Read the following sections to find more information about environmental sanitarians in Howard County, and the State of Maryland.

What is an environmental sanitarian?

You may have heard the term, seen a job announcement, or read an article describing someone working as a “sanitarian.” Many people assume that sanitarians are the folks who collect the garbage every week, or make sure that public buildings are kept clean. While these jobs are a very important part of proper sanitation, a sanitarian is a person who is an expert in public health and sanitation.

Back in 1855, a man named John Snow proposed the revolutionary idea that a cholera epidemic occurring in London might be related to a contaminated well that people were drinking from. Authorities were reluctant to believe him until they put a lock on the well and the cholera epidemic went away. Since that time Snow’s idea, that maintaining a healthy community can directly affect the incidence of disease, has become a founding principle of public health. Sanitarians are the modern-day John Snow’s, working to prevent you from getting sick because of your environment.

Today public health is an integral part of our lives, affecting things such as the water you drink, the food you eat, and the cars you drive. In Maryland, “environmental sanitarians” protect the public health by enforcing compliance with Federal, State, and local health laws. Sanitarians also perform a variety of functions related to the control of environmental hazards. Through their work, sanitarians ensure your health and the health of the environment. In 2002, there were approximately 610 registered environmental sanitarians in the State, most working in the public sector. In 2006, 25 environmental sanitarians were employed by the Howard County Health Department. (Maryland General Assembly Senate Bill 490, 2002: mlis.state.md.us/2002rs/fnotes/bil_0000/sb0490.doc)

What do environmental sanitarians do?

You probably already have some idea of what an environmental sanitarian does, but you may call them “health inspectors.” In the media, environmental sanitarians are usually shown inspecting restaurants for pests, rotting food, or food service workers with poor hygiene. Most of the day-to-day inspections are not always as dramatic or funny. While environmental sanitarians do look for the things shown in the media, they also make sure that restaurants store and prepare the food properly and take time educate food service workers about food safety. (The same food safety principles are also important in your own home. Check out the Food Protection section of our website for more information about what you can do to ensure your food is safe.)

While food protection is one of the most well-known functions of an environmental sanitarian, there are many other parts to the job. Environmental sanitarians are involved in so many things there is simply not enough space to cover all of it here.

(Taken from the Profile of Maryland Environmental Health Practice, THE JOHNS HOPKINS CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE February 2005)

In Howard County, the Bureau of Environmental Health provides almost all of the services outlined in the Hopkins report. Within the Bureau there are three programs: Food Protection, Well and Septic, and Community Hygiene. To find out more about the services each of these programs provide click on the links on the left side of this screen.

An article in the Baltimore Sun in June 2007, profiled one of the Howard County Sanitarians in the Community Hygiene Program. Many people are surprised to hear that sanitarians (or health inspectors) are involved in such a "broad range" of activities. You can read a copy of the article and find out a little bit more about what it is like to be a sanitarian by clicking here.

How do I become an environmental sanitarian?

In Maryland, anyone who is interested in working as an Environmental sanitarian must be approved by the Board of Environmental Sanitarians with the Maryland Department of the Environment (http://www.mde.state.md.us/WorkwithMDE/Public_Service/Sanitarians.asp).

The Board reviews applicants for their education and experience. The minimum education requirement is a baccalaureate degree (any major) from an accredited college or university that includes: