12/01/1978 75110

SANITARIAN

DEFINITION: This is professional work in the field of environmental sanitation.

An employee in this class performs a variety of duties, within an assigned geographical area of the Commonwealth, involving the regulation of facilities to ensure compliance with the Commonwealth's rules and regulations governing environmental sanitation. Work requires the application of these rules and regulations during the conduct of inspections, investigations, surveys, plan review, permit review and enforcement activities. Work includes inspecting eating and drinking establishments, schools, institutions, mobile home parks, organized camps, campgrounds and swimming pools. Work also involves investigating complaints regarding sanitation conditions, and public health nuisances. Work includes conducting surveys of on-lot water and sewage systems and conducting preliminary building site surveys. Work also involves reviewing proposed plans and specifications for new or renovated facilities, reviewing sewage facility plans, subdivision plans, and reviewing on-lot sewage permits issued by municipalities. Work includes initiating enforcement and compliance activities against violators; providing advice to facility operators on methods to solve operational problems; providing advice to municipal officials, facility operators, architects, contractors and landowners regarding submission of plans; providing advice to food service operators concerning proper food handling, preparation and storage techniques; and providing information to special interest groups, Commonwealth, municipal and Federal officials and the public. Work involves considerable contact with facility operators, municipal officials, architects, contractors, and the public to explain Departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures involving sanitation conditions. Work also includes operating and conducting routine maintenance of a variety of test equipment. Work is assigned in the form of specific goals and objectives and the employee exercises considerable freedom in scheduling and completing the work. Work may be reviewed in progress on new or difficult assignments and is reviewed upon completion by a professional superior for completeness, technical accuracy and quality.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Inspects eating and drinking establishments and schools for proper food protection and storage, water supply, handling of equipment and utensils, safety, lighting, ventilation and air recirculation systems, garbage and refuse disposal, sewage disposal, vector control, and cleanliness; investigates and recommends solutions to complaints involving sanitation conditions in eating and drinking establishments and schools.

Inspects institutions for proper food protection and storage, water supply, handling of equipment and utensils, safety, lighting, ventilation and air recirculation systems, garbage and refuse disposal, sewage disposal, vector control, laundry handling, housekeeping, sanitation and infection control methods; investigates and recommends solutions to complaints involving sanitation conditions in institutions.

Inspects mobile home parks and recreational areas for proper water supply construction and safety, sewage disposal systems function, garbage and refuse storage and disposal, vector control and general maintenance and service of the entire area; investigates and recommends solutions to complaints involving sanitation conditions in mobile home parks and recreational areas.

Inspects migrant labor camps, campgrounds and organized camps for proper food protection and storage, water supply construction and safety, sewage disposal system function, garbage and refuse storage and disposal, vector control and general maintenance and service of the entire area; investigates and resolves complaints involving sanitation conditions in migrant labor camps, campgrounds and organized camps.

Inspects swimming pools for proper operation of filtration and chlorination equipment, adequate safety and survival equipment, cleanliness, qualified lifeguards, sewage disposal, and water quality including pH, chlorine residual, and clarity; investigates and resolves complaint involving sanitary conditions in swimming pools.

Inspects shellfish operations, bottled water plants, and retail food establishments to insure the sanitary quality of the products.

Conducts epidemiological investigations in suspected cases of foodborne, waterborne, and vectorborne illnesses to aid in determining the validity of as well as eliminating the cause of the outbreak.

Investigates complaints involving on-lot water and sewage systems, determines problems, and recommends corrective action.

Investigates complaints involving public health nuisances, determines cause, how it could have been prevented, and recommends or imposes corrective measures to prevent a reoccurrence of the situation.

Conducts surveys of on-lot water or sewage systems to determine the extent or magnitude of conditions in a defined problem area.

Determines violations of rules and regulations by comparing case data with rules and regulations; prepares violation letter indicating violations, citing appropriate rules and regulations, and establishing time limits for their correction.

Testifies as a material witness before District Magistrates, the Environmental Hearing Board, and the courts.

