judge drainage swales and sources of poten- tial contamination, general environmental conditions, and subtle changes within that environment, all of which helps complete your job with accuracy and eciency. Sec- ond, taking the time to see conditions also allows you to do a risk analysis and evalua- tion before embarking on the job itself, such as the actual detailed inspection. The bottom line is observation helps keep you safe. In doing so, you can see the poten- tial for slips and falls, burn injury, electrical shock, unrestrained animals, and infectious and toxic materials, and thereby you can act accordingly. Overall, taking the time to sur- vey your surroundings will result in a more thorough, correct, and safe field experience. This survey will also allow you to decide if there are areas that you should not enter because special precautions, such as respira- tory protection or hard hats, are needed. Since most of our work is done in a wet environment and because we cannot see elec- tricity, we suggest that you always carry a noncontact, pocket-sized voltage detector to
test any surface for electrical leakage before touching it. It is for your own safety. We also carry hearing protection such as earplugs. You never know when you need to enter a mechanical room during an inspection. So much of what we do relies on under- standing human factors, our own included. Someone must do something that results in contamination and damage of food, water, air, structures, and soil. Understanding that dynamic in terms of our own safety helps give us a clearer picture of tasks, workload, and work patterns. It helps define the working environment and workplace design; work- place culture and communication; worker competency and skill, and employee attitude, personality, and risk tolerance. By fine hon- ing our observational skills, we can see fal- libility in others and better understand the causes of errors and unintentional mistakes, poor judgement, and unwise decision mak- ing, as well as the disregard for procedures and regulations. Although the examination for the Reg- istered Environmental Health Specialist/
Registered Sanitarian credential does not emphasize safety, it nonetheless is integral to what we do. In fact, we strongly recom- mend that all environmental health oces and departments develop a safety justifica- tion (also known as an operating proce- dure). The safety justification is a document that becomes part of your organization’s policy and procedures. It should include a risk assessment for the dierent types of field work conducted and information on the minimum required safety measures and protective equipment needed. It should include technical documentation to justify the requirements and it should be updated annually and expanded with the results of the job risk assessment. The safety justifica- tion is intended to ensure your safety and the safety of your colleagues and to protect them from accidents and damage to their health or the environment. You may thank us later.
Contact: toolkit@sanitarian.com.
Recognize your colleague! Do you work with someone who is always coming up with creative ways to educate the public or colleagues? Is there someone on your team who has created tools or a practice that has really made a difference in improving environmental health? Nominate them for the Joe Beck Educational Contribution Award and show them how much you value their contribution. Nomination Deadline: May 15, 2023 neha.org/awards Joe Beck Educational Contribution Award
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