Food safety inspectors' schedules can affect inspection quality, according to a study from Harvard Business Review. The study notes "when done correctly, a food safety inspection is a painstaking process," and inspectors tended to cite fewer violations at each successive establishment they visited through their day. It found when inspectors spent more time on evaluations earlier in the day, they cited fewer violations later, and when inspections risked prolonging their work past their normal working hours, they cited even fewer violations. The researchers note this does not mean inspectors are lazy, "rather, it demonstrates that inspections are exhausting to conduct."
The report suggests distributing inspections more evenly over the course of a week and avoiding late-afternoon inspections. In addition, it offers scheduling inspections at the highest-risk and most trouble-prone facilities in the mornings, such as elementary schools and nursing homes. It also suggests scheduling inspections of high-risk facilities immediately after ones expected to have many violations, as its research found inspectors who encountered many violations at a first location tended to intensify their next inspection. Full Story
Related: CDC Identifies Most Prevalent Foodborne Illnesses; Health Inspectors Go Easy on Restaurant Violations.
from Industry Operations http://bit.ly/2ElKUQq
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