by Staff | Douglas County Sentinel |
Douglas County Environmental Health (DCEH) provides many critical services that are essential for improving the quality of life within the community. For most, their impact is most apparent through the Food Service program. Restaurants, caterers, schools, and festival vendors are all subject to risk-based inspections that focus on the type of violations that are most likely to result in foodborne illness.
When improper food handling is observed, the environmentalists work with food service operators to assure that corrective actions are initiated quickly. Beyond inspections, DCEH offers food safety training to restaurant managers so that they can meet Georgia’s Certified Food Safety Manager credentialing requirement.
During the spring and summer DCEH staff inspect public swimming pools (which include subdivision, apartment, hotel, and municipal pools) to ensure that they meet local health and safety regulations. Much like food service inspections, these inspections focus on key public health concerns, such as proper disinfectant levels, adequate water recirculation, water clarity, and sufficient safety equipment.
Environmental Health impacts those traveling to and through Douglas County via its Tourist Accommodations program. This program provides inspections of area hotels, motels, and campgrounds to verify that these facilities comply with state rules and regulations that govern the cleanliness of their accommodations. This includes a thorough examination of rooms for the presence of bed bugs.
The On-site Sewage Management program provides a means for property to be developed for business or residential use when a public sanitary sewer system is not available. DCEH staff work with area soil scientists and engineers to determine if properties are capable of supporting septic systems (i.e., a septic tank and drain field). If a property is deemed acceptable, the installed septic system is then inspected to verify that the system is adequately sized and installed correctly. As a result, wastewater is properly treated by the soil and does not have a negative impact on area groundwater. Additionally, the On-site Sewage Management program oversees the operations of pump trucks that service septic tanks and/or portable toilets to ensure that transported wastewater is disposed of in an approved manner.
One of the most recent programs to fall under the Environmental Health umbrella is Body Art. This program permits the businesses that offer tattoo and piercing services and licenses the artists that perform these tasks. Whether it’s through the inspections of body art studios or the evaluation of their artists, the focus of DCEH staff is the prevention of blood borne pathogen transmission and other communicable diseases that could result from these procedures.
An area of great concern at DCEH is the exposure of Douglas County’s children to lead. Due to the numerous negative health effects associated with childhood lead exposure, DCEH is fortunate to be the home of CDPH’s certified lead inspector and Healthy Homes Specialist, Susan Wright. Susan serves as the Environmental County Manager for Douglas County.
The Environmental Health office in Douglas County is located in the Douglas County Courthouse on the 1st floor. The hours of service are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday – Friday. For more information, call 770-920-7311 or visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.org.
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