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MEET THE VICE PRESIDENTS Who are the new recruits?
THE MAGAZINE FOR CIEH MEMBERS
www.cieh.org September 2021 Volume 36 Issue 7
SETTING UP A BUSINESS Tips on leveraging your EH skills
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SAVING THE WORLD
How environmental health is tackling climate change BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN
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Think Media Group 20 Mortimer Street London W1T 3JW Tel: 020 3771 7200 EHN is published 10 times per year and printed on paper made from pulp sourced from sustainable materials. The views expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of CIEH. All information is correct at the time of going to press. Articles published in the magazine may be reproduced only with the permission of CIEH and with acknowledgement to EHN. CIEH does not accept responsibility for the accuracy of statements made by contributors or advertisers. The contents of this magazine are the copyright of CIEH. Ideas and letters to the editor are welcome. EHN is mailed in a wrapper made from potato starch and is fully compostable. You can even use it in your kitchen caddy.
HENRY DIMBLEBY GIVES
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
TURN IDEAS INTO A BUSINESS
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News IPCC’s report underlines climate emergency; EHPs battle Magna Carta claims; energyinefficient housing; National Food Strategy part 2. Explainer The latest developments in fire safety legislation for residential buildings.
EVE RY I S SU E 32 TALES FROM THE FRONT LINE EHP Lynda Stefek’s holistic approach to improving air quality in Greater Manchester.
G O ON L I N E SHUTTERSTOCK
Find your next job at www.ehn-jobs.com, and see how to further your career at www.cieh.org
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FEATU R E S 10 CLIMATE CHANGE A new generation of EHPs explain their efforts to reduce the impact of global warming. 14 MEET THE VICE PRESIDENTS Five VPs join the team and Christopher Elliott examines the challenges of tackling food fraud. 17 EXPLAINER The new route to registration.
1 9 L EGAL BR I E FI NG Opinion Recent judgment is bad news for RROs. Prosecutions Illegal evictions, scalding and rats.
2 2 YOU R CAR E E R 7 tips on… setting up your own EH business.
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WELCOME
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What’s new? ELCOME TO THIS
month’s EHN, in which ‘new’ is the theme. We are delighted that Chris Elliott, Chris Brereton, Karen Buck, Jim McManus and Graham Brady have accepted invitations to join our team of vice presidents. Our vice presidents are experts in their fields and will work with us to support campaigns and to raise our profile. In this issue we profile Chris Elliott, who is an expert on food safety and integrity. Arguably COP26 is the next big thing but, like all big things, it may promise more than it delivers. What do we want from a conference focusing on the biggest challenge facing the planet? We asked some recently qualified EHPs and undergraduate students what they hope to see emerging from COP26 and how they feel the work that they are or will be doing will contribute to reducing the impact of climate
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The recent Extinction Rebellion protest in London demanded crisis talks on the burning of fossil fuels, following the findings of the IPCC report
CHRIS ELLIOTT “When I first discovered the work that environmental health officers carry out I was completely taken aback”
LYNDA STEFEK “There’s an opportunity here for our profession to encourage people to change their behaviour – to reflect on their lifestyles”
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change. Their optimism is encouraging – let’s not lose sight of the value of what we do and the contribution that we make. Continuing the ‘new’ theme, on page 17 we explain the new pathway to registration, which will launch on 20 September. As one of the group that worked on this, I can assure members that we listened – listened to what employers want, what academics consider is appropriate and what members feel is essential for a day-one qualified EHP, and the new EHP portfolio reflects all of that. It’s new but not unfamiliar, and it should help us to move forward. I hope you enjoy this edition.
JULIE BARRATT CIEH President SEPTEMBER 2021 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 3
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Eco-shaming
And Leeds researcher outlines practical steps to help reverse some of the damage
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HE LATEST
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warned of more intense and more extreme weather events and was much more certain about these predictions than in the past. However, it was also more certain that if we can reach net zero, some of the effects of climate change can be reversed – some, such as surface temperatures, within a couple of years. Other effects may take WWW.CIEH.ORG
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much longer, such as thawing of permafrost (decades), acidification of the deep ocean (centuries) and sea level rises (centuries to millennia). The pandemic has shown what can be achieved if we all pull together and – as many activists are calling for – treat climate change as a global emergency in the same way as we have COVID-19. Max Callaghan, a researcher at the University of Leeds and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and
Climate Change in Berlin, is co-author of a study published last year on ‘Quantifying the potential for climate change mitigation of consumption options’. He said: “One of the things our study showed was the really big things that you can do are about personal transportation: either not using the car, getting an electric car or replacing car journeys with active travel – so walking or public transport or cycling – [and the same with] flights. Every journey you
36%
of British people have said they would be more motivated to take climate action if the conversation was more positive
41%
said they had been ‘eco-shamed’ by a friend
37%
said they had been ‘eco-shamed’ by a colleague or stranger
60%
said this experience made them less likely to take climate action
* The research has been carried out by renewable energy firm E.ON Next, compiled from a survey of 2,000 adults in July and August by PR firm 72Point. The company has also launched a speaker series to encourage positivity when it comes to sustainability. To find out more visit @eon_next on Instagram
IPCC report underlines current state of the climate
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Extreme weather events such as flooding will become more frequent if we do not act soon, warns IPCC
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l Email editor@cieh.org with your views on the IPCC report
GIVES BAGS OF LEEDS REPORT GE T CLIMATE CHAN OPTIONS TO FIGH
Police support the council in efforts to prevent tattoo parlour operating in lockdown
EHOs battle against more ‘Magna Carta’ claims Businesses breaching COVID-19 regulations are convicted but some continue fight
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Bristol who breached COVID regulations and ignored warnings must now pay more than £20,000 in fines and costs. Aron Walton, who runs the Holey Skin tattoo parlour in Gloucester Road, ignored lockdown and was found trading from his studio on 13 November 2020. A Bristol City Council EHO served a £1,000 fixed penalty notice and took away six pieces of equipment. The following day, Walton reopened his studio regardless, citing a ‘Magna Carta’ defence, and four people at the site were fined £200 each by police for breaching COVID regulations. Bristol Live reported that Walton, who did not attend court, was found guilty on 9 August at Bristol Magistrates’ Court. He was fined £10,000 for failing to comply with a notice prohibiting opening, £2,500 for obstructing a Bristol City Council enforcement officer, £8,174.94 of the council’s prosecution costs, and £190 victim surcharge.
