Improving and protecting health and wellbeing in Scotland through education, training and qualifications in Environmental Health
Welcome to the third Annual Environmental Health Review. Although collated and published by the Institute the review aims to highlight the contribution made to Environmental Health by a wide range of partners working across Scotland. We hope you find the review to be interesting and informative.
View or download a copy at the link below.
Tom Bell
Chief Executive
The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
19 Torphichen Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8HX
0131 229 2968
The REHIS Annual Conference is the principal Environmental Health event to take place in Scotland. It provides an opportunity to reflect on current and future approaches to protecting and improving the health of the Scottish people and to renew friendships and make new ones. The Conference will be held at the Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew www.glynhill.com/ on 25 and 26 May 2011.An updated conference programme and booking form are attached.
Tom Bell
Chief Executive
The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland
19 Torphichen Street
Edinburgh
EH3 8HX
0131 229 2968
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued a seasonal reminder to anyone visiting open farms over the Easter weekend not to rely on sanitising hand gels or wipes to protect themselves or their children against germs which may be present in farm environments. To reduce the risk of infection visitors should thoroughly wash their hands using soap and water after handling animals or touching farmyard surfaces and always before eating or drinking. Full advice is available directly from the following link to the HPA website: www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2011PressReleases/110420handwashing/
The OHSCR website goes live! www.oshcr.org
The Occupational Safety and Health Consultants Register (OSHCR) has been set up by a number of professional bodies representing general safety and occupational health consultants across the UK, with support from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is designed to help businesses find well-qualified and experienced consultants able to give good quality advice.
See attached pre-registration and FAQ documents for more details.
The Food Law Enforcement in Scotland – A Report on the Administrative and Enforcement Arrangements report, prepared by The Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland, The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland and the Scottish Food Enforcement Liaison Committee. The report, published this month by the Institute, represents the current arrangements and practice in Scotland and:
The report can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
The March 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. The March e-Newsletter includes items on Scotland’s Spring Clean, our joint award with Devro (Scotland) Limited, OSHCR, a training opportunity for a Scottish Environmental Health Graduate, the Society of Chief Officers of Environmental Health in Scotland Annual Congress and forthcoming events. If you wish to feature an environmental health or public health initiative, event or activity in the e-Newsletter please contact Tom Bell, Chief Executive on 0131 229 2968 or tb@.
The Institute’s members join everyone in Scotland’s public health community in celebrating the 5th anniversary of Scotland’s enclosed public places becoming smoke-free.
In the years leading up to the ban the Institute actively supported the introduction of controls to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
According to Sally Haw, Senior Scientific Adviser for the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health and Policy, the ban has been one of Scotland’s big public health success stories. Ms Haw stated that there has been a 17% reduction in heart attacks among bar workers and cited a study by Glasgow University which showed a 15% reduction in the number of children with asthma being admitted to hospital in the three years after the ban came into force. Ms Haw also stated that there had been no evidence that people were smoking more at home because they could not do so in enclosed public places and went on to advise that there have been benefits for smokers too with smoking prevalence rates going down and the respiratory symptoms in smokers post-ban improving.
With the introduction of the ban in 2006 Scotland’s public, its workers and its many visitors now enjoy public places which are free of tobacco smoke.
The REHIS Annual Conference is the principal Environmental Health event to take place in Scotland. It provides an opportunity to reflect on current and future approaches to protecting and improving the health of the Scottish people and to renew friendships and make new ones. The Conference will be held at the Glynhill Hotel, Renfrew www.glynhill.com/ on 25th & 26th May 2011.
The Conference programme and booking form are attached.
The REHIS Southern Centre presented a Public Health and Pest Control – The Rise of Bed Bugs and Cockroaches Seminar on 24 February in Glasgow. The event, attended by over 50 delegates (and there were more than 20 potential delegates on a waiting list), was deemed to have been a great success by the delegates and presenters. The event was chaired by Andrew McPherson, REHIS Council member and Southern Centre Chairman.
Oliver Madge, Chairman of the Bed Bug Foundation (www.bedbugfoundation.org) presented his paper Bed Bugs – The Problems and Solutions and he was followed by Nigel Kerr of Glasgow City Council Bed Bugs v. Cockroaches in Glasgow – a Sleeping Timebomb? and Stuart Graham of the City of Edinburgh Council Bed Bugs in Edinburgh – an Artistic Impression.
Andrew McPherson and the Southern Centre offer their thanks to all the presenters and to Pat Hoey, Chairman of the REHIS Public Health and Housing Working Group, for their contribution to the success of this event which was open to members of REHIS and to all environmental health professionals in Scotland.
The presentations given by the speakers are available at
https:/page/presentations-events
The Food Standards Agency has announced the appointment of Dr David Cameron as the Chair of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee (SFAC). The Agency has also announced the appointment of Dr James Wildgoose as a new member for Scotland on the FSA Board. The appointments were made by Shona Robison MSP, Scottish Minister for Public Health and Sport. Dr Cameron’s new role as Chair of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee will run concurrently with his FSA Board membership. He will divide his time between Board duties and SFAC. Dr Cameron, a biochemist and experienced food safety consultant, is a past President of REHIS and is also a member of the FSA Board. Dr Wildgoose, a former senior civil servant with a background in economics, was responsible for setting up the FSA in Scotland. He is based in Edinburgh and undertakes occasional freelance consultancy projects. The Scottish Food Advisory Committee provides the Food Standards Agency Scotland with independent advice and information on safety issues and food standards in Scotland. The Committee consists of 9 members (including Bernard Forteath, Senior Vice-President of REHIS and Past President of the IFEH) two whom are members of the Food Standards Agency Board, who provide a wide base of knowledge on food and food related issues. They particularly focus on Scottish based issues and take into account advice from scientific advisory committees working in the field of food safety and standards. The Committee holds regular meetings in locations throughout Scotland which are open to the public.
The Institute will have an exhibition stand at the Scottish Chamber of Safety Annual Conference – Safe, Healthy and Fit for Purpose on 24 February 2011 at Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow
The conference is aimed at everyone working to improve health, safety and wellbeing in Scotland.
It will provide an opportunity for practitioners and interested parties to improve their working knowledge of current safety issues, to hear an update on the national implications of Lord Young’s review and take part in a discussion on the implications.
An exhibition area will run alongside the conference and showcase some of the leaders in safety supply and there will be four workshops focusing on the current key issues. Each delegate will be able to attend two workshops.
Speakers
Key note address by Roger Bibbings, RoSPA
Debate Chaired by Brian Nimick, BSC; with Paul Stollard, HSE & Ian Tasker, STUC
And
Presentation of the Lord Cullen Awards
Drama presentation by Acting Up
Workshops on
For more information click on the link https:/event/scottish-chamber-safety-annual-conference-safe-healthy-and-fit-purpose
REHIS members can also download the SCOS flyer(attached) which includes a promotional code that will get £25 off the normal £125 delegate rate or follow the link to the booking page www.scosconference.org.uk and enter discount code SGUK.
See link below under
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