On 14 September through Proposal P1053, the FSANZ Board approved a new food standard applying new regulatory measures to food service and retail businesses that handle potentially hazardous food. The new regulatory measures are: food handler training, food safety supervisor and evidence to substantiate food sa​​fety management of key processes. For a summary refer to: 

1. Proposal P1053 overview
2. Approval report - Proposal P1053
3. Infographic 1
4. Infographic 2

The proposal will now be provided to the Food Ministers Meeting for consideration before the end of 2022. If approved the standards will then proceed with gazettal. It is anticipated that:

• a 12-month transition period is proposed from gazettal date
• Safe Food Australia Chapter 3 Guide will be updated to incorporate the new standards
• a Local Government training tool with implementation resources are being developed nationally
• the EHD will disseminate the resources and organise training seminars for local government shortly after gazettal of the new standards. 

Australian Food Safety Week 2022 will be held from 12 – 19 November 2022. The theme will be ‘Food safety – raw and risky’ covering the risk of food poisoning from raw or minimally cooked meat, poultry, fish, eggs and vegetables as well as the risk of possible parasite infections. the Food Safety Information Council will also be celebrating its 25th anniversary of educating the Australian community in food safety. A community package containing social media tiles, posters, sample media release, a quiz and event registration will be available in September. Find out more here. 

FSANZ has released a report on the annual cost of foodborne illness in Australia.  The report, developed by the Australian National University, estimates that foodborne illness and its sequelae costs Australia $2.44 billion each year. The largest component of this cost is lost productivity due to non-fatal illness, followed by premature mortality and direct costs (including hospitalisations and other health care use). The report looks at the costs caused by ten priority pathogens including Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Toxoplasma gondii. To find out more and view the full report, see the FSANZ website.

Forty-eight participants attended the September mosquito management course from a broad range of locations and organisations. The EHD received a high degree of satisfaction with the course:

• One of the best courses I have been on! Really informative and engaging - motivational. DoH staff were fantastic, really approachable, as were all the presenters.
• Really appreciate the wealth of knowledge from the team leaders and how supportive they were. Everyone was very friendly and inclusive of the attendees. The course is well thought out and informative. I feel like I can confidently go back to my council and start my surveillance and write a mosquito management plan. Thank you.
• The wide variety of participants is a testament to the calibre of the course. Great presenters who were very clearly knowledgeable and passionate in their field. 

The environmental/recreational water 2022-2023 monitoring season commences on Tuesday 1 November 2022, and for local government jurisdictions South of the -26° latitude (~ Denham/Monkey Mia) will continue until the end of April 2023. Note: Local government jurisdictions above the -26° latitude may collect water samples at any time through-out the year, due to the warmer climate and popular recreational use at other times of the year. Prepare now to commence sampling. A minimum of 13 samples per season (~ once a fortnight) is required for most sites. The Department of Health is currently preparing the latest seasonal updates and more specific sampling information will be emailed closer to November. Refer to WA beach grades and risk classifications for more information.

As the temperatures rise algal blooms may form in some recreational environmental waters. The Department of Health encourages local governments to report algal blooms to algalblooms@health.wa.gov.au. Water sample collection may be required for phytoplankton analysis to determine the type of algal species and level of health concern. The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation – Phytoplankton Ecology Unit (laboratories in Joondalup and Bunbury) can assist with sampling analysis. A clean plastic or glass water bottle is required (do not use PathWest water sample bottles). The laboratory request form and other sampling information can be obtained by emailing peu@dwer.wa.gov.au. Please check that you have sufficient warning signs that can be erected in the event of a bloom. The Department of Health has a limited stock of ‘standard health warning’ and ‘shellfish and crab’ warning signs for emergency situations. Refer to algal bloom for more information.

Environmental Health Officer’s are reminded that aquatic facility samples (including start-up samples) are to be collected from the aquatic facility water body and not from backwash sample points. The sample location must be representative of the water to which patrons are exposed and should be collected near the skimmer box or wet-deck (or from a water spray park feature or waterslide run-out as far from where water enters the feature as practicable). Backwash samples submitted to PathWest in future will be charged to local government. For further information on collecting samples, please refer to the Microbiological Water Sampling Technique Environmental Health Guide.

Standards Australia has recently published the standard AS / NZS 5328 Flushable Products. Products that meet the standard will carry a ‘flushable’ label and are suitable for disposal by flushing down the toilet. The labelling also helps household owners avoid disposal of unsuitable products via flushing which can cause blockages and damage to sewerage systems, which can in turn result in overflows which contribute to health or environmental impacts, or costly maintenance bills. The labelling is intended to complement historical messaging that only the three Ps (Pee, Poo and Toilet Paper) are suitable for flushing and products which do not have the flushable symbol, or for products for which there is doubt if they should be flushed, are to be continued to disposed of in the bin. It is anticipated that new labels will start appearing on products from late 2022. Read more here. 

Guidance on microbial health-based targets has been developed to assist water regulators and suppliers in better managing health risks from microorganisms found in drinking water. Information in Chapter 5 has been updated to reflect current best practice in managing health risks from microorganisms found in drinking water and Appendix 3 provides details on the derivation of microbial treatment targets for enteric pathogens. Read the Administrative Report: Updated guidance on microbial drinking water and Questions and Answers resource.

Consistent with the decision of Building Ministers, NCC 2022 is now available for those who wish to use the new provisions. NCC 2022 will be adopted by the states and territories on 1 May 2023. Building Ministers also agreed to transitional arrangements for the following specific requirements:

• New liveable housing requirements commence 1 October 2023
• New energy efficiency and condensation mitigation requirements commence 1 October 2023
• New lead free plumbing product requirements commence 1 September 2025.

Until these adoption dates, NCC 2019 Amendment 1 remains in-force. Read the article on using NCC 2022 prior to 1 May 2023.

Prescribed burns are underway across parts of WA. Refer to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) - today's burns - to find out locations. Smoke from bushfires and prescribed burns can cause a range of health effects, particularly in vulnerable people such as the elderly, young, and those with pre-existing illness. Advice on how to reduce exposure are outlined on the smoke hazards from bushfires. You can also access the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) air quality index to check hourly PM2.5 concentrations and the public health advice provided. Any smoke complaints should be referred to DBCA complaints management. The updated Air Quality Monitor and Allergy Symptom Tracker - AirRater can be downloaded to help residents learn how air quality affects health and how to better manage symptoms. 

While some people believe the liquid in e-cigarettes (usually called vapes) is free of nicotine, recent testing in WA labs has revealed that this is far from accurate. Two thirds of disposable vapes tested contained the dangerous addictive chemical nicotine, despite not being labelled as containing nicotine – now that’s something hard to forget. The Department of Health’s Chief Pharmacist Meeghan Clay joined RTR FM to dispel misinformation and raise awareness of the health risks of vaping, as well as discuss better ways to quit smoking and nicotine addiction
Listen here. 

The Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) is a standing committee of the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC). Dr Michael Lindsay – Executive Director, Environmental Health Directorate, WA Department of Health is a member of the committee. Under its Terms of Reference, enHealth is responsible for providing agreed environmental health policy advice, consultation with key stakeholders, and the development and coordination of research, information and practical resources on environmental health matters at a national level. A list of Environmental Health Standing Committee (enHealth) publications provide nationally agreed information and practical resources on environmental health matters.