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CODE OF RHODE ISLAND RULES
AGENCY 06. DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
SUB-AGENCY 170. SAFETY, SANITATION, AND MAINTENANCE DIVISION
CHAPTER 001. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER
Date:
08/31/2009
Document:
06 170 001 DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER
RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
OPERATIONAL MEMORANDUM
NUMBER: 5.22.01
AREA: STAFETY, SANTITATION, AND MAINTENANCE.
SUBJECT: DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OFFICER.
DIRECTOR...........
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR...........
I. AUTHORITY:
Rhode Island General Laws Title 28, Chapter 20, 1956, as amended.
II. PURPOSE:
To establish policies, procedures, and programs in order to:
1. Protect the general health of Adult Correctional Institution residents and employees.
2. Identify areas in violation of accepted standards of environmental and occupational health in the living, work, and recreational environments.
3. Plan, analyze, and evaluate programs relating to the sanitation and environmental fields.
4. Set up ways to initiate corrective actions.
III. POLICY:
It is the policy of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections to establish and maintain, at a minimum, quarterly and/or more frequent physical on site inspections of each facility to meet the accepted health services in correctional institutions in accordance with the American Public Health Association and the Rhode Island Department of Health regulations. In addition, all areas indicated on attached form 5.13.11-A shall be inspected daily to ensure the safety, cleanliness, and general maintenance of ACI facilities, as well as other buildings-under the Department's jurisdictions.
All designs, construction, operations, and maintenance shall comply with applicable State and Federal codes, rules, and regulations such as for building construction, fire safety, plumbing, water supply, waste water disposal, air pollution control, and food service.
A. Procedures and Responsibilities:
1. The Department of Corrections shall maintain the services of an Environmental Health Officer defined as follows:
a. General Statement of Duties: The Environmental Health Officer shall carry out an extensive and comprehensive sanitation and environmental health and safety program at the Adult Correctional Institution complex to assure standards are met and maintained.
b. Supervision Received: The Environmental Health Officer works under the administrative direction of the Assistant Director, Policy and Development, who sets forth policies, regulations, and responsibilities but permits considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the technical aspects of the position.
c. Supervision Exercised: Will supervise the work of subordinates or others assigned to assist.
2. Written reports shall be made by the Environmental Health Officer and shall accurately and concisely describe all violations in the general environment. These reports shall be submitted to the appropriate administrator through the chain of command (e.g., Assistant Director, Deputy Assistant Director, Associate Directors for all securities, Coordinator of Maintenance, or Food Service Supervisors) to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws, regulations, rules, and standards.
3. The Environmental Health Officer shall review the reported violations with the appropriate authorities.
4. The Environmental Health Officer shall set target dates for correction of violations of State and Federal laws, regulations, rules, and standards, and shall reinspect for compliance as scheduled.
5. The Environmental Health Officer shall maintain a complaint/alert log of all environmental health problems. The purpose of this log will be to establish trend and tendency data for epidemiological analyses. Such analyses shall be used to anticipate environmental problems. It shall be the responsibility of the Environmental Health Officer to report in writing to the Assistant Director the findings of these analyses.
6. The Environmental Health Officer, or his designee, shall accompany all investigators, inspectors, or personnel of private, City, State, and Federal agencies making environmental or food service investigations of the facilities of the Department of Corrections.
7. The Assistant Director of Policy and Development, or his designee, shall have overall responsibility and shall review all written reports to ensure that the reported violations are remedied.
8. The Associate Director for each security, or his/her designee, shall review all written reports and shall ensure that his/her facility maintains a safe and healthful environment.
9. The Associate Director for each security, or his/her designee, shall routinely inspect his/her security to ensure that violations are being corrected and that information relayed to him/her on reports is accurate.
10. The Associate Director for each security, or his/her designee, shall promptly report all environmental complaints to the Environmental Health Officer.
11. Requests for external assistance from the Maintenance Division and from the Environmental Health Officer shall be made by the Associate Director whenever necessary.
