You are on page 1of 4

Environmental Health Management Field Trip

The field trip took place in the Toowoomba Region and the Sunshine Coast to compare Rural vs
Urban management strategies.

Poultry Farm
Issue
Environmental nuisance (noise, odour, planning issues)
Learning Outcome
Planning of industrial/primary industry facilities are often in conflict with residential. A good planning
scheme is necessary to reduce the effect caused by environmental nuisance to neighbouring
properties to an acceptable minimum. But here economical interests collide with residential needs.
And it was clear to hear that it is not always a straight forward approach and financial interests
interfere with good planning.

Emergency Management - Gatton, QLD


Issue
Major flood event 2011
Learning Outcome
Managing a major flood event on how to ensure public health afterwards with regards to waste
management, register people and coordinating different governmental and NGOs agencies help
approaches. It was clear to see that a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach is necessary and
that managing resources and a clear strategy is necessary to ensure public health safety. Here an
EHO can play an important role as a link between the different disciplines and to the public.

Rural Waste Management Facility Gatton Landfill and Transfer Station


Issue
Hazardous Waste and water pollution
Learning Outcome
Hazardous waste like asbestos is placed in a small designated area which allows GPS tracking. All
asbestos has to be thoroughly wrapped.
Pollution of ground water is minimised in collecting the water that sinks into the ground with pipes
that collect the water in tanks and this tanks get pumped out and brought to a sewerage plant.
Because here is not enough clay in the area to meet the requirement for coverage of the waste,
Synthetic Voven Fibers material is used instead. It is a very effective way to overcome that issue.

Environmentally Relevant Activity Fulton Hogan Asphalt

Issue
Environmental Nuisance
Learning outcome
Conflict between residential and industrial development. Planning was poorly done because
residential area is to close to the Asphalt factory.
Also tour of the plant and description how they manage storm water run offs and environmental
nuisance. Storm water is collected on the premises and most noise operations are taking place
during the day, if it is possible. Air pollution gets reduced through covering loose material and wind
breaks around and on the premises.
Occupational safety plays an important role and personal safety equipment has to worn all the time
on the premises.

Regional Waste Facility - Toowoomba, QLD


Issue
Following the paradigm: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Learning Outcome
Good waste management starts with the location. It was plant in a way that the majority of the
regions population is in a radius of 20 minutes from the facility.
If managed proper, landfill waste can be reduced significantly. That is achieved through separating
the waste in green waste for mulch, recycling of materials like steel and reuse of items like
household stuff. The latter one is than sold in a shop operated by "Lifeline", which ensures the
second point of the waste management paradigm.

Public Health Unit


Issue
Indigenous rural communities waste and animal
Learning Outcome
Managing waste and animals, especially horses and dogs, in a rural indigenous community is a
complicated and delicate task. Cultural, social and economical understanding is paramount to gain
positive results. Working with the community, with NGOs to look for appropriated measures to
ensure a socially acceptable resolution should be the road to success for any program. Only
following legislations and try to enforce them on the community is deemed to failure in this setting.

Story Farms primary food producer (grows & packs) & HACCP
Issue
Contamination of ready to eat salad
Learning Outcome
How to apply HACPP in an agricultural establishment. Managing everything from the choice of the
location for the plants, storm water runoff and soil erosion, ground water treatment and
manufacturing the product. Every step consists of a certain hazard and actions are in place to

manage and reduce the hazard in each step. Ones that is done, a Critical Control Point is defined,
here the chlorine bath of the cut salad, to ensure the safety of the product.

Swimming pool water sampling - Dalby Aquatic Centre


Issue
Safe water
Learning Outcome
On site testing of pool water and inspection of the filter system, which consists of particle filters,
Uv-disinfection and chlorinator. This three steps will ensure water safety and a constant monitor
program is in place.

Ethanol Plant
Issue
Environmental nuisance (especially odour)
Learning Outcome
Complicated process to produce biofuel. Quality control of surgeon before it enters the plant and
undergoes many steps with fermentation to gain ethanol. Odour control achieved with "Sniffers",
people with sensitive noses.
Only use of non GMO crops, because surgeon cake at the end of the process is sold to the primary
industry.

Maleny Area - Sunshine Coast Hinterland


Issue
Septic Tanks and Rainwater
Learning Outcome
Septic tanks cause a big problem in a rural environment. People from Brisbane city are moving
inland and come for the first time in contact with a septic tank and they do not know how to operate
them proper.
Another issue is portable water for premises, especially from rainwater tanks. Examples were
given how to manage this issue in regards to B&B places. In general it does not matter what is one
doing for its private use, but once it becomes commercial it is another matter. Here the safety of he
water to the public is mandatory. Different approach are in place to ensure that and one has to take
economical issues in consideration. An example given how to solve the problem at a B&B place
was to attach stickers with "no portable water" to the tabs and give the patrons bottled water. In this
case, the care taking of the operator is given.
Environmental nuisance played another major role in this area. Especially noise and odour.
Because odour is perceived different from person to person, he use of an Electronic nose (odour
monitoring) is in place to achieve a numerical measure of the nuisance. The same is true for noise,
here the use of a noise meters is very helpful. The use of both devices was demonstrated by the
EHOs.

Public Health Unit - Sunshine Coast


Issue
Food borne disease outbreak
Learning Outcome
How to investigate a food borne outbreak. Examples were given how to investigate a case when
several people from a wedding reported sick. Investigation includes getting reports from the
doctors, other health units, interviewing the affected people and the use of epidemiology data.
Once all the information are gathered, in a case appears, this information is given to the local
government which further investigates the food premises in question.

You might also like