Tattooist Aron Walton
Nine police and several council officers attended on 13 November, with a locksmith who had to force entry. While they were outside, Walton told them not to “blow through the hole” in case they had COVID-19. Once inside Walton told them he would bill them for the damage to the door, and that he did not consent to the fine. Days before this, Walton told police he would be issuing £10,000 fines for any more visits from police or the council. Bristol Live also reported that it had contacted Public Health England after its investigations found Walton appeared to have travelled from Zante to Bristol in September 2020. Two people on
his flight had tested positive for COVID-19 but social media showed he was not cooperating with NHS Test and Trace, and continued to go into his shop. Bristol City Council declined to comment. Meanwhile, owners of a coffee shop that mounted and lost a Magna Carta defence against breaching COVID regulations have lodged an appeal at Plymouth Crown Court. Finla Coffee Ltd, in the Plymouth suburb of Plympton, and owners Deanna Yates and Michael Pendlebury have appealed the judgment made on 7 July 2021 and £42,000 in fines and costs. The charges, brought against them by Plymouth City Council, relate to 6 and 7 November 2020 when the business refused to close and stop selling food and drink. Yates and Pendlebury argue the prosecution is “unlawful” and claim there has been an “abuse of process”. No one from Plymouth City Council or Finla was available to comment. WWW.CIEH.ORG
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switch from the car to cycling, walking or taking a bus is a positive thing. “It’s the same with meat: you don’t have to go vegan for every meal, but every vegan meal you eat instead of a meat meal helps.” Callaghan said one of the things that has changed a lot over the past few years is that there are very few people who deny climate change outright. The focus, Callaghan added, can be on targets that are a long way away and it will be key to make sure we take action in the short term so we can meet those longer-term targets. He said there can be a debate around whether individuals should be taking action or big businesses, which can be responsible for huge greenhouse gas emissions. He said: “One way or another, we are going to have to change our behaviour – all of us as individuals.” He also said that government needs to set the right rules and incentives to help individuals make those changes. He added that taking action against climate change offers opportunities to benefit individuals and society. EH officers know that renovating and insulating housing, for example, can greatly improve people’s health and wellbeing, he said. Food and diet, which EH officers are also concerned about, have a huge part to play. Switching to active travel has health benefits for individuals, society and our health system.
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UK homes not energy-efficient
In sunny weather UK properties with an indoor temperature of 20°C and an outside temperature of 30°C gained 5°C after three hours, on average, Tado found
Insulating properties will help people in fuel poverty as well as reduce carbon emissions
The research carried out on behalf of Tado included over 60,000 homes
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up more than twice as quickly as those in many other western European countries, including Germany and Italy, with Scottish homes affected the most, a study by intelligent home climate management company Tado has found. Tado reported that the UK has the oldest housing stock in comparison to EU Member States, with around 38% of homes dating back before 1946 compared to 24% in Germany and Sweden. As well as heating up more quickly, older, less energyefficient homes are also difficult to keep warm. As the climate changes, people affected by fuel poverty face a double whammy of not being able to keep warm in winter or cool in summer. Public Health England reported 2,500 excess deaths related to the heatwave in summer 2020 alone. EHP, author and CIEH vice president Stephen Battersby said the Tado study reflected “two sides of the coin”. He said:
“Our housing stock hasn’t been built to reflect the changing climate, never mind the kind that we had, one could argue.” Battersby said there were lots of low-tech solutions that could address the issues of the energy-inefficient housing stock but it needed government leadership: “It’s not just about using greener energy. It’s about using what energy we generate a lot more efficiently – and that comes down to improving housing stock.” Local Government Association housing spokesperson councillor David Renard said: “Retrofitting energy efficiency into old housing stock is one of the big challenges for both national and local government. “We will need a strategy and resources from government to tackle that. Fuel poverty is a big issue and insulating properties will help people with that, but also it’ll help the environment in terms of emissions so it’s certainly something that local government is very keen to address.”
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HOME HELP IN WALES
The Welsh government has increased its funding for low carbon social homes that include new tech such as renewable energy from exhaust air heat pumps integrated with mechanical ventilation, and large solar photovoltaic roof systems coupled with a Tesla battery system. Wales & West Housing’s
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Rhiw Cefn Gwlad scheme in Bridgend already uses the technology. Resident Cai Phillips said: “The house is so well insulated that the temperature hardly drops below 200C. Even on some of the coldest days in winter we didn’t need to put the heating on... We pay just £20 a month for electricity.”
£250m
will be spent by the Welsh government in 2021/22 on social housing for rent
20,000
new low carbon homes are to be built, going beyond Welsh housing need estimates, according to Minister for Climate Change Julie James
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homes will be built to new “quality and environmental standards”, some producing more energy than they use
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l Introduce mandatory reporting for large food companies of sales of foods high in sugar, fat and salt. l Teach children aged 2-18 how to eat well. l Extend eligibility for free school meals. l Fund the holiday activities and food programme for the next three years. l Expand the Healthy Start voucher scheme.
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Henry Dimbleby’s plan joins all the dots but will ministers act?
