Environmental Health
The Environmental Health Department aims to offer high quality and essential services that reflect the needs of our customers.
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
The Environmental Health department is a professional organization which is charged, under the Health Services Act Cap 44, with the responsibility of the protection of the island’s health through a variety of preventative measures and strategies that focus on, but are not limited to, the following:
Routine Inspections
Include planned inspections of both private and commercial residences as well as public and private institutions. This is for the purpose of ensuring that environmental health standards are maintained and that the Health Regulations or Act are not contravened.
Inspection and Licensing of Businesses
This too can fall under the remit of routine inspections, however this inspection, while it focuses on the maintenance of environmental health standards and ensuring no laws are being contravened, is done so that the owner/occupier of the business can be issued with the necessary license that shows their compliance with the law.
Inspections and licensing are provided for the following businesses and establishments:
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Food Businesses
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Restaurants (includes day nurseries preparing meals as well as nursing homes)
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Bakeries
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Itinerant Vending
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Hotels and Guest Houses
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Barracks
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Hair Salons and Hairdressers
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Offensive Trade
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Swimming pools /Spas
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Temporary Restaurants
Night Vending
Inspection of food vendors that are not licensed and who operate after normal working hours.
Investigation of Communicable Diseases
Investigation of diseases that can be transmitted from one person to another e.g. influenza
Waste Management
Includes Liquid and Solid Waste Management programs that are done in collaboration with the Barbados Water Authority, Sanitation Service Authority and Environmental Protection Department along with other stakeholders.
Potable Water Quality Management
Sampling of water from various locations, institutions and points around the island for the purpose of confirming the presence of bacteria namely E.coli.
Recreational Water Quality Management
Sampling of water from public pools.
Institutional Sanitation
Daily inspections of Hospitals i.e. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Geriatric Hospitals and the Psychiatric Hospital. An Officer is sometimes stationed at these institutions.
Farm Sanitation
Involves the daily maintenance of public health standards at the farm which include, but are not limited to, odor control, liquid and solid waste disposal.
Health Promotion
Includes Health Education, Campaigns and Community Projects.
Labour Force Services
Provision of cleaning and general services to indigent persons and old-aged pensioners, usually at the request of the Environmental Health Department.
Environmental Sanitation
The Environmental Department assists in providing earthen sanitary pits (pit toilets), risers, slabs and super- structures for old aged pensioners, indigent persons and persons who have no waterborne facilities.