EPOS Direct Would your restaurant pass an inspection?

Meeting with staff

Are your staff prepared? Once you are expecting a visit from the health inspector, you should host an official meeting with all of your employees. This will give you the opportunity to discuss the upcoming inspection with your staff and will allow you to brief them on the tasks that need to be done. This will ensure that your staff are prepared and will lead to them completing the tasks that you assigned to them. This will ensure that all aspects of your restaurant are clean which will increase the likeliness of your restaurant passing the inspection.

Don’t make the same mistake twice

What was the result of your last inspection? As a restaurateur, you should review the reports from your last inspection as this will allow you to identify which aspects of your restaurant need improving. If an aspect of your restaurant failed the last inspection, it is recommended that you focus on the aspects of your restaurant which are unsatisfactory. This will ensure that your restaurant matches the criteria of the inspection which will allow you to pass the inspection. However, it is crucial that you do not focus solely on one aspect as it could cause another aspect of your restaurant to fail.

Prepare your staff

Do your staff know how to correctly store food? As a restaurateur, it is important to realise that there is a wide range of food preparation methods which your employees must be knowledgeable about. It is essential that you provide your staff with sufficient training regarding the storage and preparation of food. Many health inspectors will decide to ask your staff questions about the preparation and storage of your food. If the inspector decides that your employees cannot provide them with sufficient answers, you will fail the inspection as it will display to the inspector that you are incorrectly storing your food. When a health inspector visits your restaurant, one of the main aspects they will be judging is the health and safety procedures of your restaurant. It is recommended that you ensure your employees understand the health and safety procedures of your restaurant as the inspector may interview your staff regarding the health and safety procedures of your establishment. You should have posters in your establishment which notify the staff of your health and safety procedures.

Keep your restaurant clean

Before the health inspector arrives at your premises, you should thoroughly clean your whole establishment. This will prevent any of your surfaces from being dirty and unhygienic. If any of the surfaces in your restaurant are unclean, you will immediately fail your inspection as unhygienic surfaces will be a risk to the health of your customers. During the health inspection, it is important to remember that the inspector will constantly have eyes on your employees. You must ensure your employees are washing their hands regularly especially after touching food or their skin. This will show the inspector that your employees have a high level of hygiene. If there is a spillage, you should ensure that the spillage is cleaned quickly and that you notify customers that there is a slippery surface. This will score you high marks in your inspection as it will display to the inspector that your premises is kept clean at all times.

Contact the inspector

Health inspectors will usually turn up unexpectedly and will commonly visit your restaurant during a peak period. However, once you have sufficiently prepared your restaurant for the inspection, you should contact the inspector and arrange a meeting. This will display to the inspector that you are aiming to achieve a high health department score and are keen to be inspected. This will show the inspector that you are not hiding anything from them which may lead to them inspecting you for a shorter time. Would you pass an inspection?