for a healthier Scotland, free from the harm and inequality caused by tobacco and related products. Through its work globally and locally, the charity is striving to share learning and demonstrate public health leadership in informing best practice on regulation and enforcement of tobacco and related products.

David McColgan, Chair of ASH Scotland, said: “We are proud of ASH Scotland’s role during the last 50 years in helping to inform world-leading public health measures, such as Scotland’s 2006 ban on smoking in public places, which have substantially reduced harms caused by tobacco at national population level, and supporting the next generation to grow up tobacco-free.

“As our new strategy highlights, however, there is still much to do to eliminate the inequalities caused by tobacco and related products across our communities and to challenge the predatory profiteering industries promoting addictive, health-harming products to young people.

“With tobacco continuing to cause 100,000 hospitalisations and 9,000 deaths in Scotland each year, and 63,000 households experiencing relative poverty due to spending on tobacco, smoking remains a major public health and social justice issue.”

Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “In delivering our new strategy, we look forward to working through our global networks, local partnerships and with the Scottish Government to develop its refreshed tobacco action plan to be both ambitious and innovative in eradicating the ongoing carnage tobacco companies are inflicting on people’s health, wellbeing and personal finances.

“Scotland has a strong record in tobacco control and we should all aspire for the country to be seen again as a leading public health nation. We are calling on all public health stakeholders to work with us to make this happen, as it’s time for a tobacco-free Scotland.”

For details about ASH Scotland’s new ‘Time for a tobacco-free Scotland’ strategy, go to www.ashscotland.org.uk/strategy and to keep updated about the charity’s 50^th anniversary celebration activities, follow www.instagram.com/ash.scotland and www.twitter.com/ASHScotland

The Scottish Government are seeking views on draft guidance on local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods to support the implementation of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).

Local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods can help to deliver the healthy, sustainable and resilient places required to support a good quality of life and balance our environmental impact.
 
Guidance has been published to assist and support local authorities, communities, and others with an interest in local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods. It provides further detail to support the National Planning Framework (NPF4) policy framework on Local Living and 20 minute neighbourhoods.
 
The guidance sets out the benefits and context for local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods, what local living looks like and the key considerations, and the ways in which to support it. It aims to encourage, promote and facilitate the application of the Place Principle and create connected and compact neighbourhoods which prioritise liveability, and environmental, social and economic sustainability. 
 
This consultation paper invites views on the effectiveness of the guidance to support effective and efficient implementation.
 
The closing date for responses is 20^th July 2023 .
 
Read the draft guidance document. 

Annual Environmental Health Forum

Our Environmental Health Forum is this coming Tuesday 25 April. The theme this year is “Embracing Modern Day Challenges” and the programme boasts an array of acclaimed speakers. Don’t miss out and book your place here. REHIS Annual Environmental Health Forum – REHIS

Other Upcoming Events

REHIS Pollution Update
Details and the booking form for the online Pollution Update on 24 May 2023 are now on the website. The main themes of this event are noise, air quality and changes to planning legislation.

Specialist Investigators Couse
The Institute is pleased to have engaged the services of George Barnsley to provide a 5 day Specialist Investigators course from 28 August 2023. Further details and the booking form are available on the website.

REHIS Food Update
Planning is progressing for the Institute’s annual Food Update event, which will be an online event on 7 June 2023. Keep an eye on the events section of the website for the programme and booking form becoming available.

Professional Examinations

The next examination diet will be on Wednesday 10 May for candidates sitting SFSORB professional interviews. Good luck to candidates.

26 – 28 September 2023 will see the next full diet of professional interviews which will be at the Carnegie Conference Centre in Dunfermline.

Morrisons supermarket has been fined £3.5 million following a successful prosecution by Tewkesbury Borough Council for failing to ensure the health and safety of an epileptic employee who died after falling from a shop stairway.

On 25 September 2014, Matthew Gunn, 27, was using the stairs in the supermarket’s Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire store when he is believed to have had a seizure. The resultant fall caused severe head injuries and he sadly died in hospital on 7 October 2014. 

