Guidance Documents

Exposure to the small amount of mercury found in common household devices, such as fever thermometers, thermostats, or fluorescent light bulbs, is not likely to cause serious health problems. Humans are frequently exposed to greater quantities of mercury, much of it methylmercury, through diet. Nevertheless, all mercury spills, regardless of quantity, should be treated seriously and cleaned up ...

Small_Mercury_Spills_Clean-up_Oct_2015.pdf

Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) and Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) across Canada have different responsibilities, policies, and guidelines when it comes to investigating public inquiries about mould in indoor environments. Some PHIs/EHOs conduct initial walkthroughs only, some conduct comprehensive investigations, and others educate the public about next steps without conducting any field...

Mould_Toolkit_Overview_Nov_2014.pdf, Mould_Toolkit_Checklists_Forms_Nov_2014.pdf, Mould_Toolkit_Typical_Fungi_Nov_2014.pdf, Mould_Toolkit_Sampling_Methods_Nov_2014.pdf, Mould_Toolkit_Interpretation_Lab_Reports_Nov_2014.pdf, Mould_Toolkit_Reviewing_Investigation_Reports_Nov_2014.pdf

Excessive dampness and mould growth on building material surfaces and contents can pose health risks and should not be tolerated in indoor environments. The main goal of remediation is to reduce the risk of exposure to mould and to prevent structural damage; the underlying cause of dampness must be identified and eliminated or mould will reappear. Effective mould remediation requires the ...

Mould_Remediation_Evidence_Review_March_2014.pdf

In the past decade, bed bug infestations have been increasing worldwide. Historically, studies have failed to provide evidence for the transmission of human diseases through bed bugs, but recent evidence is lacking. Although physical reactions to bed bug bites continue to be documented, evidence regarding the mental health effects arising from bed bug infestations is limited to anecdotes and...

Prevention, identification, and treatment options for the management of bed bug infestations

Several tools exist to assess local air quality, including the impact of specific sources, emissions, and meteorological conditions. Information generated from the use of air quality assessment tools can inform decisions on permitting of emissions, industrial siting, and land use; all can impact local air quality, which in turn can influence air pollution related health effects of a population....

Air Quality Assessment Tools: A Guide for Public Health Practitioners

Are you investigating a particular environmental health risk (e.g., potential health effects or ways of reducing them) and would like guidance on locating and evaluating the evidence? If so, check out the environmental health resources below (originally developed for our own use) and please let us know if you find them useful. Locating Documents Peer-reviewed Evidence-based practice Grey...

Personal services establishments (PSEs) have been identified as a priority area by public health inspectors (PHIs) and provincial ministry staff in several provinces, as well as by people within the industry. There are a lot of gaps and conflicting information regarding public health issues associated with PSEs. Guidelines and regulations are often vague or impractical. In general, there is a...

PSE_Guidelines_Comparison_Table_July_2010.pdf

How ready is your organization to work in this area? We've developed resource materials to be used as a package or separately. The package includes the following:  Dialogue between a public health physician and a planner (DVD, available on request) 

Readiness assessment tool

Fact sheets

Case studies

Workshop agenda

Workshop presentation

National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy Built Environment Project