Code of Maryland Regulations › Title 10 - MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH › Part 5 › Subtitle 60 - BOARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS › Chapter 10.60.01 - General Regulations › Section 10.60.01.01 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 14, July 12, 2024
A. In this
				  subtitle, the following terms have the meanings indicated.
B. Terms Defined.
(1) "Accredited educational institution"
				  means a college or university in the United States or an equivalent which has
				  been accredited by an accrediting organization or agency that is recognized by
				  the United States Department of Education.
(2) "Approved experience" means experience
				  which classifies as practice as an environmental health specialist.
(3) Approved Training.
(a) "Approved training" means Board-approved
				  courses of study or programs of instruction in an area of environmental health
				  sciences and related subjects designed to improve, advance, or extend
				  professional skill and knowledge relating to the practice of an environmental
				  health specialist.
(b) "Approved
				  training" includes, for licensees applying for renewal of a license for the
				  first time, in-training or prior work experience as specified under COMAR
				  10.60.03.01C(7).
(4) "Board" means the State Board of
				  Environmental Health Specialists.
(5) "Certificate" means any of the following
				  certificates issued by the Board:
(a) A
				  certificate of eligibility for obtaining employment; and
(b) An environmental health
				  specialist-in-training certificate
(c) A certificate of eligibility for
				  supervised training.
(6)
				  "Environmental health specialist-in-training" means an individual who:
(a) Meets the educational qualifications set
				  forth in Regulation .03B of this chapter; and
(b) Has a valid environmental health
				  specialist-in-training certificate.
(7) "Environmental health
				  specialist-in-training program" means a program which provides an environmental
				  health specialist-in-training with approved experience under the supervision of
				  an environmental health sponsor.
(8) Environmental Health Sponsor.
(a) "Environmental health sponsor" means an
				  individual who is responsible for overseeing the implementation and progress of
				  an applicant's environmental health specialist-in-training program.
(b) "Environmental health sponsor" includes:
(i) For public employees, an environmental
				  health director, equivalent agency officer, or their designee; or
(ii) For private sector employees, an
				  environmental professional, who, like an environmental health director or
				  equivalent agency supervisor, makes discretionary decisions affecting food
				  safety, water quality, air quality, sewage systems, and other aspects of the
				  environment affecting the public health
(9) "Environmental science degree" means a
				  baccalaureate or master's degree inclusive of sufficient course and lab work
				  consistent with semester credits or equivalent in quarter credits in physical
				  and biological sciences acceptable to the Board.
(10) "Full-time employment" means employment
				  of at least 34 hours per week.
(11)
				  "Hours of approved training" means the value given by the Board for
				  participation in continuing education or experience.
(12) "Internship" means an environmental
				  health specialist-intraining program that:
(a) Consists of 3 months of approved
				  experience; and
(b) Has been
				  completed by an individual who has graduated from an accredited educational
				  institution with a master's degree in public or environmental health.
(13) "Laboratory course" means a
				  traditional on-site setting or virtual setting where an individual conducts
				  practical experiments by either:
(a) Hands
				  on; or
(b) Simulation relative to
				  the subject area.
(14)
				  "License" means a license issued by the Board to practice as an environmental
				  health specialist.
(15) "License
				  renewal period" means the 24-month period immediately preceding the expiration
				  date of the license.
(16) "Licensed
				  environmental health specialist" means an individual who is licensed by the
				  Board to practice as an environmental health specialist.
(17) Major Component of Employment.
(a) "Major component of employment" means a
				  job duty or responsibility that:
(i) An
				  individual may be reasonably expected to perform;
(ii) Is identified and listed separately on a
				  position description form such as a Maryland State form MS-22; and
(iii) Entails significant decision-making
				  responsibility and authority in the process of securing compliance with
				  federal, State, or local health and environmental laws and regulations
				  specifically relating to the control of the public health aspects of the
				  environment.
(b) "Major
				  component of employment" does not include a job duty or responsibility
				  identified as miscellaneous or other duties as assigned.
(18) Party.
(a) "Party" means a person or agency named or
				  admitted as a party, or properly seeking and entitled to the right to be
				  admitted as a party, in formal hearings.
(b) "Party" includes a person or agency
				  admitted for limited purposes.
(19) "Permanent employee " means an
				  individual who is:
(a) Employed to practice as
				  an environmental health specialist; and
(b) Not a temporary employee.
(20) "Practice as an environmental
				  health specialist" means, as a major component of employment, to apply academic
				  principles, methods, and procedures of the environmental, physical, biological,
				  and health sciences to the inspections and investigations necessary to collect
				  and analyze data and to make decisions necessary to secure compliance with
				  federal, State, and local health and environmental laws and regulations
				  specifically relating to control of the public health aspects of the
				  environment including:
(a) The manufacture,
				  preparation, handling, distribution, or sale of food and milk;
(b) Water supply and treatment;
(c) Wastewater treatment and
				  disposal;
(d) Solid waste
				  management and disposal;
(e) Vector
				  control;
(f) Insect and rodent
				  control;
(g) Air quality;
(h) Noise control;
(i) Product safety;
(j) Recreational sanitation; and
(k) Institutional and residential
				  sanitation.
(21) "Subject
				  matter expert" means an individual with in-depth knowledge or expertise in
				  performing a specialized job, duty or skill within an organization.
(22) "Temporary employee " means an
				  individual who is:
(a) Employed to practice as
				  an environmental health specialist on a temporary basis for a length of time
				  not to exceed 6 consecutive months within a consecutive 12-month period;
				  and
(b) Not required to complete
				  the total months of experience in an environmental health
				  specialist-in-training program under Regulation .03B of this chapter on a
				  consecutive monthly basis.