Introduction of Yokohama City Hygiene Monitor "Progress."

Yokohama City is Japan's largest local government with over 3.7 million people living there. In addition, many people come from outside the city for sightseeing and work, and it is a lively city lined with restaurants, hotels, large-scale commercial facilities and office buildings. In such a large city of Yokohama, it is the mission of hygiene observers to protect citizens every day from the risk of threatening people's health, such as food poisoning and infectious diseases, so that they can live a safe and secure daily life. The work of hygiene observers who protect and support the health of citizens by ensuring a wide range of hygiene, such as food hygiene, environmental hygiene, and animal welfare management, is full of reward.
Yokohama City has a fulfilling system for human resource development and career support, keeping in mind that "human resources are the most important management resources", and an environment where staff can grow with peace of mind is in place. In addition, while the hygiene observers in Yokohama City have different faculties and majors compared to other cities and have a large number of people, a culture that values mutual connections regardless of seniors, juniors, and affiliations It has taken root. These "diversity" and "strong team power" are the strengths and appeal of Yokohama City Hygiene Monitors.
As a member of "Team Yokohama", let's create a city of Yokohama where you can live safely and healthy together.

Yokohama City is divided into 18 administrative districts and has various characteristics in each region, including nature-rich areas, good old shopping streets, and office districts lined with skyscrapers. The work of hygiene observers is also characterized by each administrative district, and you can experience work of different characteristics for each region. You can also experience events related to events unique to Yokohama City, such as the Yokohama Marathon and events in Akarengasoko.

You can experience all of the three business areas of hygiene observers, "food hygiene", "environmental hygiene" and "animal welfare management" through regular personnel changes (generally 3 to 6 years). Therefore, it is possible to develop a career based on one's own aptitude, and it is possible to demonstrate and play an active role in the future.

Assignment such as "ward office" which performs duties in contact with company and citizen, "city hall" which performs duties such as plan adjustment of the whole city, "home food hygiene inspection office", "meat hygiene inspection office", "animal protection center" Because there is a destination, you can experience various tasks even in the same business field.

In addition to training on the specialized fields of hygiene observers, basic training as administrative staff is also substantial. In addition to continuously developing skills through personnel changes, career steps for responsible positions (chief promotion exams) are also available.

We are engaged in a city-wide business related to animal administration. Specifically, we carry out breeding management, return and transfer of dogs and cats protected and housed in the city, appropriate breeding awareness programs for owners, rabies vaccination, and animal handling businesses.

We conduct various inspections (physics, bacteria, viruses, parasites) of fresh fish and vegetables distributed in the market, and provide supervision and guidance on food handling facilities in the market.

At slaughterhouses, we conduct "slaughter tests" for cattle and pigs. We carry out biological tests and tests before and after dismantling, and if it is difficult to judge by naked eye tests, we also perform microbiology, physics, and pathological detailed tests.

We use short-term work to raise children, but there are many staff around us who have both home and work, and when we are busy, we can talk to nature from around us, so we can balance with peace of mind. During maternity and childcare leave, we are able to receive training to return online, and utilize the work styles of senior staff who have learned there. In Yokohama City, as one of the DX initiatives, you can check the work schedule etc. from your home, so you can smoothly adjust the schedule for children and take over when you have to take a break suddenly.

Before joining the agency, I was engaged in food inspection work at a private company, but I wanted to work directly with people and joined Yokohama City. The ward office has many opportunities to talk directly to citizens about food hygiene. We held a hand-washing class for children, and Mr. Gojitsu taught me the songs used for explanations, "Children like and sing repeatedly." It remains in my heart that I felt that what I taught was transmitted to the children.

I wanted to protect clothing, food and shelter, which is indispensable for living, from the viewpoint of hygiene, and to be attracted to the work of a sanitary guard who supports a life where everyone can live with peace of mind. In Naka Ward, we conducted on-site inspections of large passenger ships and large hotels, and were able to monitor events nationwide. Because the number of related facilities and the content of consultation vary depending on the ward, it is also attractive that you can experience various things depending on the section.

When we were consulted that a rat had occurred in the garbage storage area of the apartment, we conducted a field survey and told the condominium management company that improvements were needed along with the situation. Initially, the management company's response was reluctant, but when we explained specific improvement measures to the current situation and the effects obtained, the garbage storage area was renewed and there was no rat. The consultant also appreciated the response of the management company and Health Sanitation Division. It's hard to work on persistently, but when you get results, you have a sense of accomplishment.

