Health Dept Interaction

You may be wondering what Sanitation has to do with profitability. If your restaurant is dirty or gets people sick, that word gets around and people won’t risk coming to your business. In this section, we discuss cleanliness and how to achieve the perfect or near perfect scores during inspections. We show you how to work with health department inspectors,  be proactive and potentially avoid inspections altogether.

 

Food Handling Certifications

All workers in a restaurant should have official food handlers cards, that is that they studied a food handlers manuals, taken a test (and passed) and obtained a food handlers card. There are various food certifications, some considered a higher level and recognized nationwide. In this section, we discuss these certifications, recommendations for on-going testing, restaurant staff mistakes and assumptions employees make that cause big problems.

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knife & equipment safety

In a busy kitchen, especially in small restaurants, someone carrying a knife improperly can seriously injure another worker and it happens fast. There are proper methods of using, handling, washing, sharpening and storing knives. We present proper methods and procedures and hope that you implement these within your restaurant to avoid an accident - just a little bit of training in these areas will help a lot. 

 

Dishwasher Types & Cost

There are two types of dishwashers, well three if you include handwashing: The first is the high temperature machine that uses really hot water in three cycles to be sure dishes are cleaned, rinsed and sanitized. The other is a chemical based machine that uses three solutions during the three cycles. Which is better? We've used both and we present the pros and cons of each approach. There are important cost considerations that could certainly affect profit.

 

Chemicals, Storage & MSDS

All restaurants must have Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals used in the business. We provide examples of this MSDS documentation. Degreasers and oven cleaners are often the cause of employee illness when used in a kitchen due to fumes and residual cleaning solutions - burning eyes and lungs, skin rashes.  Sick or injured employees create scheduling and service problems and possible legal action because you didn’t document proper use. This section provides documentation and recommendation for proper cleaning solutions.

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Documenting Cleaning Cycles

Most Health Departments require that you maintain proper records on the cleaning of ice machines, restrooms, refrigeration equipment, grease traps and other equipment. We provide methods, forms, checklists and staff training suggestions to help you comply, or just be proactive to avoid any illnesses caused by this equipment or facilities.

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Accidents & Reporting

Each and every accident in your restaurant is a potential lawsuit. Example: Nice lady leans chair back to relax a little more, loses control and falls over backward and hits her head. Says she's OK to dishwasher but three weeks later files lawsuit then settles for all doctor bills. Every accident, whether staff or customer must be documented, including statements made, circumstances and more. We provide examples and guidance on what should be documented, reported and filed securely in case of future action against your business.