Hospitality Newsline

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Vol.1 Issue 2 August 2001

In the foodservice industry, effective food safety and sanitation programs are an essential element of every successful operation. The relationship you build with your local health inspector can be of great benefit to your food safety and sanitation programs and thus help you please your customers. Spending a little quality time and effort to improve communication with your health inspector can be very beneficial to your business and can help eliminate costly misunderstandings. As Larry Scaglione, Quality Assurance Manager of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, notes, "The primary role of a health inspection is to ensure the protection of the dining public," which in turn helps the restaurant operator get the customer's 'seal of approval."'

According to Vincent Radke, former Senior Environmental Health Specialist, from the city of Alexandria Health Department, "The ultimate goal [of a health inspection] is to protect the public and prevent people from becoming ill. Neither the health department nor the restaurant ever wants a customer to become sick. It's not good for the restaurant or the Health Department. Therefore, the goal of health inspections is NOT to catch something or get somebody into trouble, but to prevent illness."

Since this is clearly a common goal shared by both entities, the next step is to assure effective communications and build a strong relationship in order to make that goal a reality together. Health inspections involve much more than a simple look around your restaurant, says Steven Grover, the National Restaurant Association's Vice President of Health and Safety Regulatory Affairs. Restaurateurs who have successful interaction with their local health -- inspection agencies and run clean, safe operations agree that the process does not begin when an inspector arrives at the restaurant, armed with a list of things to scrutinize. The process begins before the inspection with preventative measures such as safe, clean practices in the operation day in and day out. It also involves developing avenues of clear communication and a mutually respectful relationship with the people who work for the health department.

Be polite

There is a reason why "first impressions are lasting impressions" is a popular expression. It is very important that you treat your health inspector with respect from the very beginning. Those first few minutes help to set the tone for the next hour and for many inspections to come. For this reason, it is important to greet your inspector professionally and give him/her respect, even if you are busy. You should treat the inspector as you would any other guest in your establishment; after all we are the hospitality industry. For one thing, don't get angry if an inspector shows up during a mealtime, says Grover, who is also a former Virginia health inspector. "Generally inspectors are there to see you prepare food," he says, "so sometimes you should expect an inspection at mealtimes."

When the inspector arrives, greet him or her pleasantly and ask to see his or her credentials. It is important that you establish the basis for the inspection and the authenticity of the inspector from the very beginning. Be professional, cooperative, friendly and open, says Grover. Don't offer any favors or food, and don't be argumentative or defensive. Never argue with a health inspector during the inspection. If there's a problem, try to work it out with the inspector in a professional manner and don't take the inspector's observations or violations personally. If you can't work it out during the inspection or during the post inspection discussion, remember you can always call the inspector's supervisor and ask for clarification later.

As Radke advises, "Don't take the inspection personally. It is not a personal attack. It is the job of the inspector to find errors and he or she may find

some things that need to be corrected. The nature of the inspection is to verify that your operation is taking the necessary precautions to help avoid a serious food-related illness outbreak."

Victoria Decker, Foodservice Director of Quality Assurance for Clyde's Restaurant Group says that "Operators should take the health inspectors seriously. They are forecasting and preventing future problems for the restaurant." For this reason, Decker says that her company takes a proactive role with the inspectors and welcomes the health inspectors into its restaurants. Furthermore, Decker adds, "we correct most errors or inspector observations on the spot."

Accompany your health inspector

After you greet your health inspector; show him/her that you take a great interest in providing your customers with safe and high quality food by accompanying him/her during the inspection.

"It is nice when the person in charge is able to go around with the inspector during an inspection. If not the manager or the assistant manager, then at least one of the staff. Because inspectors usually show up unannounced, it is perfectly understandable if restaurant operators are too busy to accompany us," says Radke. Accompanying the inspector during the inspection shows the inspector that you're interested in the process and in correcting any problems immediately.

