Improving and protecting health and wellbeing in Scotland through education, training and qualifications in Environmental Health
The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) officially launched its new BSc (Hons) Environmental Health degree course at its Paisley Campus on Friday 26 October 2012. The course is accredited by the Institute.
Robert Howe, Director of Professional Development, Professor Seamus McDaid CBE, Principal and Vice Chancellor of UWS.
Photo: Richard Thacker, Professor Seamus McDaid CBE and Robert Howe at the launch
Environmental Health Update and Annual General Meeting Friday 16 November 2012
Apex International Hotel, Edinburgh
REHIS will present its annual free to members Environmental Health Update event in Edinburgh on the morning of Friday 16 November. Five excellent speakers will present papers on the Airdrie to Bathgate Railway Line – Environmental Health Aspects, Bottled Water and the Environment – an Industry Perspective, Better Regulation – a Business Perspective, the new REHIS Intermediate Level Course on the Control of Cross Contamination in Food Premises and Legionella Management
The programme and booking form are attached for downloading.The AGM will take place at 2pm at the same venue and members are encouraged to attend.
One of the new features of the new website is the addition of Members’ and Community Trainers’ forums. Each group has its own separate area – Members can access their forum by clicking on the Members tab and then “Forums” and the Community Trainers by clicking on the Community Training tab and then “Trainers resources” and then “Trainers forum”
These forums are intended to aid discussion on matters of interest to each group and to get opinions on environmental health and training issues.
Major features of the new REHIS Website are the Member and Trainer forums. These are password protected areas where members and trainers can start discussions and post messages.
The Members forum can be accessed after logging in by clicking on the Members tab and then choosing Forums. The Trainers forum can be accessed after logging in by clicking on the Qualifications for Communities tab and then choosing Trainers Resources and then Trainers Forum.
You can then pick a forum that interests you and join in the discussion. If you wish you can also add new topics in your chosen forum.
Why don’t you have a look now and see if anything interests you, if not then you can always start your own discussion topic.
If you want a new forum started then contact us at contact@
Only slow progress is being made in improving children’s diets in Scotland, according to a dietary survey undertaken on behalf of the Food Standards Agency in Scotland.
According to the research, carried out by the University of Aberdeen, Scotcen and the University of Hertfordshire, children’s intake of saturated fats and added sugars continues to be considerably higher than the Scottish Dietary Goals.
The diets of 1,500 children aged 3-16 years living in Scotland were monitored as part of the research, with fieldwork undertaken during June to November 2010. Children’s school-day purchasing habits were also examined. The survey follows a 2006 study into sugar intake among children.
Click on the link below for more information.
http://www.food.gov.uk/scotland/news-updates/news/2012/oct/scot-eat#.UHPZeOT7LBM
For the final report click on the link below.
http://foodbase.org.uk/results.php?f_report_id=777
Graham Robertson scaled the heights of Mount Kilimanjaro on Thursday 4 October 2012 at 8.00 AM. He undertook the ‘Machame’ Route on Kilimanjaro over 6 days to raise money for Alzheimer Scotland in memory of his Mother, Sheila, who suffered from the disease in her final years, passing away in February 2010. Graham and his brother Mark wanted to do something for Alzheimer Scotland to show thanks for their support to Mum over her final years. The money raised is going directly to the specialist Alzheimer dementia centre set up in Chalmers Hospital, Banff to help sufferers across the local Turriff and Banff area so we’re delighted to have raised a fantastic £11,400 to date, so a big thank you to all those who have supported us.
The Machame trek itself was the toughest of the treks available on Kilimanjaro so I was delighted to have succeeded along with 13 others in the group. Graham says it’s hard to explain in words what different emotions you go through whilst on the trek but I was delighted to reach the summit and I’ve met some very special people along the way. The whole group were a great support to each other which is essential in such extreme conditions. We set off at 12 midnight on the summit trek after a short 3-hour break at our Barafu Camp so we managed to see sunrise at Stella point (5,739 metres) before proceeding to Uhuru Peak at 5,986 metres.
Graham is a member of the REHIS Council and the Council’s adviser on occupational health and safety issues.
Anyone still wishing to support Graham can do so by sponsoring him in person or donating on-line at the just giving site:
http://www.justgiving.com/GMKilimanjaroTrek
Scotland’s public health campaigners celebrated today as legislation to ban self-service cigarette vending machines was once again upheld by the courts.
Sinclair Collis, the UK’s largest operator of cigarette vending machines, challenged the Scottish Government over a ban on these machines, which was passed by a large majority of the Scottish Parliament and received Royal Assent in March 2010.
The ban on cigarette vending machines was proposed in order to restrict children’s opportunities to purchase tobacco, with vending machines often located in unsupervised areas, where staff could not monitor their use.
Sinclair Collis charged that the legislation breached European free trade rules, but their case was rejected by the Court of Session in May 2011. The Court of Session has now rejected their appeal of that decision.
A ban on self-service tobacco vending machines has already been implemented in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.
For further information please contact John Watson on 0131 220 9468.
The Food Standards Agency is advising people that eating lead-shot game on a frequent basis can expose them to potentially harmful levels of lead. The FSA’s advice is that frequent consumers of lead-shot game should eat less of this type of meat.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2012/oct/lead-shot
Regulatory approaches to protect our health at work and to prevent pollution of our environment have improved by increments over several decades. Now these approaches are being questioned. The reasons given to justify a reappraisal vary, but globalisation and recession are the principal reasons cited by business and governments for ripping up the rule book. Some argue current high standards are not affordable in a global economy; others argue there are better, less burdensome alternatives to regulation.
Download the full report written by Andrew Watterson and Rory O’Neill from the University of Stirling at www.regulatingscotland.org
The October 2012 edition of the REHIS e-Newsletter ‘News for Public Health Professionals’ has been uploaded to this website and is accessible from a dedicated public access portal to the right of this news item.
If you wish to feature any Environmental Health or Public Health initiative, event or activity in the REHIS Newsletter, please contact Jim Thomson, Policy/Professional Development Officer, The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, 19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, tel: 0131 229 2968 or jt@
Food Update Course 2012
Location: The Holiday Inn Edinburgh
Date: Thu, 11/10/2012 – 09:00 – 16:00
An intensive course presented by REHIS with financial and organisational support from The Food Standards Agency Scotland specifically aimed at Environmental Health Officers and Food Safety Officers working in Scottish local authorities.
Participation in this course carries a maximum value of 4 ½ hours (core activity) for the REHIS Scheme of Continuing Professional Development
The programme and booking form are available at the link below
Third year students on the University of Malawi Polytechnic’s BSc Environmental Health degree course decided to celebrate World Environmental Health Day on the 26th September 2012 by making a video highlighting the challenges facing EH in Malawi. To access their video please follow the following YouTube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-8zAlPbE6M.
Well done to everyone involved!
