JENNIFER KEE spends a day with environmental health officer Rachel Lambley

IMAGINE the scene: you are sitting in a restaurant enjoying a meal. Then you glimpse into the kitchen see rats are scurrying on the kitchen floor.

This might sound far-fetched, but sadly it is just the sort of scenario that would call for an environmental health officer to brave the heat of the kitchen and investigate food hygiene standards.

Rachel Lambley is one such officer and as such is all too used to visiting cafés and restaurants in York, but that is not all she does.

Other responsibilities in Rachel’s work for City of York Council include health and safety in the workplace, housing and pollution. And top of her list of priorities today is a visit to the Ruby Arts Tattoo Studio on Blossom Street, near Micklegate, for a spot check.

Before you even set foot inside, the smell of disinfectant smacks your nostrils. On entering the studio, there is not a speck of dust in sight. So clearn does the place seem that it might well pass for a hospital.

It is clear Rachel has a good rapport with owner Mick Tomo and her demeanour might take some by surprise; friendly but authoritative, you might say.

“We try to be chatty as it’s the way to get the most out of people," Rachel says. "You need to get them on side.

“It’s a two-way relationship because we have a balance that works with them. For example, Mick had been telling me about a man who offered laser treatment at his home which was not done correctly and was leaving people scarred.”

Rachel is punctilious; asking questions about the disinfecting solutions he uses, their shelf life and aspects such as infection risk. Neither she nor Mick can afford to take these matters lightly, because tattooing is seen as a high-risk activity. There is potential for serious harm to health, such as contracting hepatitis or HIV infections, if the work is not carried out correctly.

Each new tattooist and their premises must be registered with the council to be able to offer their services. At £304 for each registration, it might sound a bit steep, but compared with the maximum fine of £1,000 if they are not registered, this is a price worth paying.

Last month, as reported in The Press, tattooist Andrew Dennis ended up in court for operating with neither a personal licence nor one for the premises. His activity was stopped after Rachel attended his then studio-cum-home in Boroughbridge.

The idea that you get to enforce the law, but not as a police officer, is something the 38-year-old mother-of-two enjoys about her job.

“The kind of thing I do day to day is implementing the health and safety and food hygiene laws in premises in York," says Rachel. "We are the eyes and ears of people who cannot look into the kitchens, or wherever it may be, and try to help them. Our job is to regulate businesses that come under our remit and tell people it is safe.”

Rachel's first taste of this kind of work came after she went out with an environmental health officer from her local council in Nottingham.

“I liked the idea that the work was not all office-based and you get to go out and meet people. Another thing I like is that you get to, hopefully, make a difference. I am one of those strange people who enjoys coming to work.”

Powers of an environmental health officer include prohibiting processes from taking place, if defective equipment is being used at work, and issuing notices that require action either immediately or on a specific timescale.

Most are subject to challenge, however, which would involve taking the case to court. That said, in 13 years at the council Rachel has only had to force one premises to close down, while two more agreed to stop trading.

“We’re under pressure to make sure that we only use our powers when strictly necessary. You have to be careful, especially as it can affect the reputation of the council.

“We try to give people advice and education in order that they comply with the law – we tell them ‘this is what the law says’. In York, the vast majority of premises are friendly and broadly compliant.”

Coun Linsay Cunningham-Cross, cabinet member for crime and stronger communities says her environmental health team does a fantastic job.

"They are highly valued by the public, and by many agencies and businesses, although the work they do around the city often goes unseen," she adds.

But as for eating out in York, Rachel has no qualms.

“People say to me, ‘I bet you don’t eat out anywhere’, but I do like eating out, despite what people may think.

“My job doesn’t put me off and I try and switch off from work when I am having a meal. If I was really concerned about something, I would wait until Monday if I could, and ask a colleague to check the premises for me.

"Luckily, it has never happened.”

Being an environmental health officer does have its funny side, though. Rachel recalls inspecting a food premises that was in a pretty bad way what with waste food and grease all over the floor.

“As I was talking to the owner, a friendly mouse came up behind and started sniffing around his shoe. I told him about it but he thought I was playing a joke, until he turned round and saw it himself.”

Do you have any concerns about risks to public health? If so phone Environmental Health on 01904 551550.