Lesson 1 : Overview of Environmental Health Principles
Lesson 2 : Communication as a Key Role
Lesson 3 : Responding to Emergency Events
Lesson 4 : Minimizing Health Implications
Lesson 1
Overview of Environmental Health Principles
Objectives
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Describe the basic principles of environmental health
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Interpret the cause of disease model
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Recognize your skills and tools as an EH professional
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Distinguish between different types of disasters
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Identify your role in responding to a disaster
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
EH professional activities
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Performs inspections
Provides tools and education necessary to implement and
maintain standards
Conducts special studies
Samples air, water, soil and food
Reviews plans
Acts as an educator, agency representative, and community
collaborator
Plans programs
Acts as a consultant to civic groups, business, industry and
individuals
Enforces environmental and public health laws
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Principles of environmental health
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Promote health and quality of life
Protect the public from health hazards
Protect the environment from contamination
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Epidemiological triangle –
model of disease causation
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Definitions
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Agent
Entity that causes injury or disease
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Environment
Conditions that are not part of the agent or host, but influence their
interaction
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Host
Human or the organism that is susceptible to the agent
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Definitions
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Portal of Entry
The means or path by which an agent enters a susceptible host.
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Portal of Exit
The path by which an agent leaves the reservoir or environment.
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Mode of Transmission
The movement or the transmission of pathogens from a reservoir to a
susceptible host.
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Source/Reservoir
The medium or habitat in which pathogens thrive, propagate, and multiply.
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
The chain of infection
Causative
Agent
Source/
Reservoir
Portal of
Exit
Susceptible
Host
Portal of
Entry
Mode of
Transmission
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Environmental health skills
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Assessment
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Management
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Communication
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Environmental health skills
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Assessment
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information gathering
data analysis
evaluation
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Environmental health skills
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Assessment
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information gathering
data analysis
evaluation
Management
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problem solving
project management
reporting
collaboration
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Environmental health skills
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Assessment
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Management
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information gathering
data analysis
evaluation
problem solving
project management
reporting
collaboration
Communication
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education
risk communication
conflict resolution
marketing
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Environmental health tools
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Plans
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Equipment
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Transportation
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Communication systems
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Defining a disaster and a hazard
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Disaster
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event that occurs when significant numbers of
people are exposed to extreme conditions with
resulting injuries, illness, and damage to property
or livelihoods
Hazard
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event that has the potential to cause damage to
humans and their environment
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Types of disasters
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Speed of onset (sudden or slow)
Scale (minor, moderate or major)
Cause (natural or man-made)
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Flood
Tornado
Blizzard/
Ice storm
Water supply and wastewater
disposal
Damage to civil engineering structures
Broken mains
Damage to water sources
Power outages
Contamination (biological or chemical)
Transportation failures
Personnel shortages
System overload (due to population shifts)
Equipment, parts, and supply shortages
1
2
2
2
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
2
1
2
1
1
1
2
3
3
3
1
3
1
1
1
2
Solid waste handling
Damage to civil engineering structures
Transportation failures
Equipment shortages
Personnel shortages
Contamination/degradation of relief supplies
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
3
Food handling
Spoilage of refrigerated foods
Damage to food preparation facilities
Transportation failures
Power outages
Flooding of facilities
Contamination/degradation of relief supplies
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
3
3
1
1
3
3
Vector control
Proliferation of vector breeding sites
Increase in human/vector contacts
Disruption of vector-borne disease control programs
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
3
Home sanitation
Destruction or damage to structures
Contamination of water and food
Disruption of power, heating fuel, water supply or waste disposal services
Overcrowding
1
1
1
3
1
1
1
3
2
2
1
2
Effects of disasters
1-Severe possible effect
2-Less severe possible effect
3-Least or no possible effect
Chart modified by Twin Cities Metro Advance Practice Center
Source: Pan American Health Organization (2002)
Role of EH professionals
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Assess hazards
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Act to reduce hazards
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working with others to analyze
risk
using regulatory functions or
providing services
Assure public awareness
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using communication methods
and tools
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Working with other responders
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Complementary roles
Everyone counts
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us
Summary
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Environmental health promotes health and quality of life.
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The EH professional must intervene to reduce health hazards.
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EH professionals need to be competent in many areas including
assessment, management and communication.
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To respond to emergency situations, EH professionals have
many tools at their disposal such as plans, special equipment,
transportation, and emergency communication systems.
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The three major roles for EH professionals are to assess
hazards, act to reduce hazards, and assure public awareness.
For additional information or questions please contact
Toledo-Lucas County Health Department APC: email: apc@co.lucas.oh.us