health-inspection-prep

Health Inspection Prep Skill

Inspectors don't fail you on dust — they fail you on the handful of priority violations that make people sick: temperature abuse, cross-contamination, bare-hand contact, handwashing, and pest activity. This skill runs the self-audit the way an inspector scores it, so the critical stuff is fixed before they walk in.

Working from a brief

Given the establishment type, produce the full self-audit — prioritize by public-health risk, not by what's easiest to see. Base it on standard food-code categories; note that local codes vary and the operator should confirm specifics.

Required Inputs

Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):

• Type of establishment (full-service, quick-service, bar, food truck, commissary) and menu risk (raw proteins, sushi, etc.)
• Known problem areas or a prior inspection's violations
• When the inspection window is / how much time to prep

Output Format

Critical / priority items (fix first)

The violations that shut kitchens — each with the standard and a pass/fail check:

• Temperature: cold holding ≤ 41°F, hot holding ≥ 135°F, cooking temps, cooling (135→70°F in 2h, 70→41°F in 4h), thermometer calibrated.
• Cross-contamination: raw-above-ready storage order, separate boards/utensils, sanitizer concentration.
• Hygiene: handwash sinks stocked & accessible, no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, sick-employee policy.
• Pests: no activity/harborage, entry points sealed.

Non-critical (address, won't close you)

Facility, labeling, storage, cleaning cadence.

Fix list

| Item | Risk | Fix | Owner | By when |

|---|---|---|---|---|

On the day

How to receive the inspector: cooperate, don't argue, know where the logs and permits are, correct-on-the-spot where possible, and how to respond to a violation professionally.

Quality Checks

• [ ] Critical/priority items are separated from cosmetic ones and listed first
• [ ] Temperature holding, cooling, and cross-contamination are all covered with specific thresholds
• [ ] Handwashing and no-bare-hand-contact are explicitly checked
• [ ] Every found gap has a fix, an owner, and a deadline
• [ ] A note that local food codes vary and specifics should be confirmed

Anti-Patterns

• Deep-cleaning visible surfaces while ignoring cold-holding temps
• Treating all violations as equal (a critical temp violation ≠ a scuffed floor)
• No thermometer calibration or temperature logs
• Blocking or arguing with the inspector on the day
• Prepping once instead of building the habits that pass every time