What Does the Health Department’s Environmental Health Division Do?

BY JAMES M RACHAL, ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGER MONROE COUNTY

KONKLIFE FEATURING PUBLIC HEALTH WRITER

Environmental Health (EH) is one of the areas of your government that, if we are doing our job well, and if we’re a little lucky, the public doesn’t even know we’re here! There are many agencies in our county that have authority in different areas. EH is here to protect you from our shared environment. Our areas of responsibility encompass everything from public swimming pools to indoor tanning salon inspections. To find out more about the programs your Environmental Health section are involved in, visit Monroe CHD’s web site at https://monroe.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/environmental-health/index.html.

A list of many of the areas we have authority over and a brief introduction follow. 

  • Tattoo facility and artist regulation: Tattooing is defined as a mark or design made on or under the skin using ink, dyes, or pigments. All forms of tattooing require licensure in Florida.
  • Body piercing facility regulation: inspections to verify aseptic technique and prevent infections.
  • Biomedical waste facility regulation: protect the public from risks associated with potentially infectious biomedical waste.
  • Beach water quality sampling: If enterococci are present in high concentrations in recreational waters and are ingested while swimming or enter the skin through a cut or sore, they may cause human disease, infections or rashes. We test every two weeks.
  • Food hygiene at DOH-regulated facilities: Generally, this includes food service operations located in institutional settings, civic and fraternal organizations, bars and lounges that don’t prepare foods, and theaters that limit their food service to items customarily served at theaters.
  • Group care facilities: The specific residential group care facility types the DOH has inspection authority in are listed in section 381.006(16), Florida Statutes.
  • Mobile Home/RV Parks: to minimize the risk of injury and illness in this residential environment.  
  • Public Swimming Pools: to minimize the risk of disease and injury at public swimming pools and bathing places. 
  • Septic systems: For most in Monroe County, no longer an issue. For the ones where septic is the only option, we permit and monitor the effluent being discharged to prevent contamination.
  • Tanning facilities: We monitor facility’s operation through regular inspections to assure that required sanitary standards are maintained.
  • Sanitary nuisances: a sanitary nuisance is just about anything that threatens the health of the public. Everything from improper sewage disposal to preventing the harborage of harmful animals and insects is covered.  
  • Rabies investigations: We help investigate potential rabies exposure
  • Other epidemiological investigations (mosquito borne, food borne, water borne illnesses): We try to put out education on ways, such as emptying standing water in our yards, to prevent these types of diseases.  

There are other programs as well. You can find a comprehensive list at:  https://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/index.html. Should you have any questions or issues concerning any of these areas, feel free to call James Rachal at 305.676.3941 or email him at [email protected]. James Rachal is the Environmental Manager for the Florida Department of Health in Monroe County. He has worked for the department for 20 years as a generalist in Environmental Health and has lived and worked in the Keys since 2018.  

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