The Ethical and Professional Code of Conduct for Environmental Health Practitioners in Nigeria

         


The Ethical and Professional Code of Conduct for Environmental Health Practitioners in Nigeria

The Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria (EHORECON) was established by Act 11 of 2002. Section 27(a)(b)  of the Act empowers the Council to make incidental and supplementary provisions for different circumstances.

Therefore, the ethical and professional code of conduct for Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in Nigeria is hereby stated for strict compliance by all EHOs.

Ethics is derived from the Greek word ethos, which means character. Ethics as a subject is the science of morals, and branch of philosophy which is concerned with the study of human character and the conduct and rules of behavior. In philosophy, ethical behavior is that which is good or right.

A code of ethics provides members of a profession with standard of behavior and principles to be observed regarding individual moral and professional obligations, towards one another, their clients, and the society in general.

 The primary function of a code of ethics is to provide practice guide to employers, the general public and Members of the Professional body for whom the ethics are provided. Additionally, professionals that require some licensing from State-Authorised Council, that guarantees both the competency and the moral efficacy of its members, place a duty on the licensed professionals to help prevent unauthorized practice by unlicensed providers as a means of protecting the public and the profession.


         


What are the Ethical principles for Environmental Health Practitioners?

1. An obligation to be disciplined.

2. An obligation to be an Officer with complete integrity.

3. An obligation to uphold Dignity of Labour

4. An obligation for Social Justice

5. An obligation to respect cultural beliefs and practices

6. An obligation to be self-reliant

7. An obligation to be patriotic

8. An obligation to wear Official Uniform

9. An obligation for Dexterity and Expertise

10. An obligation for Accountability

11. An obligation to collaborate with allied professionals

It is the duty of EHORECON  to formally induct newly qualified EHOs, EHTs, EHAs and service providers into the profession. At that ceremony, the Council shall administer the Oath of allegiance to the inductees while inductees shall publicly announce their readiness to abide by the professional code of conduct and thereafter sign the Code of conduct Register.

(Culled from the ethical and professional code of conduct for Environmental health practitioners issued by EHORECON)

I guess by now you know a bit of the professional code of ethics so you don't run foul of it.

Let us also endeavour to educate our EHOs in training so they know the profession into which they wish to belong.

In case you need to organise a seminar for your EHOs in training or newly recruited staff on Ethics and conduct, I am always at your service.


          





Femi Abolade, licensed EHO, Writer, author and public speaker
femibolade12@gmail.com
+234 8074275257




Comments

  1. Anonymous1 October 2022 at 04:15

    I'm proud to be a student at school of hygiene kano under department of environmental health assistance

    ReplyDelete

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