Public Health Flashcards
Describe the process of disposal of the dead
when there is no next of kin available to
arrange a funeral.
Local Authorities can arrange cremations or
burials, recover costs from the deceased’s
estate, and follow specific procedures to
search the residence, find necessary
documents, and register the death.
How does the repatriation process for
deceased individuals work, especially when
the body is being taken out of the UK?
The funeral director must obtain permission
from the local coroner, provide various
documents, ensure embalming, and meet
specific requirements before transporting the
body to the destination country.
Define embalming and explain its purpose in
the context of preserving a body
Embalming involves injecting embalming fluid
to preserve a body, improve its appearance,
and prevent decay. It requires specific
protective gear, family permission, and may
involve wax for damaged areas.
What are the considerations and procedures
involved in private burials, especially in terms
of public health, planning, and groundwater
impact?
Private burials should consider public health
laws, planning permissions, and groundwater
protection regulations. SEPA
recommendations include using
biodegradable coffins, keeping records, and
avoiding specific distances from water
sources.
Describe the process and challenges
associated with exhumations in Scotland,
including the legal steps and authorities
involved.
Exhumations in Scotland require legal
authorization, involvement of next of kin,
solicitors, cemetery administrators, and the
Sheriff. The process is complex, costly, and
time-consuming for all parties.
Explain the concept of communicable
diseases and how they are managed under
the Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008.
Communicable diseases are illnesses that can
spread between individuals. Outbreaks are
identified through linked cases, and
responsible authorities like LAs and HPA/HPS
manage notifiable diseases as per the Act’s
Schedule 1.
Describe the purpose of a quarantine order
under the Public Health (Scotland) Act.
A quarantine order allows a health board to
detain a person in their house of residence or
another place to prevent the spread of
infectious diseases.
Define a public health incident as per the Act.
A public health incident occurs when a person
has an infectious disease, has been exposed
to an organism causing infectious disease, is
contaminated, exposed to a contaminant, or
when premises are infected, infested, or
contaminated.
How is an outbreak control plan structured
between Health Boards and Local Authorities?
An outbreak control plan details
arrangements and actions for setting up an
Outbreak Control Team (OCT), describes roles
of key members, provides aim statements,
and sets out arrangements for patient care
and public information.
Describe the role of a Problem Assessment
Group (PAG) in outbreak control.
A PAG is an informal meeting between public
health officials, microbiologists, and EHOs to
decide if an Outbreak Control Team (OCT) is
needed based on the severity, spread, and
immediate health hazard of a disease
outbreak.
What is the purpose of a Section 73 Notice
under the Public Health (Scotland) Act 2008?
A Section 73 Notice places a duty on the
owner or occupier of infected premises to
disinfect, disinfest, or decontaminate within a
specified time period.
How does integrated pest management work
in pest control?
Integrated pest management is a planned
program that includes continuous monitoring,
education, record-keeping, and
communication to prevent pests and disease
vectors from causing damage by using the ER-D principle: Exclusion, Restriction, and
Destruction.
Describe the process of assessing and solving
pest problems in an area like Govanhill.
Identify reasons for pest attraction, evaluate
if good housekeeping can solve the issue,
consider non-chemical methods, choose
appropriate chemical pesticides, and assess
post-treatment actions.
Define the identification characteristics of a
Brown Rat.
Coarse brown fur, hairless ears, tail shorter
than body, terrestrial, and occupies areas
with humans.
How can rodent activity be detected in a
building?
Look for droppings, grease smears, UV-visible
urine, odors, runways, tracks, gnawing
damage, and nests.
Describe the health risks associated with
cockroaches.
They can cause allergies, contaminate food
with pathogens like salmonella, and transport
disease-causing organisms.
What are the signs of a bed bug infestation?
Presence in mattresses, behind furniture,
blood spotting, sweet smell, live or dead
bugs, eggs, and customer complaints
Explain the impacts of stored product insects
on goods.
They cause weight loss in products, economic
losses, damage to goodwill, loss of
production, and require strict monitoring and
cleaning measures.
How can bed bug infestations be treated?
Through physical removal of infected items,
vacuuming, heat treatment, steam treatment,
cold treatment, mattress encasements, and
approved chemical methods.
