National Norms and Standards relating to Environmental Health

BACKGROUNDHealth surveillance of premises is a Municipal Health Services Function, performed by EnvironmentalHealth Practitioners (EHPs) in a municipality; it involves the identification, monitoring and evaluation ofhealth risks, nuisances and hazards on any premises and instituting remedial and preventative measureswhere necessary. The National Act 2003 (Act 61 of 2003) specifies that environmental health inspectionsand investigations be undertaken to ensure that corrective and preventative measures are implementedwhere a condition arises that poses or is likely to pose a hazard or risk to human health. This requiresregular monitoring of all premises (private and public) to ensure compliance with applicable healthrequirements, and minimisation of any detrimental environmental health risk to give effect to the principlesof Agenda 21 and the "Healthy Cities" approach.The Scope of Profession of Environmental Health, as published under Regulation 698 of 26 June 2009 asamended, promulgated under the Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act 56 of 1974), determines the role ofEnvironmental Health in health surveillance of premises, as follows:a) Conducting environmental health impact assessments of, amongst others housing projects;b) Assessing aspects such as ventilation and indoor air quality, lighting, moisture proofing, thermalquality, structural safety and floor space;c) Assessing overcrowded, dirty or other unsatisfactory health conditions on any residential,commercial, industrial or other occupied premises;d) Monitoring all buildings and all other permanent or temporary physical structures used for residential,public or institutional purposes (including health care and other care, detainment, work, recreational,travel, tourism, holidaying and camping) and the facilities in connection therewith and the immediateprecincts;e) Ensuring urban and rural land use planning and practices that are conducive to sustainabledevelopment conducting sound environmental health impact and other assessments;f) Ensuring the prevention and abatement of any condition on any premises, which is likely to constituteand health hazard;g) Ensuring the health safety of public transport facilities such as buses, trains, taxis, boats and aeroplanes as well as all other facilities in connection therewith;h) Ensuring compliance with the principles of Local Agenda 21 and the Health Cities approach tointegrated service rendering and the practical minimizing of any environmental health risk.THE SCOPE OF APPLICABLITY OF THE NORMS AND STANDARDSThis set of norms and standards applies to the use of premises, including commercial, industrial andpublic or applicable private premises, which includes the following;• Preschool Institutions/Child care centers/ Early childhood development centers (ECDC)• Nursing homes• Maternity homes• Homes for the aged• Schools• Initiation schools• Accommodation establishments• Beauty salons• Swimming pools and spa baths• Dry cleaning and laundry establishments• Clinic and other health and medical centers• Hospitals• Construction sites• Funeral undertakers’ premises and mortuaries• Keeping of animals on premises• Food handling premises• Public gathering places• Industries• Prisons, police station holding cellsDOH. Norms and standards for environmental health in South Africa Feb 2013 13