Health and Safety: What to expect when the EHO comes to give you your Score on the Door
A shiver of apprehension runs through most establishments when a visit from an environmental health officer (EHO) is on the cards. Yet the visits are to be expected and the local authority officer is only doing their job - to ensure that a premises which serves food is complying with legal requirements and food safety legislation. This both protects the public and helps ensure that your business meets strict requirements. Help and advice will be offered if there are any shortfalls.
Although some apprehension could be considered understandable, it is more often regrettable as "confidence in management" is one of three key factors used in- determining your Score on the Door.
To clarify, the three factors an EHO looks at are:
• Food hygiene and safety, which includes food-handling practices and procedures, and temperature control
• Structure of the establishment including cleanliness, condition
of building, adequate lighting and ventilation
• Confidence in management - evidence of satisfactory documented food safety management procedures, whether there is good history of complying with food law and acting on previous advice, and the attitude of management towards hygiene and food safety.
As a consequence, after making a considered judgement regarding your premises, the EHO will give an award showing the standard attained.
You must be aware that an EHO may make an unannounced visit to your site at any time as part of a routine check - or if a complaint has been made relating to any food issue that requires investigation. In some instances samples could be taken (for example ice, lettuce, ice-cream or dishcloths) for checks. The EHO will report back to you with any adverse findings.
In most circumstances, at the time of a site inspection an EHO will give verbal advice and leave a handwritten general synopsis covering their findings and the advice given.
An official letter and a detailed report - often giving dates by which any issues need to be dealt with, usually follow this up. Sometimes a site revisit date is indicated, by which time any steps should have been taken to remedy any problems previously highlighted.
Having the right systems in place, good staff training and clean, safe methods of cooking will certainly gain approval from an EHO, but this is far easier said than done. For most people, contracting the services of an independent expert to assist on an as-needed basis is far more effective, cost-efficient and flexible than trying to do it all themselves or employing someone to do it for them. It frees you and your staff to focus on what you do best - attending to customers.
Furthermore, this independent advice provides you with peace of mind and confidence while demonstrating to your staff, patrons and the authorities your commitment to food safety.
Use your Score on the Door to your advantage
Scores on the Doors is here to stay, so the sensible action is to make it work in your favour. A great result is highly marketable.
A small struggling West Midlands-based pub had a zero Scores on the Doors rating when we were contracted to it in 2008. Some hard work, training and dedication have led the local authority to recently award this same pub five stars.
The management are now using this excellent result in all their marketing and PR such as adverts, menus, business cards website and the like - and business is booming. Their sensible, proactive, cost-controlled investment is paying them dividends.