Morrisons – which was aware of Mr Gunn’s epileptic condition – was deemed to have missed opportunities to ensure his safety. It was charged with three health and safety violations which it denied:

• Failure to ensure the health and safety of an employee who had epilepsy
• Failure to carry out a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the employee who had epilepsy
• Failure to review risks to which an employee with epilepsy might be exposed

Morrisons admitted a fourth charge of failing to supply the council with requested information relating to the death of the employee.

However, on 2 February 2023, following a three-week trial at Cirencester Courthouse, the jury found Morrisons guilty on all four charges.

Sentencing took place on 17 March – the judge placed the offences in the highest category of culpability and harm, and Morrisons was fined £3.5m.

Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Head of Community Services, Peter Tonge, said: “This was a long and difficult investigation, and the successful court outcome is a reflection of the dedication and professionalism of our investigation team.

“Matthew Gunn was extremely vulnerable to health and safety risks in his workplace due to his severe epilepsy.

“Despite being aware of the risks, Morrisons failed to put in place a number of simple measures which could have kept Matthew safe at work. Furthermore, Morrisons failed to co-operate with elements of our investigation, and we are satisfied that the substantial fine imposed by the court reflects the seriousness of the omissions and failures on the part of the company.

“We hope this court outcome will send a message to all employers of the importance of complying with basic health and safety duties, and properly assessing risks, especially when it comes to vulnerable employees.

“Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to Matthew’s family for their enormous patience and support throughout this investigation and we hope that the sentence imposed on Morrisons today will finally provide them with the justice they deserve after all these years.”

The prosecution was undertaken by One Legal, a legal service shared by Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucester City Council, Stroud District Council and Tewkesbury Borough Council.

https://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/news/morrisons-fined-35-million-over-death-of-employee

The Scottish Government have announced changes to deposit return scheme.

Circular economy minister Lorna Slater announced fa range of measures to make it easier for drinks producers and retailers to prepare for the scheme, while making sure environmental benefits are still delivered, and repeated the call on the UK Government to issue an exclusion for the scheme from the Internal Market Act.

The changes announced subject to approval of the Scottish Parliament are:

• drinks containers of under 100ml will be excluded, removing miniatures and other smaller containers from the scheme
• products that sell fewer than 5,000 units per year will be excluded, which will particularly benefit craft producers
• all hospitality premises that sell the large majority of their drinks products for consumption on the premises will be exempt from acting as a return point
• the online application process for retailers to apply for an exemption from providing a return point has been simplified

The current deposit return scheme regulations include all drinks from 50ml to 3 litres and place no lower limit on the volume of sales to qualify for the scheme.

Introducing a threshold of 5,000 units per year will remove many craft drinks and limited edition products. It is anticipated that this change will only remove around 0.5% of articles from the scheme but will remove the need for around 44% of businesses to apply a deposit to their products.

The Scottish Government will engage with hospitality businesses on the proportion of sales at which the hospitality measures will apply, to ensure a balance between support for businesses and accessibility for consumers.

Drinks producers will have until 12 January 2024 to register for the scheme.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said:

“Scotland’s deposit return scheme will reduce litter on our streets, massively increase the recycling of drinks containers and help meet our net zero ambitions.

“However, to realise these benefits DRS needs to be delivered in a way that works for businesses, especially for small drinks producers. The changes I have set out will make the scheme easier for industry to deliver – especially for craft producers – while still making sure the vast majority of drinks containers are captured for recycling.

“To move forward with certainty, the UK Government must stop delaying the long overdue exclusion from the Internal Market Act. This damaging Act was imposed on the Scottish Parliament after Brexit without its consent and creates confusion and uncertainty for businesses.

“After that Act was passed, we engaged in good faith, following the agreed process, and have done so for nearly two years now to agree an exclusion. The UK Government needs to at long last issue an exclusion, and recognise the right of the Scottish Parliament to enact legislation in devolved areas without interference.”