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approach factoring in how diet, health, food production, climate change, biodiversity and equality are interlinked was expected from the long-awaited National Food Strategy part 2, and it delivered. Henry Dimbleby’s work has been widely welcomed, marred only by the prime minister, Boris Johnson, knocking one of its key proposals – to introduce a £3bn sugar and salt tax – at its launch. Johnson said during his ‘levelling up’ press conference that he was “not attracted to the idea of extra taxes on hard-working people”. The strategy lays out the evidence as to how and why our food system is failing
people and the planet, divided into four parts: nature and climate; health; inequality; and trade. It then makes 14 recommendations to be taken across England to transform the food system for the better. The UK government is expected to set out its proposals for future legislation in response with a white paper within six months. Christina Marriott, CEO of the Royal Society for Public Health, pointed out the absurdity of a food system that “does not serve the health of the population nor the planet”. She added: “It is hugely concerning that obesity often co-exists with hunger.” Tim Lang, emeritus professor of food policy at City,
University of London and CIEH vice president, said: “Food is at the centre of our health and wellbeing. Current diets and eating habits are unsustainable – environmentally, economically in terms of the costs of ill health, and socially in terms of morbidity.” He said the recommendations were good but the detail was light on implementation and that how the government responds would be crucial. While much of the evidence is well known, it is still shocking: globally, obesity has almost the same economic impact as smoking or armed conflict. The UK spends £18bn annually on direct medical costs of conditions related to being overweight or obese, and
l Trial a ‘Community Eatwell’ programme. l Guarantee the budget for agricultural payments of £2.4bn until at least 2029 to help farmers transition to more sustainable land use. l Create a Rural Land Use Framework by 2022. l Define minimum standards for trade. l Invest £1bn in innovation to create a better food system. without intervention rates of both will rise and healthcare costs will increase. Climate change has already lowered agricultural yields globally by 21%, the report says, and worldwide food production contributes 26% of greenhouse gases. Food production has edged out biodiversity so that livestock now comprises 94% of mammal biomass – excluding humans. Kath Dalmeny, chief executive of the Sustain food and farming charity, said: “Without legislation, clear responsibility, accountability and adequate powers and resources for implementing a long-term plan, the fresh ideas in this ground-breaking food strategy will quickly wilt.” MENT T DOES GOVERN FRESH IDEAS, BU ? TITE FOR THEM HAVE THE APPE
M E M BE R N EWS The following colleagues have been awarded the EHRB Certificate of Registration: David Adewumi, Gareth Bowman, Janette Brettell, Gillian Clark, Alan Gould, Arron Kirkham, Victoria Johnstone, Natalie Lusardi, Lot Masiane, Helen McMillian, Maria Melek,
Agnes Ojalatan-Adeboye, Bridget Oyekanmi, Ashley Parrin, Ali Pridmore, Mahreen Tirmizi The following EHPs completed CIEH’s Chartered Practitioner Programme in May 2021: 2 Year Practitioners: Gordon Beresford, Daniel Biggs,
8 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS / SEPTEMBER 2021
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Krystal Carpenter, Connor Clayton, Olabimpe Dalemo, Elizabeth Davies, Gbode Gnabressou, Lee Gould, Mitch Henson, Lewis Heron, Gary Jenkins, Felix Ogunleye, Peter Ramsay, Garreth White 1 Year Practitioners: Obiorah Akude, Joseph Gibbons, Alzain
Hassan, Daniel Hickin-Botham, Yanupreya Kristnanmoorthy, Luke Martin-Hesp, Michelle Stimpson, Chris Stothard, Diana Turmova l For more on becoming chartered, visit www.cieh.org/ membership/chartered-status
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SOME KEY RECOMMENDATIONS
Henry Dimbleby proposes ambitious plans for food
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Legislation update: the Fire Safety Act
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Richard Lord outlines the latest developments in fire safety for residential buildings
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deaths of 72 people in the Grenfell Tower disaster four years ago brought fire safety in high-rise residential buildings into sharp focus. Since Grenfell Tower, there have been other disasters (non-fatal), including at a student accommodation building (The Cube, Bolton), which failed to perform as expected, and at a medium-rise block of flats in Barking, London, thought to have been caused by a barbeque on a wooden balcony. The government’s response to these incidents was a review of fire and building safety, resulting in legislative changes – the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Building Safety Bill. The Fire Safety Act 2021 amends the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, making it clear that, in the case of buildings containing two or more residential dwellings, the external wall system, balconies and individual entry doors of flats are defined as common parts and must be assessed for fire safety by the responsible person (see below). This removes any doubt about who is responsible for assessing the suitability of leasehold flat doors and which is the correct enforcing authority.
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“Since Grenfell, there have been other disasters, including at flats in Barking” The Act is designed to allow for further regulations to be made to incorporate the recommendations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This may include regular lift inspections, a review of evacuation plans and provision of clear fire safety instructions to residents. The Act is not height-dependent, meaning
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ABOUT Chartered EHP Richard Lord is an independent housing and health consultant. He is also author of Fire Safety in Residential Property – A Practical Approach for Environmental Health, published by Routledge Focus: routledge.com
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any building containing two sets of flats will come into scope. To date, no regulations have been made. The ‘responsible person’ must make sure they meet their responsibilities including that: ● fire risk assessments are prepared and regularly reviewed for the common parts. This may require engaging a competent person to undertake the assessment. ● building fire safety systems are properly maintained and managed to allow for emergency escape. There will be an impact on local authorities, which in all likelihood will need additional fire safety training for officers, and extra resources, particularly in larger cities with many
high-rise residential buildings. An immediate question is, if the fire and rescue services are responsible for enforcing the safety of balconies attached to flats, how will they inspect them, as fire officers do not have the authority to enter a residential flat (only a local council officer has that power)? This highlights the need for local housing authorities and fire and rescue services to review the joint fire safety protocol to remove any problems with enforcement. It is intended that the Act will complement the Building Safety Bill, which was introduced into UK parliament on 5 July this year. Once the Bill receives Royal Assent, it will introduce new and enhanced regulatory regimes for building safety in England and Wales, and for construction products throughout the UK. The Health and Safety Executive will set up the Building Safety Regulator to oversee how buildings are constructed and maintained over their lifespan, and will be responsible for ensuring that any building safety risks in new and existing high-rise residential buildings of 18 metres and above are effectively managed and resolved, taking cost into account.1 The changes will apply retrospectively, allowing residents of a building completed in 2010 to bring proceedings against the developer until 2025 if they wish. The Bill may not become law until 2023, depending on parliamentary business. 1 UK Government press release 5/07/2021 – New regulator at heart of building safety overhaul, www.gov.uk/ government/news/new-regulator-at-heart-of-buildingsafety-overhaul
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SAVING THE WORLD
Ahead of COP26, we asked a new generation of EHPs how the profession can tackle climate change and what they hope the conference will achieve BY SARAH KOVANDZICH
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HIS YEAR’S STORMS, floods and wildfires won’t have escaped most people’s attention. The extreme weather conditions are timely examples of the effects of global warming and the importance of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). The summit, initially due to take place last November but rescheduled due to the pandemic, will be hosted by the UK in Glasgow in partnership with Italy, from 31 October to 12 November. A key task of the COP is to review the
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national communications and emission inventories submitted by the 197 Parties – 196 countries and the EU – who signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994. Based on this information, the COP will assess the effects of the measures and progress achieved to date. Faced with the enormity of the global challenge, can EHPs on the ground make a difference? We asked a group of students and EHPs who joined the profession in the last two years how they think they can effect change, how governments can support them and what COP26 means for the future.