Citizen correspondence by window and telephone and company correspondence that we experienced in ward office of the previous workplace are useful when planning and coordinating the city as a whole, and managing the progress of ward office duties. In addition, by experiencing the business of the central government office, I was able to understand the background and formation of each business. Both the ward office and the central government office may experience in future careers, but the safety of Yokohama citizens from the perspective of experiencing both.•I would like to protect safety from the viewpoint of hygiene.

There was an atmosphere where it was easy to take childcare leave regardless of gender, and the chief of the time and the staff around me were willing to send them out, so I took childcare leave for 10 months and enjoyed housework and childcare. I am glad to see the rapid growth process of every day immediately after birth. Even after returning to work, I am actively involved in childcare and value my time with my children. I also understand the workplace in utilizing the flex system for pick-up and drop-off at nursery schools and taking vacations, and I feel that an environment where it is easy to raise children is in place.

Until now, each of the two ward offices has been engaged in environmental hygiene and food hygiene for three years. Although each of the two tasks has its own characteristics, I felt that the fundamental way of working on licensing and monitoring guidance, which are duties to protect the sanitary lives of citizens, did not change. In addition, by experiencing a wide range of duties, such as on-site work at the ward office and work at the central government office, which is the current workplace, I was able to notice the value and attractiveness of each work, and I feel that it has led to my own growth .

The workplace is an easy-to-consult atmosphere, and seniors will carefully teach you about inspection work. We value not only the colleagues at the current workplace, but also the horizontal connections with colleagues at the previous workplace and colleagues at the same time, and build relationships where we can consult with each other. In Yokohama City, training is enriched, and in addition to training tailored to careers such as training for newly hired staff for hygiene observers and training for third and sixth years, there is also training necessary for practical use such as personal computer skills. There is a support system. You can also participate in training for local government officials nationwide sponsored by the government. The other day, I also participated in a four-day training program and learned the latest knowledge of inspection work.

The workplace is very peaceful and well-ventilated, so we can easily share information and consult with colleagues and bosses, share ideas with each other, and work while communicating. In addition, multiple people at the workplace have acquired shorter working hours for childcare, etc., so I think it is an environment where it is easy to support each other. Thanks to the substantial system, we have created a way of working that makes it easy to balance work and private life, such as enjoying hobbies on holidays and participating in children's weekday events.

I was surprised that there were few tasks that could be completed only with documents, and there were many tasks that needed to go to the site and investigate various things on my own. From the first year, I feel that it is necessary to work with a sense of responsibility to determine whether or not meat is safe. Since rugged judgments are disadvantageous to businesses and citizens, we always conduct inspections with a sense of grounds. It's often difficult, but if you don't understand, you can listen immediately, so I'm able to work with peace of mind every day.

In Yokohama City, about 300 hygiene observers are currently working daily to protect the health of citizens. I asked senior staff about what the appeal of the hygiene observer in Yokohama City is, the rewarding feeling through work, the balance between work and private care that I care about, and what I value as a hygiene observer.

After recruitment, there is a system to provide support mainly by trainers (newly hired staff and senior staff in charge of training staff for the first term), so that you can work while consulting on how to proceed with work and questions and concerns. In addition, the entire workplace has a system to back up newly hired staff.
After experiencing a wide range of tasks, there are ways to aim for a responsible position (manager) and ways to further enhance the specialty of food hygiene and environmental hygiene as a staff member.

In addition to training to acquire the basic skills necessary for administrative staff and to be aware of being a public servant, we also conduct nomination training and practical training according to years of experience and position. There are plenty of opportunities to enhance specialized knowledge and skills as a hygiene supervisor.
In addition, we have a system to support career development and skill improvement, such as the use of tools that can objectively grasp one's strengths and weaknesses, and a support system for acquiring national qualifications.

Yokohama City has formulated the “Yokohama City Human Resource Development Vision” with the view that “human resources are the most important management resources,” and is promoting human resource development for staff using this as a basic guideline. For hygiene observers, we have further formulated the “Specialized Field Human Resource Development Vision Professional Version (Hygiene Monitor Version)”, and based on this, we will promote effective and systematic development in which each employee can realize growth while enhancing their professional skills. I am promoting it.

Yokohama City Staff Recruitment Information Homepage
Appointment Section of City of Yokohama, Personnel Commission Secretartiat Investigation and Appointment Department
TEL： 045-671-3347 FAX: 045-641-2757

Food and Hygiene Division, City of Yokohama, Medical Care Bureau Health and Safety Department
TEL： 045-671-2460 FAX: 045-550-3587