Fife Council’s Environmental Health (Food & Workplace Safety) Team are taking part in the Get Active in May for OcuMel UK! Challenge  in memory of our colleague Environmental Health Officer Sarah Joselyn. 

We all plan to get a bit more active and as a group collectively count our steps/miles/kilometres with the aim of virtually completing as much of Route 66 as we can, raising awareness and support for OcuMel UK whilst remembering Sarah.

Ocular Melanoma is a type of eye cancer in adults. It is a rare cancer with approximately 600 new cases diagnosed in the UK each year. Unfortunately, around half of all patients may go on to develop tumours in other organs, particularly the liver. Many people have never heard of this disease and patients and their family members often feel scared and alone, due to the lack of information available. 

OcuMel UK is a small UK based charity, providing free support for anyone affected by Ocular Melanoma. Our fundraising will help OcuMel UK to continue to offer vital services, which includes running a helpline, access to an online community, psychological support, advocacy and volunteer run face-to-face support groups. Help us and OcuMel UK achieve the aim of bringing the treatment of Ocular Melanoma in line with that of the more common cancers. 

If you are able to do so, please give what you can to support Sarah’s colleagues taking part in the Get Active in May for OcuMel UK! Challenge who are raising money for a worthy cause in her memory via the dedicated JustGiving page.

More information about OcuMel UK can be found on their website.   

Lisa McCann

REHIS Past President / Service Manager Environmental Health (Food & Workplace Team)

BSc (Hons) Environmental Health Strathclyde University

A bumper class of academics graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Strathclyde University with an Honours degree in Environmental Health in 1993, all keen in pursuing their careers in this developing field of exciting work.  With excellent guidance and direction from amongst many others, George Morris, Colin Clark and Mike Jackson-our lecturers who were always there to assist. 

One of our graduates, Evonne Bauer (nee Corner) is the current president of REHIS and has excelled in her career within environmental and public health. For me, Jacqueline Cunningham, I am currently working for REHIS as Director of Professional Development, on a job share capacity.

But what is everyone else doing? Let’s find out and try get together.  Contact me by email, Jacqueline.cunningham.x@gmail.com and let’s hope we can get together later in the year for a social event.  A suggested date is the 30 September 2023-save the date.   

And to find out what is happening in your professional body or for further information and to make sure you keep up to-date with the REHIS news and activities look on the new website and you can also follow REHIS on twitter and LinkedIn.

Who can believe it has been 30 years!!!

REHIS member, Francis McManus has been well known in the Institute for many years and also amongst acoustic experts within the profession.  He will be in London on the 23 May 2023 for the launch of his new book, in conjunction with Andy McKenzie and published by Edinburgh University Press. 

The book covers the legal issues and latest changes in standards, codes of practice and legislation relating to noise and noise law;

• Provides a succinct overview of the technical aspects of noise and its assessment
• Analyses the role of common law nuisance in the control of noise pollution
• Provides a clear and comprehensive account of the statutory controls over noise in the UK, including the role of planning law
• Discusses human rights law in relation to noise control
• Includes end of chapter summaries and lists of key cases to provide easy access and quick referencing
• Draws on the experience of two leading experts in the field

This key reference text covers both the common law and the statutory controls over noise; including a detailed discussion of the role of planning law, with special attention given to the role of environmental assessment. Leading cases are covered in detail, for example, Baxter v Camden LBC, Coventry v Lawrence, Hatton v UK, Webster v Lord Advocate and Dennis v MoD.

Drawing on the authors’ combined expertise, the book presents a clear and practical overview for academics, practitioners and agencies working in acoustics, noise law and environmental law. It is also an ideal textbook for students undertaking modules on Environmental Noise and Regulation of Noise as part of the IOA diploma in Acoustics.

And as an exciting offer to REHIS members, there is a 30% discount on the purchase of the book which can be in paperback, hard back or ebook format.  Log onto the members site on REHIS for the unique code.