Northumberland is working to improve its rail network
ALEX WALL
EHP, Northumberland County Council “I work with the Planning team and in Contaminated Land, Environmental Permitting and Private Water Supplies. Climate change and the need to be green is considered in all aspects of my job. The council has a robust Climate Change Action Plan and my team provides technical assistance in meeting the objectives. These include delivering the Northumberland Line rail scheme and replacing oil and gas sources of heating in council buildings with more sustainable sources. “I hope that COP26 will review in detail the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s report, Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science Basis, published on 9 August. Then the nationally determined contribution of each country should be re-evaluated to ensure that each nation sets ambitious targets that are financially and technologically viable. “COP26 will hopefully also refer to the outcome of the UN Biodiversity Conference to be held in China from 11 to 24 October – the issues of biodiversity loss and climate change are inextricably linked. “I am hopeful that the capital grants scheme for the remediation of contaminated land will be re-initiated. Remediating land across the country and bringing it back into positive community use is vital for good health.”
“Climate change and the need to be green is considered in all aspects of my job” 10 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS / SEPTEMBER 2021
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Plant-based menus using local produce help cut restaurants’ carbon footprint
IZZY DAWSON
Senior Technical Officer, Mendip District Council “I assist EHPs in the investigation of air and noise pollution, and noise complaints. I am able to advise clients about the negative effects of bonfires on the environment and air quality and to encourage other measures such as composting and taking up a green bin subscription, which can help mitigate methane production from wasted food and other organics in landfill sites. “We are situated in a rural area and receive odour complaints arising from slurry spreading. I investigate whether the farm is utilising the latest guidance for spreading to minimise odour and, importantly, ammonia emissions. “In terms of climate change, I am most concerned about excess heat and flooding because UK housing stock is not equipped
to adapt to the changes. It is estimated that more than 7,000 people could die from heat each year by 2050 (ccc.org.uk). “COP26 is extremely important as climate change affects nearly every area of environmental health. I hope that member countries will agree to set meaningful targets that will be adhered to, building on the limited progress made in Paris. “Disadvantaged populations are more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change and social inequalities need to be addressed as rigorously as climate change to enable a greater proportion of the population to engage with positive change. “I hope developed countries do their utmost to make the £100bn in climate finance available so that developing countries are enabled to join the fight against climate change.”
“Social inequalities need to be addressed as rigorously as climate change”
Composting is better than bonfires
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VIJAY VENKATESH
Executive chef, Aubaine Restaurants, and part-time MSc student, Environmental Health, University of the West of England “I am interested in becoming an EHO in food enforcement for a local authority. One of the most important ways that we can have a positive impact on the environment is through the food we buy and eat. We actively include plantbased dishes in our restaurants and look for sustainable ingredients and suppliers for produce such as veg, fish, meat and eggs. We source responsibly through local and short supply chains, and we are always looking at ways to minimise food waste. “COP26 is vital to EH as protection of health and wellbeing is at the core of what we do, and weather and climate change have a major impact on human health. “I am concerned about increased heat in the UK, which is leading to more heavy rainfall and frequent flooding, often impacting the same areas repeatedly. We have seen this in counties such as Cumbria and Yorkshire. “I hope COP26 will accelerate further actions to reduce emissions and that newer plans will be devised. “Local governments turn national climate ambitions into action on the ground. I am hoping that at COP26 they will get appropriate representation and a chance to participate on the global stage.”
“Local governments turn national climate ambitions into action on the ground” SEPTEMBER 2021 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 11
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Cover feature: COP26, 1
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SIMON PALIN
EHO, Bolton Council (since Sept 2020)
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Electric vehicles are part of East Suffolk Council’s efforts to tackle climate change
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“The mission of the Port Health Authority is to protect human and animal health. My main responsibility is to conduct document and identity inspections on food imports. “East Suffolk Council is committed to tackling climate change both inside and outside the organisation. At the port health authority, we use electric vehicles, automatic lighting and recycling bins. “In my day-to-day living, I have reduced my carbon footprint by decreasing my clothing purchases and my intake of animal products, using alternative transport (walking and cycling) and switching to a renewable energy supplier. “The increase in adverse weather incidences affects so many different industries, especially the agriculture sector, which may in turn affect the safety and quality of food we consume. “During my EH master’s degree we participated in a simulation, run by Public Health England, of the 2015 Paris conference. We learned that collective action globally is crucial to reducing the impact of climate change. “Becoming carbon neutral needs commitment from every profession, but COP26 is particularly important for EH professionals as everything from waste to town planning and housing involves the implementation of carbon-neutral policies, which also involves control and enforcement by EHPs.”
“Collective action globally is crucial to reducing the impact of climate change” 12 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS / SEPTEMBER 2021
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“My role involves a wide range of advisory and enforcement activities in relation to the private rented sector. I recently completed a project demonstrating the return on investment of proactive housing inspections, assessing the savings made to all agencies and society as a whole. “When inspecting properties, I try to ensure they meet minimum standards for energy efficiency but also that any improvement works, such as new boilers, are the most energy efficient. I hope the EH profession takes a leading role in supporting the move away from reliance on gas for heating homes, as ground and air source heat pumps become more mainstream. “When investigating statutory nuisance complaints, relating to smoke for example, I ensure that properties are not burning waste or a type of fuel that pollutes the atmosphere. I remind owners of both their legal and social responsibility. “I feel very strongly about air quality – I hope the UK government commits to legislative powers and greater funding for local and mayoral-combined authorities to support EH in its role in improving air quality so that we can drive forward standards and no more young lives are lost. “COP26 is a real opportunity to raise public awareness of climate change and how we all need to make changes to how we live and behave to protect the environment for future generations. “I hope the conference brings a commitment for greener heating systems in the UK, while also addressing fuel poverty.”
“We all need to make changes to how we live and behave”
EHPs can support the move to ground source heat pumps
Better sorting of recycling would reduce plastic in landfill
BRIAN MERCHANT
Head chef and part-time MSc student, Environmental Health, University of the West of England “As head chef at a care home, I try to play my own part in tackling climate change by reducing food waste. Broccoli and cauliflower shells are used to make soups and stocks, leftover parsnip peelings are deep-fried and presented as garnish and leftover bread is turned into breadcrumbs to make fishcakes. “My main hope for COP26 is that simple education and solutions for domestic and commercial industry that benefit everyone will follow. For example, it is the responsibility of people to sort their own household rubbish for recycling before collection. This is often not done properly and results in a lot of recyclable waste being taken to landfill sites. “As part of my MSc, I looked at how recycling can be taken over by private companies and sorted correctly, reducing the amount of waste that is incinerated. But how do we afford this? My suggestion was for corporates – such as laundry detergent companies using non-recyclable plastic containers – to subsidise private recycling by paying for their containers to be returned and reused. “There needs to be more of a ‘stick and carrot’ approach, instead of just enforcement. There needs to be less traffic to reduce car emissions. Working from home when possible is a solution that can benefit all parties, not only lowering emissions but also reducing employees’ transport costs and commute times.”
