Safe Environments Directorate (SED)

The Safe Environments Directorate (SED) in the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch of Health Canada promotes healthy living, working and recreational environments by identifying and assessing health risks posed by environmental factors (specifically chemicals, microbes, emerging technologies and development projects).

What We Do

SED develops national risk management strategies that:

• help reduce risks to human health from the environment;
• are supported by scientific research; and
• directly align with Health Canada's Sustainable Development Strategy.

The Safe Environments Directorate's mandate is governed by the following legislation:

 Department of Health Act
 Canadian Environmental Protection Act 1999
 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act
 Nuclear Safety and Control Act
 Emergency Preparedness Act -  Federal Nuclear Emergency Plan
 International Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and  Canada's Implementation Act

How We Do It

Environmental Health Bureau (EHB)

The Environmental Health Bureau is responsible for: protecting the health of people travelling within Canada, managing contaminated sites, and assessing environmental health risks.

The Bureau's Travelling Public Program, through a network of Environmental Health Assistants across Canada, works to reduce public health risks to the travelling public by, carrying out public health inspections to ensure safe food, potable water and sanitary conditions on passenger conveyances and their ancillary services (e.g., ferries, cruise ships and trains); monitoring and responding to gastrointestinal disease outbreaks on passenger conveyances; and providing general sanitation advice and consultation to operators of passenger conveyances and their ancillary services.

The Bureau's Environmental Assessment Division conducts research, analysis, and epidemiological studies in support of regulatory functions in the Healthy Environments and Consumer Safety Branch.
This work generates knowledge along the environmental health research continuum with respect to exposure to human disease, by conducting exposure assessments, hazard assessments, mechanistic studies, and human population studies. Divisional research staff develops partnerships with academia/research institutes and participates in specialized interdisciplinary research projects in the areas of toxicology, analytical chemistry and epidemiology. In addition, it provides biostatistics support and training to ensure the quality and efficiency of research projects and the accurate
analysis of research data from various sources. The Division includes the Chemical Emergency Response Unit, which provides health effects advice and coordinates the Departmental response to chemical emergencies.

Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau (ESRAB)

The Existing Substances Risk Assessment Bureau helps to protect the health of Canadians by assessing and providing expert advice on the health risks and impacts posed by chemical substances in commerce and in federal contaminated sites in Canada, as well as on impacts posed by development projects. The Bureau also works at the international level, with representatives of other countries, sharing knowledge to assist in development of regulations, environmental health assessments, and risk assessment processes.

Horizontal and International Programs Bureau (HIPB)

The Horizontal and International Programs Bureau provides leadership and direction in connection with environmental contaminants, and cooperates on related horizontal and international health policy strategies, issues and initiatives. Key activity areas include: providing policy advice at the directorate, branch, departmental, interdepartmental and international levels; acting as the Secretariat for the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Committee on Health and the Environment; and liaising with international partners on health and environment activities.

New Substances Assessment and Control Bureau (NSACB)

The New Substances Assessment and Control Bureau ensures that new substances are assessed for potential risk and adequately managed before being introduced to the Canadian environment. (When Health Canada suspects a substance may be toxic, it may impose conditions or prohibit its manufacture or import.) The Bureau also establishes legislative regulations and policies that support risk assessment and risk management activities.

Management Services Bureau (MSB)

The Management Services Bureau is the secretariat to the Director General's Office.  MSB provides a centre of expertise for resource management and business infrastructure for the Directorate--including finance, human resources, workplace health, organizational development, material management, IM/IT and Business Continuity Planning.

Risk Management Bureau (RMB)

The Risk Management Bureau promotes and protects the health of Canadians by developing and implementing strategies to manage risks to human health which are associated with environmental exposure to chemical substances.

Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau (WACCB)

The Water, Air and Climate Change Bureau leads the development of regulations, standards and health risk assessments related to protecting Canadians from contaminants in drinking and recreational waters and outdoor and indoor air. The Bureau provides advice on adaptation strategies and participates in the development of broad federal and national water, air and climate change policies.