The Environmental Health Section safeguards health and improves the population’s well-being by providing core environmental health services and enforcing relevant legislation.
The Section is based at Brickhouse in Jamestown.
Contact: 22713 or the Senior Environmental Health Officer Georgina Young via: georgina.young@sainthelena.gov.sh
Services provided
Port Health
- Inspection of ships to ensure that public health
standards under IHR are met - Control of infectious diseases on board incoming
vessels by undertaking health check visits to ships - Investigation of reported sickness amongst ships
company or passengers - Inspection of foodstuffs and products of animal
origin entering St Helena - Monitoring water quality and pest control around the
port/s - Aircraft health clearance in accordance with IHR and
local disinfection policy.
Food Safety & Hygiene
- Registration of food businesses and licensing of food premises
- Inspection of food premises to ensure that legal requirements are met
- Control and investigation of food-borne diseases
- Investigation of food complaints
- Taking part in local and educational initiatives to support health promotion
- Undertaking regular food sampling under a set sampling programme, and
- Checking for illegal food imports, and
- Advice to businesses.
Meat Inspection
- Checking the quality and safety of meat
- Detecting and destruction of diseased meat
- Assurance of clean and sanitary handling and preparation
- Minimisation of microbiological contamination of meat
- Maintaining accurate recording of data for statistical data
Inspectorate – Fish & Fish Products
- Undertaking annual audits of establishments, fishing vessels,
landing sites, ice-plants, cold stores and means of transport - Preparing and submitting reports to the Competent Authority
regarding approval of establishments/vessels etc. - Ensuring the appropriate certification of fishery products for
export through the use of different inspection forms and health
certification processes - Ensuring the withdrawal or condemnation of non-compliant products
- Participating in the development of inspection methods and the
training of staff - Maintaining all documentation up to date and in line with current
local and EU legislation.
Health & Safety
- Enforcing controls in respect of areas to which EHO’s are trained including the advertisement, sale, supply, storage and use for areas such as wholesale and retail premises, hotels and housing, warehouses, catering establishments, sports grounds and leisure facilities
- Health & Safety training.
Health Education
- Supporting health education with displays and exhibitions to disseminate educational materials and giving public health talks to a wide range of audiences.
Land Application & Plan Approval
- Making site visits to ascertain suitability in relation to potential public health nuisances.
- Reporting back to the Control Board via the land application consultation process.
Community Participation
- Initiating, organising and attending community participation meetings where advice and guidance is required or offered
- Promotion of awareness programmes.
Pest Control Services
Responsible for taking pest control measures against pests that impact on public health. This undertaking is the primary responsibility of a sub-section of the Environmental Health Section: The Pest Control Unit.
Pest Control duties are undertaken as two broad components of work within the Pest Control Unit:
- Providing pesticide application programmes in response to public requests.
- Undertaking routine rodenticide baiting programmes in the rural areas for the management of rodents.
Other activities include:
- Regular monitoring of public water system, including swimming pool
water and seawater at Rupert’s and Jamestown.
Providing advice/guidance to other government officials and others
Fumigating premises against pathogens. Inspection of imported second hand clothing
Undertaking routine control programmes for the control of pests in premises and around public properties, including the Jamestown sewer system.
Undertaking surveys and inspections for infestations in premises (including ships’ holds)
Undertaking of surveys and inspections for the management of mosquitoes at the airport site.