Observing the inspection allows you to better understand the basis for the recommendations that are being made. "A picture is worth a thousand words," Radke notes. "Having violations physically pointed out gives you a better understanding of the problem because the inspector is able to show why something is a violation."

As you walk around your facility with your environmental health specialist, there are several things that you can do to demonstrate that you take public health seriously. To begin with, bring a note pad and write down any observations that your health inspector makes. This allows you to have your own record of the recommendations for later reference. It also shows your inspector that you are serious about implementing the necessary changes over the long term and not just while the inspector is there.

If you don't understand something that your inspector says, or why something is a violation, question the inspector immediately. Open communication is the best way for you to understand the regulations and what you can do to fully comply with them. It also is a good way to become educated and show him/her that you want to improve your knowledge of food safety and regulations.

Keeping foods at safe temperatures is critical to food safety, so be prepared to take temperatures of foods along with the inspector. This demonstrates to the inspector that it is common practice for you, and that you know how to do common practices. Radke notes that when an operator is not aware of critical issues or if he or she can't give general information about critical temperatures, it gives the health inspector the impression that he/she is not dealing with a responsible operator. 1f however, you show your inspector that these practices are commonplace, you are immediately eliminating any doubt regarding your professional food safety knowledge.

Know the rules

Even though at times the rules seem to change ever so quickly, and the interpretation of the individual health inspector may be a little different than the previous one, there are some effective means to ensure a clean restaurant, which will lead to a satisfactory inspection. First, it is very important to know what the health inspector is looking for when conducting an inspection. If your restaurant has a Quality Assurance Manager; that person must understand key food safety issues in order to ensure safe food preparation and handling to, in turn, prepare for a health inspection. To gain a better understanding of what is expected, get a copy of the regulations from your local health agency and make an effort to learn the requirements. Also, utilize the knowledge of your health inspector and ask questions where you may be uncertain on how they may interpret the regulation. Consider inviting your health inspector to your restaurant to give an educational presentation on a specific food safety or regulatory is sue. Open communication and training will better prepare you for inspection day and help you to better understand how the inspector is evaluating your restaurant.

Correct mistakes

Radke says that one thing that gives him the impression that he is dealing with an irresponsible operator is when he sees that no efforts have been made to correct code violations, even after repeated violations are observed. Do not leave this impression with an inspector. As soon as he or she states a violation, do what you can to correct it or start corrective actions immediately.

For example, if a health inspector cites that the three compartment sink's sanitizing solution does not meet the minimum concentration requirement, don't just nod your head in agreement and write it down. Instead, have someone immediately drain the sink and prepare the sanitizing solution at a proper concentration in order to sanitize equipment properly and correct the observation. This shows your inspector that you are conscientious about the recommendations he/she gives and that you want to correct them as soon as possible. From the perspective of the health inspector, if you are not even able to make the small, simple changes right away, he/she is likely to think that you will not make larger; more critical changes later.

In addition to making simple corrections on the spot, it is also important to relay information from inspections to employees immediately. For example, if the health inspector notices an employee has returned from the dumpster area without washing her hands and begins to prepare salad, immediately take the employee aside to correct the situation. Also follow up with general employee training on proper hand washing techniques at a later time to assure long term compliance.

Open up communication

After your health inspector has completed his written report, take the time to sit down with him or her to go over what was observed during the visit. "Open communication is extremely important, so do not be afraid to ask questions. Your professional demeanor will facilitate that communication," says Grover. This is a perfect time to impress on your health inspector that food safety is a top priority for your operation. Grover adds, "if you get written up for any violations, make sure you fully understand what the violations are and how to fully correct them." Larry Scaglione agrees. "This is the opportunity to learn from each other to meet our shared objective of protecting the public."

Do

* Be polite and professional

* Ask questions

* Provide employee training

* Correct violations promptly

* Accompany your health inspector

* Understand key food safety issues

* Make effort to learn requirements

* Utilize knowledge of your health inspector

* Demonstrate knowledge

Don't

* Offer favors or food

* Be argumentative

* Be defensive

* Take the inspection personally