“There needs to be more of a ‘stick and carrot’ approach” WWW.CIEH.ORG
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Cover feature: COP26, 2
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The new group of vice presidents poised to drive the organisation’s values forward
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new group of vice presidents to help promote the important role played by environmental health professionals around the UK. The collective experience of the vice presidents spans the fields of public health, academia and politics. They are combining their diversity of experience and skills to support CIEH’s major campaigns and help the organisation improve housing standards, promote food safety, enhance the environment and protect public health. Six members of the group are already established ambassadors for the
organisation: Stephen Battersby, Ilora Finlay, Tim Lang, Geoffrey Podger, Sarah Veale and Joan Walley. They are joined by five new recruits: Graham Brady, Christopher Brereton, Karen Buck, Christopher Elliott and Jim McManus. “Each and every one of them brings a rich and unique experience and will lend valuable insight to our work,” says CIEH President Julie Barratt. In the next few issues of EHN, we’ll be introducing you to the work of each of the vice presidents and how they hope to help the organisation. We start here with Professor Chris Elliott.
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EXISTING VICE PRESIDENTS Stephen Battersby MBE is a former CIEH President and currently a visiting senior fellow at the Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health, at the University of Surrey.
Geoffrey Podger CB has held several chief executive posts in the public health and regulatory sectors, including at the Health and Safety Executive and the Food Standards Agency.
Baroness Ilora Finlay is a professor of palliative medicine, and an Independent crossbench member of the House of Lords, where she co-chairs the groups on Carbon Monoxide and Dying Well.
Sarah Veale CBE is a former head of the Equality and Employment Rights Department at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and a member of the Fair Work Commission.
Tim Lang is emeritus professor of food policy at City, University of London’s Centre for Food Policy. He specialises in how policy affects the food supply chain, what people eat and the social, health and civic outcomes.
Joan Walley was Labour MP for Stokeon-Trent North from 1987 to 2015 and a former opposition spokesperson on environmental protection and development. She is currently chair of the Midlands Regional Greener NHS Delivery Board.
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NEW RECRUITS
Graham Brady is Conservative Party MP for Altrincham and Sale.
Karen Buck MP has been Labour Party MP for Westminster North since 2010. She is Shadow Minister (Work and Pensions). Jim McManus is director of public health for Hertfordshire County Council and responsible for England’s fifth largest public health system. He is also vice president of the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH). Christopher Brereton OBE is a member of the Welsh Food Advisory Committee and former chief environmental health officer for Wales. Christopher Elliott OBE See right.
CA R EER ABOUT CHRIS Alongside his work at Queen’s University Belfast and with the Institute for Global Food Security, Chris is a visiting professor at the China Agricultural University in Beijing and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and an elected Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Royal Society of Biology. He has published more than 300 papers in the field of detection and control of chemical contaminants in agri-food commodities and led the UK government’s independent review of food systems following the 2013 horsemeat scandal.
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world and we will be dealing with countries that don’t have the same safety regulations as us. There is the potential for the importation of unsafe food, and at the moment I don’t think the UK has the infrastructure in place at its ports to check a lot of this.” Chris has been a vocal critic of Brexit, and the detrimental effect he believes it is having on food safety in the UK. For instance, goods are no longer checked at European ports en route to the UK. “If a lorry comes in that is destined for the UK,” he says, “they just put a sticker on it saying that it’s not to be opened anywhere in Europe. We have lost a very important line of defence. “We’re totally excluded from food fraud networks, too,” he continues. “Those meetings where you would have a chat over a coffee and people would warn you about something – they’ve dried up.”
DELIVERY DILEMMAS
Professor Christopher Elliott OBE Chris Elliott is a passionate player in the fight against food fraud. He spoke to CIEH about some of the challenges
W
HEN I FIRST DISCOVERED
the breadth of the work that environmental health officers carry out around food safety, I was completely taken aback,” says Chris Elliott, a professor of food safety at Queen’s University Belfast. “They’re the front-line troops who absolutely know what’s happening on the ground.” With a long track record in protecting public safety and rooting out bad practices in the food industry, Chris brings a new campaigning zeal to CIEH. A founder of the Institute for Global Food Security, he has an important role in investigating how global supply chains become contaminated by chemicals, microbes and toxins. WWW.CIEH.ORG
He also investigates food fraud, analysing products that contain fake ingredients, from herbs and spices, to rice and even fish, tracing their origins back along complex supply chains and working with authorities and agencies in more than 50 countries. Closer to home, he is focused on animal feed, helping to safely manage the millions of tonnes that come into the UK each year. “Contaminated feed often leads to contaminated food,” he explains.
CHANGING TIMES
“There are a lot of new challenges coming to our food system,” he says. “With Brexit and COVID, so many things have changed. Trade deals are being struck up all over the
He is also critical of Facebook Marketplace – where food can be bought and traded without any regulation – and so-called dark kitchens, which flourished in lockdown to meet the demand for food deliveries. “They may be legal,” he says, “but they totally lack transparency and are an emerging risk to food safety in the UK.” These makeshift kitchens often pop up in portacabins under motorway flyovers, or other urban edge-lands: “They bypass all kinds of regulatory control and can involve people working in horrendous conditions,” he says. It is something Chris believes needs to change, although he is conscious that EHPs are already over-stretched, and that more investment in the service is needed. He has started to talk with the food delivery companies that use these kitchens but is concerned that they don’t think of themselves as food companies. “They think of themselves as logistics businesses. As a result, they don’t take responsibility for the safety or the integrity of what they sell.” Few even list the Food Standards Agency (FSA) ratings of the outlets they use, he says. “It would be a real step forward if they only bought food from outlets with a fouror five-star FSA rating. Then you are pretty much guaranteeing that the food is safe.” SEPTEMBER 2021 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 15
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New Vice Presidents, 1
“There are a lot of new challenges coming”
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A NEW ROUTE TO REGISTRATION
This month, CIEH launches its new registration pathway. We asked Jon Buttolph, associate director of membership and professional development, for the facts Why have you replaced the Environmental Health Registration Board (EHRB)?
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The EHRB Certificate of Registration is an excellent qualification and is currently the industry standard in environmental health but in past years many candidates have not completed their learning portfolios such as the Portfolio of Professional Practice (PPP). In addition, although an EHP can be removed from CIEH membership for breaching our Code of Ethics and fitness to practise rules, they can currently remain on the EHRB register indefinitely. Our new registration process is linked to membership, making it a badge of ongoing competence and professionalism and, for serious misconduct, it will be possible to remove a practitioner from the register.