12. The Environmental Health Officer shall be responsible for sanitation and environmental inspections, investigations, implementation, and training in carrying out a comprehensive program in the following areas:
a. Food Service Sanitation (including training of food service personnel in all levels of food handling as pertains to sanitation and food protection):
1. To inspect and determine compliance with State and Federal food service regulations and ordinances.
2. To evaluate the wholesomeness of food stuffs in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 21-31 of the General Laws of the State of Rhode Island 1970 as amended (entitled "Rhode Island Food, Drug, and Cosmetics) pertaining to foods and cosmetics as they apply to the Department of Corrections.
b. Garbage and Refuse: Inspect and monitor the operation of facilities for storing, handling, and disposing of garbage and other refuse.
c. Insect Control:
1. Inspect and provide control of fly and mosquito breeding places.
2. Supervise spraying and dusting of materials to control insect infestation.
d. Rodent Control: Inspect and advise on rodent proofing of buildings.
1. Supervise the trapping, and baiting of rodents.
e. Barber Shops: Inspect and advise on barber shop sanitation according to the rules and regulations of the Rhode Island Department of Health.
f. Bedding and Clothing: Inspect and advise on disinfection and/or disinfestation of shoes, clothing, bedding, and mattresses.
g. Safety and Accident Prevention: From gas, fire, electrical shocks, falls, and other accidents.
h. Housing: Inspect and advise regarding proper ventilation, heating, and lighting of living and sleeping quarters in cells, dormitories, holding areas.
1. Monitor population levels with respect to overcrowding.
2. Monitor the cleanliness of maintenance and sanitation facilities in every building.
i. Water Supply: To ensure that all drinking water is from an approved source.
1. Advise regarding any plumbing defects (e.g., cross connections of water supply not known to be safe).
j. Plumbing: Inspect plumbing for leaks and to ensure that there is no backflow.
1. Effectiveness of drains in removing wastes.
2. Inspect grease traps.
k. Disaster: Planning and participation.
1. To advise as to corrective actions in the event of disaster (e.g., flood, fire, etc...).
l. Miscellaneous: To review and approve specifications, plans, and programs that relate to or have an impact on sanitation and environment:
1. New construction, alterations, repairs.
2. Equipment and supply procurement.
3. Contracts for services.
B. Enforcement:
The Environmental Health Officer shall conduct inspections of all facilities as outlined in Section III. These inspections shall be conducted in the following manner:
1. Initial Scheduled Inspection:
This inspection shall be conducted at least four (4) times each year and will encompass both environmental and food service areas. They will be unannounced; there will be no advance notification. The Environmental Health Officer shall schedule these inspections as needed to determine the level of compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards and policies. As long as a facility is found in compliance in any given quarter, a routine inspection will be scheduled for sometime during the following quarter. In the event that a facility fails to be in compliance, a re-inspection will be scheduled as per Section III-A-4 of this policy.
2. First Re-Inspection:
This re-inspection shall be conducted on or about the target date set by the Environmental Health Officer and agreed to by the Associate Director of the facility in question, or by the building supervisor as the case may be. Substantial, and if possible total compliance should be achieved by this date. However, should the facility fail to achieve compliance or need additional time to comply, a second re-inspection may be scheduled by the Environmental Health Officer and a new inspection date set. In addition, the Associate Director or building supervisor shall submit a written report to the Environmental Health Officer explaining why compliance was not achieved. On the other hand, if this re-inspection shows that compliance has now been reached, a routine inspection will be scheduled sometime during the subsequent quarter.
3. Second Re-Inspection:
This re-inspection shall be conducted on or about the date set by the Environmental Health Officer and agreed to by the Associate Director of the facility or by the building supervisor. Should the facility once again fail to achieve compliance, a written report explaining the circumstances must be submitted to the Environmental Health Officer within five (5) working days of receipt of the re-inspection report. If compliance has been reached, a routine inspection will be scheduled sometime during the following quarter.
4. Sanctions:
Compliance with health, safety, and environmental policies, codes and regulations is crucial to the efficient and expeditious operation of the Institutions. When an initial routine inspection, followed by two re-inspections, indicate that no apparent effort has been made to correct serious deficiencies, one must necessarily postulate that a major leadership vacuum exists in the facility. Under these circumstances - failure to remedy deficiencies after three separate inspections - the Assistant Director for Adult Services may issue a letter of reprimand and/or other disciplinary sanctions as he sees fit to those responsible for the continuing non-compliance.
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