In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, local health departments are tasked with enforcing federal and state sanitary codes as well as local bylaws to protect public health.
The Middlesex-Essex Public Health Collaborative (MEPHC) employs a regional health inspection to support communities in their commitment to meeting the Public Health Performance Standards set forth by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). The regional health inspector can support inspections in any of the following areas:
- Air Quality, including both ambient outdoor air & indoor air quality such as tobacco smoke
- Body Art, including tattooing, microblading, and permanent makeup
- Body Work is a form of therapeutic touching or manipulation of the body by using specialized techniques
- Disaster preparedness & response
- Environmental racism wherein certain groups of people can be put at higher risk for environmental hazards, such as air, soil, & water pollution. This often happens due to marginalization, economic and political processes, & ultimately, racism. Environmental racism disproportionately affects different groups globally, however generally the most marginalized groups of any given region/nation
- Food safety, including agriculture, transportation, food processing, wholesale & retail distribution and sale
- Housing
- Childhood lead poisoning prevention
- Liquid waste disposal, including on-site wastewater disposal systems, such as septic systems
- Recreational water illness prevention, including swimming pools, spas & freshwater bathing places
- Tanning Devices
- Wells, including drinking water, irrigation & geothermal
- Vector control, including the control of mosquitoes, rodents, flies, cockroaches & other animals that may transmit pathogens
In addition to helping local staff meet the performance standards. The MEPHC supports training and credentialing to help staff on the pathway to meeting the Public Health Workforce Standards established by DPH.