Restaurant food safety ratings begin! Green: Food establishments receive a green placard if they have no more than one critical violation that was observed during an initial inspection, or that a violation was immediately corrected. Yellow: A yellow placard is posted when a food establishment has a critical violation and it is not corrected, or when two or more critical violations are observed by a Department of Health inspector. Hawaii Department of Health inspectors will typically conduct follow-up inspections within two days to determine if violations have been corrected. Under the new law, there is more incentive for establishments to correct their violations in a timely manner without the need for ongoing monitoring by inspectors. Establishments can receive a green placard if follow-up inspections verify that corrections have been made. A yellow placard functions as a condition use permit. If it is taken down before corrections are made, an establishment could face fines of $1,000 per day. Red: Food establishments that pose a danger to health of the community are immediately closed. A red placard is posted if food establishments must close because there is an immediate health threat to the community. Some of these conditions can include: evidence of foodborne illnesses or disease transmission from food establishment, an employee has a communicable disease; hot or cold water are not available as required; no power is available to operate refrigeration or cooking equipment; and sewage overflow or flooding. In severe cases where corrections are not made, the department may suspend a permit to operate.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 20:35:54 +0000