Describe the factors that authorities should
consider when determining if a nuisance
exists based on the impact on individuals.
Authorities should consider the degree of
health risk interference, the number of people
affected, the distance from the source, and
the sensitivity of the receptor
Define the term ‘statutory nuisances’ as per
the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Statutory nuisances include various
conditions such as smoke, fumes, noise, dust,
and accumulations that are prejudicial to
health or a nuisance.
How does the time of occurrence impact the
perception of nuisances like odours?
Odours are typically more bothersome when
the public is outdoors, affecting the degree of
annoyance and impact.
Describe the significance of frequency in
determining a nuisance.
Frequent or continuous nuisances are more
likely to be considered a nuisance compared
to those that occur infrequently
Define the concept of ‘avoidability’ in the
context of nuisance abatement.
Avoidability refers to whether reasonable
steps have been taken to minimize the
impact of an activity, even if it holds social
importance
How does convention play a role in
determining what constitutes a nuisance?
Convention considers what a reasonable
person would find objectionable, taking into
account common practices and accepted
behaviors in a given area
Describe the concept of statutory nuisance as
outlined in the content.
Statutory nuisance refers to any
accumulation, deposit, animal, noise, or other
matter declared prejudicial to health or a
nuisance by law, which can lead to legal
action.
Define the ‘best practicable means’ defense
mentioned in the content.
The ‘best practicable means’ defense refers
to the statutory provision that exempts
industrial or trade premises from liability for
nuisances if they can prove they have taken
all reasonable steps to prevent or minimize
the nuisance.
How does the Sewerage (Scotland) Act 1968
address defective drainage issues?
The Act allows for serving notices to
owners/occupiers of properties with defective
drainage, giving them 7 days to rectify the
issue. If not fixed, the council can carry out
default work and recover expenses.
Describe the purpose of Section 95 of the
Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
Section 95 aims to keep open and private
spaces free from dangers and nuisances,
allowing local authorities to issue notices for
the removal of waste or vegetation causing
hazards.
What does the Prevention of Damage by
Pests Act 1949 entail?
The Act empowers councils to issue notices to
landowners for rat and mice control, requiring
specific treatments or repairs. Failure to
comply may lead to the council conducting
the works and recovering expenses.
What is the purpose of a fixed penalty notice
in accordance with section 80?
To offer the opportunity of discharging any
liability to conviction by payment of a fixed
penalty
Describe the consequences of failing to
comply with a notice served by the Local
Authority
It is considered an offence, and the person
may face legal consequences.
Define ‘best practicable means’ in the context
of non-compliance with an abatement notice.
It refers to using the most effective methods
available to address the issue, subject to the
discretion of the Local Authority
How are default works carried out by the
Local Authority prioritized?
Considerations include the number of people
affected, health impact, cost-effectiveness,
permanence of the repair, duration of the
nuisance, property damage, living space
impact, owner availability, funding sources,
and likelihood of recurrence.
Describe the process when a matter
regarding non-compliance is referred to the
Procurator Fiscal.
Factors considered include the recipient’s
efforts to comply, level of cooperation,
previous default works, involvement of other
agencies, complainant satisfaction, and
feedback from the Procurator Fiscal office.
What are the main duties outlined for
addressing health issues such as dirty
houses, common stairs, defective drains, and
infestations?
Legislation specifies requirements for
cleansing, maintenance, repair, and
prevention of health hazards, with potential
penalties for non-compliance.
Describe the process of breakpoint
chlorination in pool water treatment.
Breakpoint chlorination involves adding
chlorine to a pool to form monochloramine
and then dichloramine. As more chlorine is
added, chloramines break up until a point
where free chlorine rises without an increase
in combined chlorine, indicating successful
oxidation of pollutants.
Define Cryptosporidium and its transmission.
Cryptosporidium is a single-celled parasitic
protozoan that causes symptoms like watery
diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. It is
transmitted via the fecal-oral route.
How can the risk of infections in swimming
pools be minimized?
Risk of infections in swimming pools can be
minimized by encouraging pre-swim showers,
ensuring swimmers use toilets before
swimming, not allowing swimmers with recent
contagious infections, discouraging children
under 6 years old, and providing adequate
nappy changing facilities