Reviews proposed plans and specifications for eating and drinking establishment, schools and institutions to determine if the proposed site, equipment, sewage disposal system, water supply, lighting intensity, ventilation system, heating system, plumbing, building construction, safety provisions and garbage and refuse storage and disposal comply with program requirements for sanitation conditions.

Reviews proposed plans and specifications for mobile home parks, organized camps, and campgrounds, to determine if the proposed site, sewage disposal system, water supply, plumbing, safety provisions and garbage and refuse storage and disposal comply with program requirements for sanitation conditions.

Reviews sewage facility plans for approval by comparing service area population to plant capacity, determining cost feasibility, reviewing approaches to existing problems, anticipated problems and approaches for anticipated growth.

Determines if proposed plans and specifications meet established rules and regulations; disapproves plans, approves plans, approves plans with special conditions.

Conducts site surveys to determine soil characteristics, slope, isolation distances, present and proposed land use, location of streams, ponds, heavy traffic arteries, insect or rodent breeding places, high tension power lines, drainage, and physical characteristics of the site.

Reviews sub-division plans for lot lines and lot sizes; any existing buildings, sewage systems, water supplies, streets, roadways or rights of way; and proposed streets, roadways, and access routes.

Collects food, water, sewage, dye, vector and soil samples for laboratory analysis in the conduct of inspections, investigations, surveys, plan reviews, and enforcement activities.

Reviews requests for eating and drinking licensure for new establishments; insures equipment, sewage disposal system, water supply, plumbing, lighting, intensity, and heating and ventilation systems are installed according to approved plans; approves or disapproves license.

Reviews request for a certificate to operate a mobile home park; insures sewage disposal system and water supply are installed according to approved plans; approves or disapproves certificate.

Reviews on-lot sewage permits issued by local sewage enforcement officer for technical accuracy and compliance with Departmental rules and regulations.

Reviews permit requests to operate bottled water plants, shellfish establishments, organized camps or campgrounds.

Provides advice to operators, architects and contractors regarding the submission of plans for new or renovated facilities; insures facility complies with Departmental rules and regulations, NSF standards, and NFPA Standards concerning environmental sanitation.

Provides advice to facility operators and the public regarding the installation and construction of individual water supplies, types of automatic purifying devices such as chlorinators, iodinator and ultra-violet light purifiers; and bacteriological and chemical analysis.

Provides advice to municipal officials, sewage enforcement officers, and landowners regarding the proper procedures for submission of subdivision plans and the environmental impact of development upon the surroundings.

Provides advice to food service operators on proper food handling, preparation and storage techniques.

Provides advice to local sewage enforcement officers on usual or difficult problems regarding the proper installation of on-lot sewage systems; discusses alternate methods of disposal based on soil analysis and site inspection.

Provides advice to co-workers on unusual sanitation problems.

Assists in providing on-the-job training to Sanitarian Trainees including advising management of the effectiveness of the training program and their progress.

Meets with Municipal, Federal and Commonwealth officials to explain Departmental programs.

Informs public and private officials of changes in program policies, procedures, Departmental rules and regulations.

Prepares letters, memorandums, reports, and correspondence to exchange information with facility owners, governmental officials, supervisor, and the public.

Provides information to the public regarding Departmental programs and functions, rules and regulations, or program policies and procedures either by telephone or correspondence.

Responds to emergency situations such as flood disasters by assisting in clean-up operations, setting up evaluations centers, and providing advice and assistance on vector control, sewage disposal, and water supply.

Prepares and delivers formal presentations regarding sanitation programs to special interest groups.

Operates a motor vehicle to travel to various work sites.

Performs similar work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the basic principals of sanitation.

