Health Officer Orientation Environmental Health

1. Health Officer OrientationEnvironmental Health August 13th and 14th, 2007 Chuck Warzecha – BEOH 608-264-9880 warzecj@dhfs.state.wi.us

2. Environmental Health • Things or conditions outside your body that can affect your health. • Part of Public Health

3. Environmental Health • Mitigating Human Health Hazards • Preventing Human Health Hazards • Promoting Safe and Healthy Environments

4. Arsenic Radon Rabies Hg Bed Bugs The In-laws Burying Relatives (in the yard) Smoke Landspreading Drug Labs Neighbors Mold Burn Barrels Trash houses Pesticides Asbestos Environmental Health Issues • PCBs • Rabies • Tires • Tornado cleanup • Outdoor wood boilers • Paperwork • E. coli • Flooding • CO • Garbage • Animal issues • Hoarding • Manure • Tire Fires • Blastomycosis • Odors • Bats • Beaches • Dust • Spills • Nitrate

5. Definitions • Human Health Hazards – 254.01(2)“Human health hazard” means a substance, activity or condition that is known to have the potential to cause acute or chronic illness or death if exposure to the substance, activity or condition is not abated.

6. Proposed Modifications • 254.01 (2) “Human health hazard” means a substance, activity or condition that is known to have the potential to cause acute or chronic illness, to endanger life, to generate or spread infectious diseases, or otherwise injuriously to affect the health of the public.

7. Other Terms • Urgent, Imminent, etc. • Public Nuisance • Private Nuisance • Sensitive Populations

8. Structure for HHHs • Chapter 254 – Environmental Health Statute • Local HHH Ordinances • Policies and Procedures Manuals • Many other Federal, State, and Local Authorities

9. Essential Environmental Health Services • Assessment • Monitor environmental and health status to identify community environmental health problems • Diagnose and investigate environmental health problems and health hazards in the community

10. Essential Environmental Health Services • Policy Development • Inform, educate and empower people about environmental health issues • Mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve environmental health problems • Develop policies and plans that support individual and community environmental health efforts

11. Essential Environmental Health Services • Assurance • Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety • Link people to needed environmental health services and assure the provision of environmental health services when otherwise unavailable

12. Essential Environmental Health Services • Assurance - Continued • Assure a competent environmental health workforce • Evaluate the effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population-based environmental health services • Conduct research for new insights and innovative solutions to environmental health problems and issues

13. Who’s responsibility • Health officer is responsible for addressing HHHs • But many others also have that responsibility depending upon the issue • The question is better rephrased as “Who is the appropriate party to respond?” • In cases where another program has more specific authority, they should respond. • Public water supply – DNR, failing septic – depends on agent status, etc.

14. What must be handled by an EH Professional? • Ideally all Human Health Hazards would be addressed by an Environmental Health Professional • The reality is that we don’t have sufficient EH workforce in each local health department • Then What?

15. Suggested Short-term Approach • Cope as best you can on simple issues with existing staff (keep track of these activities and the time they take). • Ask for advice and assistance from • DPH Regional Office • BEOH in Madison • Neighboring counties • Other agencies

16. Longer-term Approach • Work to develop EH capacity • Consider agent programs (DHFS,DATCP,DNR, Commerce) • Develop consortia • Talk with neighboring jurisdictions about mutual aid options for extreme situations • Other ideas? • DPH is also looking at other options

17. Local Priorities • What do you need to address? • What can you expect others to address? • What can you expect the caller to address themselves? • What should you document and file?

18. Examples to Consider

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24. 24 Clandestine Drug Lab

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