What’s the new registration process?
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Firstly, an individual needs to complete either an accredited BSc or MSc in Environmental Health. Secondly, they need to build up a portfolio by completing various activities in the workplace. It should be possible to do this in six to 12 months. Thirdly, they need to have an interview with two CIEH assessors, who are EHPs themselves, to discuss what activities they have done in their career to date and in completing their portfolio.
How was the pathway devised?
We held many online meetings with employer groups, academics, our own
R EG I ST R AT ION PAT HWAY
+ 1
A DEGREE Get an accredited BSc or MSc in Environmental Health
+ 2
PORTFOLIO Build a portfolio by completing various workplace activities
advisory groups, former PPP assessors, and others. We also conducted a survey of members. The consensus was that we needed an approach that would help us produce competent EHPs in a reasonable timeframe, without compromising our professional standards. One of the key points is that the portfolio, which is independently assessed, should only include necessary interventions that could reasonably be expected of a day one qualified EHP.
Why is registration so important?
Registration is designed to reassure the general public, employers and other parties that an EHP is qualified and competent. It
A BACK-TO-BASICS APPROACH Moto Hospitality Ltd’s Jonathan Hayes explains “EHPs are incredibly important to Moto – either as regulators who visit our sites to ensure we are complying with our legal obligations or as employees helping to ensure we have the right standards to protect our
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workforce and customers in the first place. “I’ve been involved in developing the new pathway. I feel I provide an independent perspective. We’ve held weekly meetings and regular member engagement sessions to understand the challenges of qualification and employment. “The benefit of the new pathway for Moto and all
employers is that it offers a more back-to-basics approach to professional competence assessment. The scheme is designed to be achievable in any workplace setting and in a shorter time frame, which means that employers get access to employable and professionally credible employees more quickly and at a lower cost. It’s a win-win for all.”
= 3
INTERVIEW Have a professional discussion with two CIEH assessors
REGISTRATION You can now be listed on one of three CIEH registers
shows that the EHP has a good grounding in all areas of EH and is able to apply this knowledge in the workplace.
How do EHPs prove they are registered?
EHPs are entered onto the register of chartered EHPs, the register of EHPs or the register of food safety practitioners – which will all be published on the CIEH website. Registrants will also be issued with digital credentials for use on social media profiles, email signatures and other professional materials to make it easy to verify that a practitioner is registered with CIEH.
What about EHPs registered with the EHRB?
They will continue to be registered with the EHRB. After its closure, we will publish the EHRB registers on our website as a permanent record. EHRB registrants will not have to join one of the new CIEH registers, but there will be a simple process to do so if they wish. Anyone who hasn’t completed the EHRB registration process can switch to registering with CIEH.
Will the process change again?
We’ll review the process throughout the first cohort to see if any minor amendments are required. My hope over the next five years is for evolution rather than revolution.
For more on professional development visit www.cieh.org/professional-development SEPTEMBER 2021 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 17
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Registration explainer, 1
Explainer
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Superior landlords shielded from rent repayment orders A recent judgment weakens ability to target rogue operators
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Written by GILES PEAKER
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UNAPPEALING The Court of Appeal’s 2021 ruling has reduced the effectiveness of rent repayment orders
N INCREASING
problem for housing standards and enforcement is the spread of ‘rent to rent’ companies. These take a tenancy of a property from the owner, then sublet to occupying tenants. Such companies are often run by individuals who are breaching the law and hiding responsibility behind a web of companies. Very often the properties are turned into houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), with or without the knowledge of the property owner. Very often the properties are unlicensed where a licence is required. Where a property is unlicensed, the sub-tenants can bring an application for a rent repayment order (RRO) for the period such
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an offence was committed – up to 12 months of rent paid. Since the Housing and Planning Act 2016, this has not required the landlord to be previously convicted of a relevant offence. Under the Housing Act 2004, it was clear that an RRO could only be made against the sub-tenant’s immediate landlord. In Rakusen v Jepsen (2020) UKUT 298 (LC), however, the Upper Tribunal decided that the wording of Section 40 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 meant that a sub-tenant could bring an RRO application against any landlord of the relevant property, including the superior landlord, not just their immediate landlord. In that case, Mr Rakusen, the superior landlord, was held to have committed the offence of being in
control of an unlicensed HMO because he received a rack rent for the property from the rent to rent company. He was, it was accepted, unaware the company was using the property as an unlicensed HMO. An RRO was made against him. This decision was welcomed by tenants and by those supporting RRO applications as a means of targeting rogue operators. RROs ordered against rent to rent companies were hardly ever paid, either because the company had no assets or because it was involved in criminal conduct. The companies would dissolve and disappear. Being able to target the superior landlord – the property owner – meant that RROs were more likely to be paid, and where the property owner was involved in the criminal enterprise, they were no
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Legal briefing and prosecutions, 1
LEGAL
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PRO S ECUT IONS This month’s selection of interesting cases and the lessons learned
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Subletting tenants have rights under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977
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longer shielded from consequences by a web of intermediate companies. Mr Rakusen then appealed to the Court of Appeal. In Rakusen v Jepsen & Ors, Safer Renting Intervenor (2021) EWCA Civ 1150, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal. While there may be sound policy reasons for allowing RROs to be sought against the superior landlord, this was not in fact what the language in Section 40 of the Housing and Planning Act 2016 permitted. Where Section 40 referred to ‘a landlord’, rather than ‘the landlord’, this was because it was introducing the term, not elsewhere defined, and the language of Section 40 connoted a direct relationship of landlord and tenant. Thus it was the immediate landlord, receiving rent from the tenant, against whom an RRO could be sought. I understand that this judgment has already had an impact on a large proportion of RRO applications that are currently under way as, if this judgment stands, the RROs will almost certainly fail when brought against a superior landlord. It is not yet known if there will be an application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court. The judgment does reduce the effectiveness of RROs as an enforcement tool against rogue or incompetent operators, raising the question of whether the government will address this in future legislation. l Giles Peaker is a partner at
Anthony Gold Solicitors
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Anti-social behaviour exposes HMO, leading to illegal eviction and harassment AUTHORITY: Wrexham Council’s Public Protection Services DEFENDANT: Dave Darby, landlord OUTCOME: £100 fine, £200 costs, £35 victim surcharge OFFENCES UNDER: Protection from Eviction Act 1977; Coronavirus Act 2020
THE STORY Earlier this year, landlord Dave Darby withdrew services from a tenant living in Grosvenor Gardens in Wrexham, Wales. He informed the tenant that he had less than a week to leave the property and proceeded to empty the property of its contents and change the locks on all the doors. Damage was caused to the tenant’s belongings in the process. The reasons for the eviction were more complicated. EHP Patricia Thomas of Wrexham County Borough Council said that the department first became aware of the property following receipt of complaints of anti-social behaviour. She said: “We established that the property was being let as a single house to a tenant who then sublet to multiple tenants, turning it into a house in multiple occupation (HMO). The owner was made aware and served a notice requiring possession on the tenant who was subletting.”
