Environmental Health Risk Assessment

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 1
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT
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ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 2
Environmental Health Risk Assessment
Health risk assessment is termed as the process of approximating the possible impact of
biological, chemical, social and physical agent on as quantified human population under a
particular set of considerations for a specific time frame. Health risk assessment is the
foundation of public health protection. Health risk assessment provides a systemic approach
for magnitude and nature characterisation for the risks that are affiliated with the
environmental health dangers. An efficient and better understanding of the health risk
assessment enables us to mitigate our health risk.
On the other hand, risk communication is a review process that encompasses the entire
stakeholders and offers them the opportunity to share information’s about the assessed risk
and the decisions that are taken to combat them (Bennett et al., 2010). Effective consultation
provides useful information for risk management and risk assessment. Additionally, the
health risk assessment involves four steps that constitute of issue identification, hazard and
exposure assessment, risk characterisation and risk management plan. This essay focuses on
the quantification of hazards affiliated with poorly constructed inner- city apartments and
overcrowding in the city of Melbourne. Therefore, an appropriate assessment plan and
communication is needed to alert the stakeholders of potential environmental risks that may
be encountered.
Issue Identification
The aim of a reliable and functional health risk assessment is to provide scientific
information related to particular risk situation (Western Australian Department of Health,
2006). The mains purpose of this step of health risk assessment is to identify the issues that
are relating to the project. This is a crucial step during health risk assessment since the issues,
and the questions that have been raised will provide a holistic working plan that will be
beneficial during the evaluation (Taylor, 2014). The inability to address the issues will lead to

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 3
inadequate and incomplete assessment. They are numerous phases that are involved in the
process of issue identification. They constitute of identification of environmental health
concerns and determine whether the hazards can be mitigated. The figure below illustrates the
Health Risk Assessment Process (enHealth, 2004).
The health hazards on inner-city apartments that are affiliated to poor living condition and
overcrowding comprise of fire risk, infection risk, air pollution, extreme temperature, and
exposure to noise. Living in the poor quality house increases the chances of infection risk,
and that is linked to poor mental health, injuries and respiratory problems (Krieger and
Higgins, 2002). The basic foundation for a healthy community is affordable housing which is
a vital health equity issue. The inner city local governments have raised awareness on the
liveability and quality of the high rise apartment constructions in Melbourne city.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT 4
Furthermore, we discovered that overseas workers and student are the majority of the people
who are exposed to both health and fire risk due to poor living condition and overcrowding in
the apartments.
Majority of the fire risk has been raised by the flammable construction cladding. A typical
example is the fire incidence that occurred in Grenfell tower London in 2017. The impact was
devastating and left 78 people dead. On the other hand, in February 2019, there was a tragic
fire on Spencer St Melbourne buildings that led to the combustion of at least five storey
buildings (Cunningham and Fox Kobb, 2019). We were able to find out that the majority of
the apartments in the inner city were at fear risk due to poor building design guideline that
was being utilised. These concern and worries led to the Victorian state government in 2016
December to launch apartment design guidelines that will aid to mitigate the people and
properties from being exposed to fire risk (Al-Kodmany & Ali, 2013). The concerns that
were raised regarding the construction of the majority of the quality and classy inner-city
apartments dwelled on the poor lighting system, ventilation and small size of the houses.
Overcrowding in the apartments raises fire risk which was confirmed by the council after
the inspection buildings thus some of the flats had more beds than the number that is required
(Giles-Corti, Ryan & Foster, 2012). A vivid example is a famous tower in the Melbourne's
CBD that was torn to fire due to overcrowding that was caused by a discarded cigarette that
led to the ignition of combustible material that was kept in the balcony.
A debate emerged on the cause of fire in the private apartments of Melbourne city whether
it was as a result of the flammable material in the building or due to failure of regulation and
compliance during the construction of the storey buildings. During the assessment of the
situation, we noted that the majority of the buildings were poorly constructed without
adhering to the safety regulation designs hence poor installation of ventilation and lighting
system. This measure is vital in crowded apartments; thus it will mitigate the rate of fire risk.