All posts in “sanitation”

Drains & Restaurants

Drains & Restaurants

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Drains & Restaurants

Do you ever check bathrooms before you eat at a restaurant, I check drains and restaurants for a living? I won’t eat until I check the bathroom, if its clean then probably (probably) the kitchen is clean. If you have a restaurant, staff must be taught that part of the process is cleaning. Everyday a certain station should be cleaned and then someone needs to double check. If a customer gets something in their food, the reputation can be sullied in that visit and those reviews sites are not forgiving.

  1. Daily cleaning, certain areas.
  2. Weekly cleaning.
  3. Inspection by someone who cares, not just someone that wants to go home.
  4. Inspection by management. If you set the standard – staff will comply.
  5. A German Cockroach can get by with just a speck of grease, don’t forget in between appliances.
  6. Use a checklist, its not tough. If you start out clean and keep it that way.

The Public is your Critic

  • Only takes one complaint, and if its online – it is there FOREVER. Those Dirty Dining shows are proof of that.
  • Make the weekly cleaning game with free appetizers etc. If staff doesn’t consider it work – it won’t be.
  • Set the standard, if you don’t then no one else will.

Sanitation

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Sanitation, I think most of us don’t think about but maybe subliminally it’s there? You throw away garbage because it will spoil and smell bad. Food goes bad and we clean out the refrigerator. We clean the counters and the surfaces because they are dirty. So why don’t restaurants do the same? After binge watching Gordon Ramsey on Hell’s Kitchen. Sanitation is VITAL.

Places people should clean:

  1. Sides of stoves, refrigerators. Fans need to be cleaned, oils cling to everything.
  2. Pull out the refrigerator clean the coils, this will save on electricity.
  3. Tops of everything, stoves, cabinets, lighting – everything.
  4. Doors and windows.
  5. Walk in coolers need to be checked frequently. Never stack chicken on top.
  6. Pantries – rotate stock.
  7. If you notice bugs, call your Pest Management Professional ASAP. Things will not get better over time.
  8. Have a system or plan in place, example – wash floor nightly, clean countertops nightly and always say who cleans what.
  9. This should occur at home as well, daily chores.

How is GreenPro adding value to our Pest Control Industry and consumers?

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GREENPRO PRINCIPLES

GreenPro certified services minimize pesticide exposure to humans, non-target animals, and the environment by:

  • Focusing on integrated pest management (IPM) strategies such as habitat modification, exclusion, removal of food and water sources, sanitation, and making repairs.
  • Providing and documenting thorough pest inspection and monitoring services, as well as follow-up to ensure efficacy.
  • Regularly communicating with clients about pests infestations, conducive conditions, and ways to prevent pests.
  • Requiring specialized training for all company employees who sell or perform these services.

Services that include any of the following will not be certified as GreenPro:

  • Preventive pesticide applications that are based solely on the calendar.
  • Routine, high volume pesticide applications without justification.
  • Indoor pesticide applications without justification.
  • Rodenticides placed in a manner in which they are accessible to children and nontarget animals.

All information taken directly from the Guide to certification.

I’ve been pushing this for years, my regular service is an outside only, inside only on request and based on the problem or issue. We only use power spraying for weeds and ticks. In Arizona we have scorpions, so we recommend home sealing but it also requires monthly spraying, we do use a lot of DE.

greenpro

 

University of AZ – grant for $250,000 – Part 3

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cooperative-extension

 

I have been doing IPM since purchasing ProBest Pest Management in 2005 and this event sparked a thought concerning the old ways of pest control. How many remember when the Bug Guy aka Pest Management Professional sprayed inside baseboards, remember the buildup of wettable powder pesticide. I always thought this wasn’t good, pets and babies play on carpets and floors. The brochure of events brought this home with the following:

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a sensible, environmentally-friendly, and effective way to solve pest problems. Pests are managed by the most economical means and always with the least possible risk to people, property, and the environment.

Why IPM?

  • Common sense – uses simple methods to keep the school clean and maintained to prevent pests. Understand the pests and make them unwelcome.
  • More effective – uses multiple methods focusing on remedying the reasons why pests are there in the first place. Provides long-term solutions to many pest problems.
  • Lowers risk – reduces potential exposure to pests and pesticides.
  • Cost effective – pesticides are used only when needed. Many IPM tactics have long-term benefits.

