Environmental Health

Contact Details  Private Water Supplies

The Environmental Health Section deal with issues that affect the quality of everyday life. We aim to promote or enforce standards that preserve public health, public safety and protect the environment.

The work we do includes:

 Food Safety

Food Safety includes the inspection of food premises, food sampling and investigating complaints regarding food and hygiene in food premises.  Also, find out how hygienic a local food business is with the Food Hygiene Information Scheme. This page also contains links to further guidance relating to food safety, hygiene and labelling.

Find out more about Food Safety >

 

 Environmental Protection

Environmental Protection includes investigation and monitoring of contaminated land, air quality and noise control. Find information about SEPA and advice to eliminate the risk of flooding.

Find out more about Environmental Protection >

 

 Public Health and Housing

The Public Health and Housing Section covers a wide range of issues to improve and safeguard public health. This includes investigation of suspected or confirmed outbreaks of certain diseases, monitoring the quality of drinking water supplies, the Registration of Private Landlords, working with the Health Board to investigate and prevent certain diseases, including food poisoning and dealing with nuisances affecting people’s health.

Find out more about Public Health and Housing >

 

 Drinking Water - Lead Piping Advice

In Scotland, lead does not occur naturally in significant concentrations in our water supplies. The problem arises when drinking water comes into contact with lead supply pipes, lead tanks, lead solder joints on copper pipes, or inferior quality brass fittings and taps, particularly for longer periods (e.g. overnight/ weekends / holidays periods). This can result in high lead levels in the drinking water supply. 

If you suspect you may have lead pipes, the Councils encourages you to undertake further works with a view to establishing whether lead is present and to take steps to replace them; and as a short-term, implement some precautionary measures to protect your health. 

Information on the health effects of exposure to lead can be found on the NHS Inform website

Find out more about Drinking Water >

 

 Health and Safety at work

Environmental Health enforce the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in workplaces such as shops, warehouses, offices, places used for leisure and consumer services, hotels, restaurants and churches. Officers carry out inspections of premises, accident investigations and offer advice and guidance to businesses and employees.  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) enforce health and safety in a number of other premises such as Manufacturers, Farms, Construction Sites, Local Authority Buildings and hospitals.

Find out more about Health and Safety >

 

 Environmental Health Licensing

Environmental Health issue a number of Licenses and registrations including Caravan Sites, Zoos, Riding Establishments, Animal Boarding, Dog Breeding, Dangerous Wild Animals, Cinemas, Theatres, Venison Dealers, Pet Shops etc. For further information on a specific licence or registration or to apply online please visit our A-Z of Licences page.

Find out more about Environmental Health Licensing >

 

 Registers

Environment Health maintains a number of Public Registers in relation to Licences and registrations issued, which can be viewed online.

Find out more about registers >

 

 Animal Health and Welfare

Animal Health undertakes the Council’s regulatory work in respect of animal health and the welfare of animals

The main areas of our work are

Animal Health – the control of disease in animals which, in some cases can be passed to humans

Animal Welfare – including the transportation of animal and market inspection


Find out more about Animal Health and Welfare >

Customer Service Excellence logoRegulatory Services attained the National Accredited Customer Service Excellence Award on February 2019. As a regulator, it is difficult to meet the needs of all customers on every occasion, as we may need to take formal enforcement action, or be unable to act, as our legislative powers do not allow us to do so. However, at all times we aim to treat all customers and stakeholders fairly and to discuss the reasons for our intended actions. Customer feedback is essential in measuring how good we are at this and the outcomes of customer surveys, together with our enforcement policy and service charter. Our performance information is available here.