In the restaurant industry, a health inspection can be a great source of stress and anxiety. You will want to do all that you can to pass this inspection and get a good grade to keep your kitchen open but also so that you can attract people to your establishment. This post will offer advice on how you can pass the inspection that will hopefully take some of the stress and anxiety out of your next inspection.
What is a Health Inspection?
First, you need to know what a health inspection is and why it is so important. Health inspections happen at random every 6 months (or when a customer complains) and the inspection is carried out to determine if the restaurant is healthy for customers to eat at. The inspection will involve taking a close look at your restaurant, staff, processes and food products paying close attention to how food is stored and cooked as well as the cleanliness of the kitchen and storage areas.
Consequences of Not Passing
If you get a low score on your health inspection then you will need to make urgent or major improvements. The food safety officer will be able to advise on how this should be done. If the inspection reveals imminent risk to public health then your business could be closed down until improvements have been made. Of course, an unsafe restaurant could also lead to a lawsuit if someone is injured or gets sick. You will be required to display your rating, which means that a low score could deter customers and impact your reputation. The rating scale is 5-0 with 5 being the top of the scale and 0 requiring urgent improvements.
Passing Your Health Inspection
It is clear that it is very important to pass your health inspection and receive a good grade for the success of your restaurant. So, what can you do to pass your health inspection? The key is to create a health and safety culture and positive habits among your team, especially as you will not know exactly when the health inspection will happen. A few of the best steps to take to ensure that you pass include:
- Create a daily maintenance schedule
- Establish priorities with your team
- Provide regular training on health measures
- Make sure employees have their Food Handler’s Permit
- Create a cleaning schedule
- Carry out your own regular inspections
- Put posters and signs up around the kitchen
- Stay up to date with the latest health codes and laws
Health inspections can be a real cause for concern in the restaurant industry and make what is already a stressful line of work a lot more stressful. It is vital that you get a good grade so that you can stay open, develop a positive reputation and avoid having to make any major changes. Hopefully, the information in this post will be useful and help you to ace your next health inspection.