University of AZ – grant for $250,000 – Part 1

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whatisipm

 

I recently attended the EPA Big Check event at the Metro Tech High School in Phoenix to witness the grant of $250,000 to the University of Arizona. I recently home sealing “IPM – the way of the future, why don’t schools get this?“and again want to emphasize the benefits of IPM: This facility works this program to its fullest potential – Integrated pest management works inside & outside school buildings.

  • IPM reduces pest problems – this was very evident at Metro Tech as they support this to the highest degree.
  • IPM encourages the use of safer pesticides when needed.
  • IPM enhances the campus landscape and reduces plant and tree losses.
  • IPM creates a healthier campus for improved academic achievement & reduced absenteeism.
  • IPM can reduce athletic field injuries & pest-related asthma symptoms.
  • IPM is cost-effective.

This information was published as a program handout to the attendee’s and I thought would be valuable in spreading the news of IPM

Now that we talked about sanitation, what is the next step?

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On August 25th we did a home seal on Sanitation. We briefly talked about sanitation, but what factors play into cleanliness? How about the age of the building, how about shift work and who is responsible for over all cleaning? The entire staff must understand and management must concur with protocols.

  • So what if the building was 20 years old, will it differ from something newer? Maybe?
  • What type of floor does it have, tile, concrete and what about mats?
  • What about equipment, are there numerous cracks and nooks within?
  • Is there water present, how about fans and what range of temperatures?

Is this establishment a restaurant? Are there specials conditions?

  • Is there a bar, how about a buffet?
  • What kind of seats are available?
  • What are the operating hours, when must the work be done?

So what if this is your home? Why does sanitation play a role?

  • If you’ve seen Hoarders you know why? I have seen peanut jelly sandwiches between mattress and box springs, really!
  • Carpet or tile?
  • Laundry and who is responsible, depending on ages of children (or that guy that never cleans)?

So that next step might be to go back to the beginning and then make sure everyone knows their job and duties. The job is never-ending. But in the long haul if everyone understands their responsibilities it will be easier to figure out where the pests are coming from and handle the situation before it becomes impossible.

So do you have any other comments or ideas that may help?

Sanitation in Restaurants, is it really that important?

2 Comments

 

YES, YES and YES again!

I would say that without a doubt the biggest challenge to restaurants is sanitation and if they did one thing and only one it would be to instruct their employee’s that it is IMPORTANT. I never had a chance to work in a restaurant but I did work at a Boy Scout Camp (Camp Berry) in the dining hall and I know we did a lot of cleaning everyday.

So let’s talk about procedures:

  1. Someone must be in charge, The General Manager or Manager at open and close are responsible – from them all procedures must flow.
  2. Each shift, a person must be in charge of cleaning.
  3. At closing someone must be in charge and instructed on cleaning procedures.

Those people must be held accountable, just missing one day can cause repercussions. I think I would make a great health inspector but I also think heads would roll. Some of the stuff that I see daily would just turn your stomach. Just last week a restaurant was closed for outbreak of bloody diarrhea outbreak serious (laboratory results indicate the bacteria causing the illness is E. coli O157) (ABC15). It’s not just the bugs you can see, but sanitation is very important to the health and safety of patrons and staff.

campberry

What could ruin your business faster than bugs?

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Rodents, I just can’t imagine any business these days thinking that they could avoid Professional Pest Control. Nothing and I mean nothing could ruin your reputation than a picture or complaint from a customer. But everyday it appears that business people just don’t care. This story out of Tucson represents my point – “Kitchen Cops – Thai restaurant bugs Pima County Health Department“. Every county these days has a health department to protect the public but I guess it just doesn’t matter. What say you?

dph

What can you do when you find a bug at a restaurant? part 2

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What can you do when you find a bug at a restaurant? part 2

 

As I stated yesterday I think it is imperative that you discuss with staff and or management if you locate a bug while dining. Finding a bug isn’t the end of the world, it could have flown in, or someone could have brought it in so don’t panic. Here in Arizona – each and every week KPHO CBS 5 News is sent a list of restaurants that have been recently inspected by Maricopa County’s Environmental Services Department. http://www.kpho.com/category/210113/dirty-dining here is the link and they do an excellent job of tracking the restaurants that fail to abide by the rules.

Here is the link to Maricopa County http://www.maricopa.gov/ Maricopa County’s Environmental Services Department.

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Now with all that said there are a lot of restaurants that do an excellent job at cleaning and they are listed

Dean’s List – Those with perfect scores

Thanks to the inspectors and KPHO for providing this great information.

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