HOW IT PLAYED OUT Thomas said: “At the expiration of the notice, most of the tenants had left the property – apart from one. The tenant contacted our department in April 2021 as he was being forced to leave without the required written notice. “We advised the landlord subletting of his responsibilities, but he chose to ignore our advice and proceeded to change the locks and remove the tenant’s belongings. “Darby pleaded guilty at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court on the grounds of failure to obtain a court order contrary to sections 3 and 5 of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and Schedule 29 of the Coronavirus Act 2020 requiring a tenant to be given six months’ notice to end the tenancy.” The tenant was supported and eventually rehoused by Wrexham County Borough Council. LESSONS LEARNED “Treat every case from the beginning as if it could end up in court. The council didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute for an unlicensed HMO but was successful with the illegal eviction.” WWW.CIEH.ORG
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JUSTICE For tenants or landlords?
AUTHORITY: South Gloucestershire Council DEFENDANTS: 123 Jump Limited OUTCOME: £28,000 fine; £17,000 costs OFFENCES UNDER: The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
THE STORY In April 2018, a 19-year-old employee of 123 Jump Limited, an indoor soft play area at Cribbs Causeway in South Gloucestershire, sustained serious scalding burns when a large quantity of nearboiling water spilt onto her wrists. The employee, who worked in the service section, had used an urn designed for making hot drinks to fill a large plastic tub with water. The container was to be used for cleaning the servery. The full container had toppled and the hot water had caused significant burns to her hands and lower body, covering 9% of her body in total. The employee spent eight days in hospital and has been left with scarring and other long-term effects.
was ordered to pay a total of £45,000 in fines and costs. The urn used to fill containers for cleaning
HOW IT PLAYED OUT An investigation by EHPs at South Gloucestershire Council found that the worker was using the drinks urn because the hot-water boiler was unusable at the time of the accident. Officers also discovered that at other times plastic jugs and metal containers without lids were used to fill other containers for cleaning duties throughout the whole ground floor of the building. 123 Jump Limited pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act on 15 July this year and
LESSONS LEARNED Many follow-up health and safety inspections/visits followed, the boiler was replaced and other health and safety issues corrected and improved. All policies, procedures and risk assessments were reviewed with their Health and Safety team. Rachel Lacey, EHP at South Gloucestershire Council, said: “The victim’s personal statement made a real impact when it was read out in court. Hearing about the effect the incident had on the young person’s mental health was particularly poignant but we hope the successful outcome of the case can help them to move on from what happened. “CCTV was key to the successful prosecution and footage showed that employees of the business from all levels were using the urn in an unsafe manner – we catalogued 45 separate occasions of this happening.”
Takeaway owner fined after rat infestation discovered despite notice of inspection AUTHORITY: Durham County Council DEFENDANT: Syed Wahid Miah, owner of Indian Spice, Chester-le-Street OUTCOME: £1,197.46 fine OFFENCES UNDER: Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013
HAD A SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION? Please tell us about it: email editor@cieh.org
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THE STORY In September last year, a routine inspection of Indian Spice showed evidence of mouse activity inside the premises, as well as an active rat infestation. It also revealed various unhygienic practices, including inadequate cleaning and disinfecting of food equipment, inadequate cleaning of the premises and disrepair to the building’s structure. Tracey Newman, senior EHP at Durham County Council, said: “Although the inspection was announced, the food business operator had failed to identify the pest infestation and poor standards of hygiene. However, he did cooperate and was willing to voluntarily close after I found the business to be a risk to public health.” HOW IT PLAYED OUT Owner Syed Wahid Miah appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court in June 2021 and pleaded guilty to
Durham Council’s evidence of dirty premises and unhygienic practices
charges of failing to put in place procedures to control pests, failing to keep premises clean and in good repair, failing to keep fittings and equipment that food comes into contact with effectively cleaned, and failing to ensure that all stages of production, processing and distribution of food was fit for human consumption. He was fined almost £1,200. LESSONS LEARNED Prior to the court case, another visit to the premises in November 2020 found
that work to improve the takeaway had been done. Newman said: “I was pleased to see during the follow-up inspection that [the owner] had carried out the necessary works at the premises to remove the imminent risk of injury to health. I was therefore satisfied that he could reopen.” Joanne Waller, the council’s head of community protection, said: “The health and safety of residents is our highest priority, so we will take measures, such as closure or legal action, against food businesses that operate with a risk to customers.” SEPTEMBER 2021 / ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH NEWS 21
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Legal briefing and prosecutions, 2
Soft play firm overhauls health and safety after employee suffers life-changing burns
YOUR VERSION
CAREER
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ON TARGET It takes a mix of preparation and skills to turn your ideas into a viable concern
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7 T I P S ON. . .
How to launch your own EH business
Environmental health can be the perfect stepping stone for entrepreneurs. You just have to lay the groundwork
I
Written by SCOTT BRADY
F EVER THERE
was a time for people from an environmental health background to succeed in a commercial world, it’s now. A lot of businesses have struggled in the pandemic and some are not going to survive. It’s sad, but it creates gaps in the market. Being an entrepreneur and coming from a public sector background are not mutually exclusive. It’s my firm belief that coming from an environmental health background is an advantage.
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The skill set is perfectly suited to running a good business.
without that research would have failed.
1. LOOK FOR SHORTCUTS
2. MAKE THE MOST OF TRAINING COURSES
My first business was in pest control. I started it not because I’d worked around pest control for 13 years, but because I found research that told me everything I needed to know about integrated pest management. It was as simple as that. I went to the library and found something that gave me all the answers I needed to build a pest-control business. I used it as my bible. Entrepreneurial spirit
I was very lucky in that as I had the opportunity to take an MBA while an environmental health officer. My local authority gave me many great gifts but the MBA allowed me to study management and accounting; all new to me. I took it seriously and it proved hugely useful.
