One of the key aims of JEHR is to make available good quality scientific and professional information on environmental health issues to as many scientists, academics and professionals as possible. Of course this cannot be achieved without the contributions of the authors. While we want to encourage more authors to submit to JEHR, we have to admit that writing for a peer reviewed journal is challenging. It is rewarding to see your work in print and used by others, but it can be a time–consuming process. We have therefore included an enhanced guide for authors with the intention of giving additional assistance to our potential contributors.
Authors will be pleased to know that JEHR is now listed in the Directory of On-line Journals (DOAJ). This means that their papers will be available to a much larger readership. Papers published in JEHR will be searchable on the DOAJ database by journal, subject, key word and author. DOAJ currently covers more than 2,500 quality controlled scientific and scholarly journals with almost 130,000 papers listed to date. Listing in DOAJ is an important step in development of the Journal.
In this issue we start with a topic close to the hearts of all environmental health practitioners – recruitment to the profession. Using the recruitment crisis of 2001 as a baseline, Cooper and Parkinson examine the current trends in applications and enrolments to CIEH accredited university courses to determine the extent to which the action taken at that time has been successful. While the numbers are increased, the authors believe that this does not necessarily mean that the crisis is over. This is particularly so when the students’ responses to the question on what influenced them most to apply to environmental health are analysed.
Many lay people are surprised that one of the greatest risks to employees in workplaces is that of slipping, tripping or falling. Nothing high-tech or complex, just a simple slip or trip on a floor. We know, however, that it is the source of a very large number of accidents in workplaces. Any action that could be taken to reduce this risk would be welcomed by employers, employees and enforcers. Just as the hazard creating the risk is ‘low-tech’, so is the solution according to Dr François Quirion, Patrice Poirier and Paul Lehane. In two complimentary papers the authors present their findings on the theme of assessing and reducing the ‘slipperiness’ of existing floors in restaurants and retail premises.
Are swinging clubs a potential source of legionella infection and, if so, what are the implications for investigations officers? An investigating team from the Unit of Clinical Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Manchester and the Greater Manchester Health Protection Unit present a case study on their recent experiences.
After much debate, delay and disagreement it will happen on 2nd April, 30th April and 1st July – the introduction of the smoke-free laws which will benefit workers and all those who use enclosed pubic spaces in Wales, Northern Ireland and England respectively! Diane Black, Dr Ivan Gee and Helen Casstles, in a detailed study of the exposure of hospitality workers to second–hand smoke, remind us of just how important these new laws are to individual employees. Their work also establishes a baseline from which to judge the success of the new laws in this employee-intensive industry.
Professional journals such as this need to meet the key needs of their readership, so this issue of the Journal addresses a number of significant issues. Inclusion in a major academic data-base enhances the status and availability of papers published in the Journal. Enhanced assistance is given to contributors to the Journal and a number of papers carrying forward our knowledge in key areas of environmental health practice are included. Overall, we are seeking to ensure that the Journal best meets your needs in providing an expert evidence base for environmental health. Let us know if you feel it is helpful in this respect.
Harold Harvey and Paul Fleming