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
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
1---2name: health-inspection-prep3description: Run a self-audit of a food establishment before the health inspector arrives, focused on the violations that actually close kitchens. Use when asked to prep for a health inspection, do a food-safety self-audit, avoid critical violations, or get ready for the health department. Produces a prioritized checklist organized by risk (critical/priority vs. non-critical), the temperature and hygiene fundamentals, a fix list with owners, and how to handle the inspector on the day.4---5
6# Health Inspection Prep Skill
7
8Inspectors 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.
9
10## Working from a brief
11
12Given 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.
13
14## Required Inputs
15
16Ask for (if not provided, else infer and label):
17- **Type of establishment** (full-service, quick-service, bar, food truck, commissary) and menu risk (raw proteins, sushi, etc.)
18- **Known problem areas** or a prior inspection's violations
19- **When** the inspection window is / how much time to prep
20
21## Output Format
22
23### Critical / priority items (fix first)
24The violations that shut kitchens — each with the standard and a pass/fail check:
25- **Temperature:** cold holding ≤ 41°F, hot holding ≥ 135°F, cooking temps, cooling (135→70°F in 2h, 70→41°F in 4h), thermometer calibrated.
26- **Cross-contamination:** raw-above-ready storage order, separate boards/utensils, sanitizer concentration.
27- **Hygiene:** handwash sinks stocked & accessible, no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food, sick-employee policy.
28- **Pests:** no activity/harborage, entry points sealed.
29
30### Non-critical (address, won't close you)
31Facility, labeling, storage, cleaning cadence.
32
33### Fix list
34
35| Item | Risk | Fix | Owner | By when |
36|---|---|---|---|---|
37
38### On the day
39How 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.
40
41## Quality Checks
42
43- [ ] Critical/priority items are separated from cosmetic ones and listed first
44- [ ] Temperature holding, cooling, and cross-contamination are all covered with specific thresholds
45- [ ] Handwashing and no-bare-hand-contact are explicitly checked
46- [ ] Every found gap has a fix, an owner, and a deadline
47- [ ] A note that local food codes vary and specifics should be confirmed
48
49## Anti-Patterns
50
51- Deep-cleaning visible surfaces while ignoring cold-holding temps
52- Treating all violations as equal (a critical temp violation ≠ a scuffed floor)
53- No thermometer calibration or temperature logs
54- Blocking or arguing with the inspector on the day
55- Prepping once instead of building the habits that pass every time
Mohit Aggarwal