3. PRACTISE BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL Many years ago, the Health and WWW.CIEH.ORG
Careers, 1
C I E H ON L I N E EV E N T S CIEH runs a whole host of activities that give you an opportunity to build on your skills, network with other professionals and explore new topics. Here are some of the upcoming events. For a full list, visit https://www.cieh.org/ events WORKSHOPS
Improving outcomes and supporting people with hoarding behaviour 14 September, 9 December l Understanding and applying HHSRS 4 October, 18 November l Statutory Nuisance Law and Residential Property 7 October l Basic electrical awareness workshop 13 October l HHSRS l
enforcement 14 October l HMO enforcement 15 November l HMO practical inspection 23 November CONFERENCES
CIEH Noise Conference 23-24 September l CIEH Public Protection Conference 29 September l CIEH Beauty Conference 21 October l
MEMBER FORUM
Food coffee and catch-up 9 September l Port health coffee and catch-up 16 September l CIEH conversations: meet the leadership team 20 September l Environmental protection coffee and catch-up 30 September l
BITESIZE TRAINING
Vacuum packing 15 September, 13 October l Food allergen enforcement and compliance 16 September, 19 October, 9 November l Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) 30 September, 20 October, 17 November l Statutory nuisance (module 1): how and when statutory nuisance should be used 6 October l Fundamentals of building and construction 18-22 October (modules 1-5) l LGA COVID-19 – outdoor events guidance 2 November l Statutory noise nuisance (module 2): everyday noise and poor sound insulation issues 3 November
l
BO OK ON L I N E AT www.cieh.org/events Safety Executive issued a booklet called Five steps to successful health and safety management. It was well researched and I thought we could replicate the framework for food safety. I had to seek permission, publish it without a budget and get it signed off by pretty much everyone within the authority, but it showed me that I could overcome all kinds of obstacles and be entrepreneurial.
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4. DON’T GO ALL IN Anyone who tells you that in the first year of setting up your own business you’ll make an equivalent salary to your old job is either not being truthful or has a far better grasp on business than me. It’s more likely that your earnings will halve. My solution? Take a part-time job. It was hard – I was working part-time and running a business – but I had bills WWW.CIEH.ORG
to pay and I was worried about cash flow.
5. LEVERAGE YOUR EXPERIENCE I had no credentials as a salesperson and was up against a nationwide pest-control business. If someone was kind enough to meet me, I’d tell them I had an understanding that the competition couldn’t match as it was based on a deep knowledge of prosecuting for offences. If anyone knew what an offence for pest control looked like, it was me. It was a case of being empathetic to my client’s needs.
6. BASE COMMUNICATION ON PERFORMANCE My local authority had tried to improve our service level and an external consultant taught us that what you can’t measure, you can’t manage. I took that message
ABOUT THE WRITER Scott Brady worked for Dundee City Council for 17 years, rising to the position of senior EHO before setting up food safety and legal advisory company ecos limited. He has since owned contracts in fireextinguisher servicing and a packaging waste compliance scheme. He is qualified in English law and is Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Stirling, where he supports students looking to launch start-up businesses. bit.ly/Entrepreneur InResidence
seriously and applied it to my new business. I would say to clients: “We said we’d visit every eight weeks and you asked for 300 call-outs. Well, we carried out 400 visits for you last year.” It meant communication was based on performance. Clients work out quickly whether what you’re saying is flim-flam or based on hard facts.
7. THIRTY DAYS IS THIRTY DAYS If you put 30 days on your invoices, don’t wait any longer. That’s what I did from day one. I had clients who didn’t pay on time, but they were not allowed to forget about it. They’d get a call every day it was overdue. After five days, you feel as though you’re annoying people – but this is your business and it’s going to be judged on whether it makes any money.
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Front line Lynda Stefek, 1
Front line VERSION REPRO OP
DO YOU HAVE A TALE TO SHARE? Email editor@cieh.org
L EAR N I NG POI N T S
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A third of carbon produced in Greater Manchester comes from road transport
TALK TO PEOPLE… But most importantly, listen and learn. Someone once said to me: “You have one mouth and two ears, use them in that proportion.”
1
MENTORING I really benefited from a mentor: he helped me to be confident enough to just be myself, rather than trying to second-guess what other people wanted from me.
2
INVESTIGATE Don’t understand something technical? Read up and talk to people until you do. The knowledge will be useful in the future.
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‘We should not separate air quality and carbon’
EHP Lynda Stefek has devoted her career to improving air quality in Greater Manchester – and it’s left her with a distinctly holistic outlook
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perspective, I think the pandemic has made people more aware of their environment. There’s a real opportunity here for our profession to encourage people to change their behaviour – to actually get them to think and reflect on their lifestyles and how their choices can have a negative impact on our environment. At Transport for Greater Manchester, we undertake regular public surveys. A recent one looked at people’s concerns around air quality and carbon. Interestingly, the cohorts currently at university weren’t as concerned about air quality as they were about carbon – probably because they weren’t brought up in the 1950s or 60s when buildings were black because of coal fires and when pollution was quite visible, which
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resulted in the introduction of Smoke Control Areas. But the carbon agenda is a really big thing for them and where does a third of carbon produced in Greater Manchester come from? Road transport. If we could pull the two together, we could actually ride that wave of concern and positively impact both carbon and air quality. Air quality and carbon should not be treated separately, because they’re intrinsically linked. You need to think holistically and be mindful of unintended consequences, such as happened in the past by promoting diesel as a lower carbon fuel which is one of the reasons we now need Clean Air Zones (CAZs). In the next 12 months some really hard policy decisions on internal combustion engine vehicles and their contribution to CO2 emissions will need to be made if we are going to meet our Greater Manchester 2038 carbon-neutral target. We need a significant reduction in miles travelled by car
Stefek: hard policy decisions need to be made
Polluted fog, known as a pea-souper, half a century ago
in the next five years with a move to more sustainable modes of transport, such as active travel and public transport. Greater Manchester’s CAZ, expected to come into effect in May 2022, will cover nearly 500 square miles, even rural areas – so much larger than Birmingham’s and Bristol’s. It’s important to link air quality to the carbon conversation so that the public can make informed decisions about travel and its impact on our environment. My focus in recent months has been to bring carbon and air quality considerations into as many decisionmaking processes as I can influence. We have to consider carbon and our environment right at the beginning of all our projects. Some people might find that irritating – but we need to face it as it’s not going away and our environment is important to our health and wellbeing. l Lynda Stefek is senior manager, air
quality & environment, at Transport for Greater Manchester. Read her blog on the impact of COVID-19 on air quality at bit.ly/3yVznBB
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TA L E S FROM T H E FRON T L I N E
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