Environmental Health Division
The Environmental Health has the responsibility for enforcing all city ordinances, state statutes and Baord of Health regulations relating to environmental health issues in Youngstown.
Services/Programs
Animal Bites-The goal of this program is to prevent or reduce the incidence of rabies. Animal bites frequently require multiple visits to a residence or other place where the offending animal is required to be confined. The confinement or quarantine period is defined by state statute. At the end of the confinement period a Registered Sanitarian returns to the location of the biting animal to verfy the condition of the animal and its health and immunization status.
Charity Burial Program-This program provides burial services for indigent individuals who have died in Youngstown but whose bodies are unclaimed and whose families are similarly indigent. At present there are fixed amounts provided for these services, as following: stillbirths-$50.00, live births to 10 years-$150.00, 10 years to adult-$300.00.
Foodborne Disease Investigation-A foodborne disease outbreak is identified when two or more persons have the same disease or have similar symptoms and there is a common food which has been ingested by such persons. In some outbreaks, one reported case constitutes an outbreak, i.e. botulism. When such reports come into the Health District, they are noted and an investigation is started. Interviews are held, suspect foods are identified and by statistical methods or by laboratory methods can be confirmed or presumed to be the cause of the outbreak.
Grocery Stores- Stores are checked regularly for cleanliness, outdated or damaged merchandise, temperature control and product handling.
Correctional Facilities- The Mahoning County Jail, Misdemeanor Facility and the Corrections Corporation of America, (CCA) private prison are all inspected for cleanliness, maintenance and repair of the buildings. The food handling practices in the kitchen, cleanliness and food temperatures are also inspected. 
Hospitals - Youngstown’s three hospitals are regularly inspected for cleanliness, repair and maintenance, and food service. In addition, the facilities on each floor unit are monitored to assure that refrigeration temperatures are within limits and that any food items prepared in the hospital kitchen are kept separate from those brought in by staff or families of patients.
Nuisances - In order to maintain neighborhood integrity and standards, response to complaints ranging from high grass, to trash in yards or odors caused by accumulated animal droppings, is necessary. These complaints often require multiple visits to ascertain the problem, issue orders to remediate the situation. Often many rechecks are neccessary to be sure the problem has been corrected.
Restaurants - The Health District’s involvement starts before the restaurant is built or before any work is started on a building to be remodeled. Plans are submitted with menus and equipment lists. The plans are reviewed with an eye toward the menu to assure that the flow of work on a menu item can be handled safely. Equipment requirement, number and use of sinks, and surface finishes are also checked at this time.
Much of the time spent in inspecting restaurants is used in educating operators and staff. All violations are explained and ways to correct the violations are explored.
Under Ohio law, restaurants are to be inspected according to their designated class based upon their risk.
| Class of Restaurant |
Food Service Activities |
Inspected per year
|
|
Class I
Restaurant
|
Offers for sale or sells: pre-packaged refrigerated or frozen potentially hazardous foods; coffee, self service fountain drinks; pre-packaged non-potentially hazardous beverages; pre-packaged non-potentially hazardous foods; or baby food or formula. |
At least one standard inspections each licensing period. |
|
Class II
Restaurant
|
Handling, heat treating, or preparing non-potentially hazardous food; holding for sale or serving potentially hazardous food at the same proper holding temperature at which it is received; or heating individually packaged, commercially processed potentially hazardous foods for immediate service. |
At least one standard inspections each licensing period. |
| Class III
Restaurant
|
Handling, cutting, or grinding raw meat products; cutting or slicing ready-to-eat meats and cheeses; assembling or cooking potentially hazardous food for immediate consumption, held hot or cold, or cooled; operating a heat treatment dispensing freezer; reheating in individual portions only; or heating of a product, from an intact, hermetically sealed package and holding it hot. |
At least two standard inspections each licensing period. |
|
Class IV
Restaurant
|
Reheating bulk quantities of leftover potential hazardous food more than once every seven days; or caterers or other similar food service operations that transport potentially hazardous food. |
At least two standard inspections and two critical point inspections, and if applicable two variance reviews each licensing period. |
*Critical Control Point inspection involves analyzing recipes and tracking potentially hazardous foods from the loading dock to the table, to assure all food is safe and wholesome.
Mobile Food Service Trailers- are handled much the same way as other restaurants with the same inspections requirements as a Class I restaurant. Vending operations are very similar to restaurants. Temperature monitoring, cleanliness, and food handling procedures are examined to assure the safest methods are followed.
Vector Control – rodent and mosquito control programs are both under contract to a company that regularly report to the health district. The Health District has been discussing the possibility of adding other vectors at some future date.
* Rodent Control - Makes visits to educate, consult and bait for rats. The Rodent Control Educator is state licensed to handle the rodenticides used in this program.
* Mosquito and West Niles Virus Control- The goal of this program is to reduce the public’s exposure to dangerous mosquitoes through control of mosquito larvae and selective spraying to kill adult mosquitos. West Nile virus became a serious threat in 2001-2002, and the Health District responded to this threat by continuing long-standing mosquito control activities including larvaciding, trapping and shipping of mosquitoes (to test for infection), and adult mosquito spraying.
Schools - All public, private and charter schools are inspected twice each year to ensure that the facilities are clean and in good repair, in order not to hinder the learning experience. At this time, the cafeterias are also inspected.
Swimming Pools & Spas - Swimming pools are inspected on a routine basis to assure that the pool water is safe. The PH or acidity, the chlorine content, clarity, hardness and dissolved solids are tested. Mechanical items such as the pump and filter, drains, pool apron, skimmers, number of life guards and first aid equipment are also checked at this time.
Private Sewage Systems - Upon request, household sewage treatment systems are inspected for real estate transactions. The division monitors and enforces connection to the sanitary sewer when it becomes available. They investigate complaints regarding malfunctioning septic systems and makes annual inspections to insure that they are working correctly.
Private Water Supplies
Private water systems are permitted and inspected by this office. Water samples are taken upon request to evaluate the bacteria contents. The test will determine if water is safe for consumption.