Knowledge of the Department of Environmental Resources' rules regulations, policies, and procedures governing environmental sanitation.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in inspecting eating and drinking establishments, and schools for proper food protection and storage, water supply, handling of equipment and utensils, safety, lighting, ventilation and air recirculation systems. garbage and refuse disposal, sewage disposal, vector control and cleanliness.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in inspecting institutions for proper food protection and storage, water supply, handling of equipment and utensils, safety, lighting, ventilation and air recirculation systems, garbage and refuse disposal, sewage disposal, vector control, laundry handling, housekeeping, sanitation and infection control methods.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in inspecting mobile home parks and recreational areas, for proper water supply construction and safety, sewage disposal system function, garbage and refuse storage and disposal, vector control and general maintenance and service of the entire area.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in inspecting migrant labor camps, campgrounds, and organized camps for proper food protection and storage, water supply construction and safety, sewage disposal system function, garbage and refuse storage and disposal, vector control and general maintenance and service of the entire area.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques and equipment utilized in inspecting swimming pools for proper operation of filtration and chlorination equipment, adequate safety and survival equipment, cleanliness, qualified lifeguards, sewage disposal, and water quality including pH, chlorine residual, and clarity.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in investigating complaints involving on-lot water and sewage systems.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques and equipment utilized in investigating complaints involving public health nuisances.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in conducting surveys of on-lot water and sewage systems.

Knowledge of the standard enforcement procedures and appropriate Departmental policies for insuring enforcement and compliance with environmental sanitation rules and regulations.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques and format for the preparation of violation letters.

Knowledge of the proper application of sanitation test equipment to various settings.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in reviewing proposed plans and specification for eating and drinking establishment, schools, and institutions to determine if the proposed site, equipment, sewage disposal systems, heating system, plumbing, building construction, safety provisions, and garbage and refuse storage and disposal comply with program requirements for sanitation conditions.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in reviewing sewage facility plans.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in reviewing subdivision plans.

Knowledge of the procedures, techniques, and equipment utilized in conducting site surveys.

Knowledge of the procedures the techniques utilized for reviewing requests for eating and drinking licensure.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized for reviewing requests for certificates to operate a mobile home park.

Knowledge of the procedures and techniques utilized for reviewing on-lot sewage permits issued by local enforcement officers.

Knowledge of National Sanitation Foundation standards and National Fire Protection Association standards relating to environmental sanitation conditions necessary for plan review and approval.

Knowledge of proper well construction, installation, disinfectant procedures, and types of automatic purifying devices for on-lot water systems.

Knowledge of proper installation of on-lot sewage disposal systems.

Knowledge of the Commonwealth's and Departmental rules, regulations, policies and procedures governing travel, lodging, expense vouchers and reporting requirements.

Ability to read and write English at the GED 5 level.

Ability to perform mathematical computations at the GED 5 level.

Ability to read and interpret plat maps, topographic and geologic maps, and soils maps.

Ability to read and interpret plans and specifications for on-lot sewage systems and on-lot water systems.

Ability to read and interpret plans and specifications for eating and drinking establishments, schools, institutions, mobile home parks, organized camps, and campgrounds.

Ability to interpret and apply rules, regulations, policies, and procedures during the conduct of inspections, investigations, surveys, plan, reviews, and permits reviews.

Ability to operate and perform routine preventative maintenance on test equipment.

Ability to collect food, water, sewage, dye, vector, and soil samples for laboratory analysis.

Ability to prepare and deliver presentations to special interest groups on Departmental functions, rules, regulations, policies and procedures.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, supervisor, facility operators and the public.

Ability to meet with and secure the cooperation of facility operators, governmental officials, contractors, architects, landowners and co-workers to explain environmental sanitation requirements and determine compliance with rules and regulations in the conduct of inspections, investigations, surveys, plan reviews, and permit reviews.

Ability to operate a motor vehicle.

Eye sight and color perception sufficient to permit use of color comparator test equipment.

Sufficient eye-hand motor coordination to operate and maintain test equipment.

Sufficient physical stamina to permit working under adverse weather conditions.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Successful completion of the training program for the Sanitarian Trainee;

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Any combination of experience and/or training which affords the applicant the required knowledges and abilities.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Possession of a valid motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.