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Program Details
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| Practice Type: |
Promising |
| Program Name: |
A Permanent Approach to Temporary Events |
| Organization: |
Worcester County Health Department |
| Web site: |
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| Overview: |
This practice addresses unsafe temporary food handling procedures and unapproved equipment, as well as other preventative measures, which may lead to foodborne illnesses at temporary events. Goal: To address unsafe temporary food handling procedures and decrease the risk of foodborne illnesses at temporary events, by developing a Comprehensive Temporary Event Program. Objective I: Increase the number of Worcester County Certified Food Operators by encouraging food vendors to participate in the innovative Worcester County Certified Food Operator Course. This should increase the number of food vendors familiar with our county’s expectations and standard operating procedures, thereby decreasing the likelihood of foodborne illness. Objective II: To further the development of the Comprehensive Temporary Event Program, a Temporary Event Coordinator needs to be assigned. This concept will allow for a more streamlined and efficient approach by funneling all temporary event correspondence and coordination, which should maximize productivity. Objective III: Develop a better working relationship with food vendors, event sponsors, and the event visitors. This can be achieved by our coordinator maintaining contact with all the stakeholders prior to implementation. However, the current use of our time has largely shifted from a reactionary punitive mode during an event to a proactive continuous educational approach. Objective 1: The classes continue to be offered a minimum of 4 times a year, generally in association with our major events. This allows new and out of state venders to participate in the class. To date there has been no documented food borne illnesses or outbreaks associated with Worcester County temporary events. In addition no facilities were closed due to repeat critical item violations. Objective 2: A temporary event coordinator has been hired and interacts daily/ weekly (depending on season) with sponsors of special events with temporary food vendors. Inspection staff's time is now being utilized in other assigned programs. Objective 3: Inspection staff has been able to inform and discuss violations and safe food handling in a more receptive and non-threatening manner. |
| Year Submitted: |
2010 |
| Responsiveness and Innovation: |
This practice addresses improper food handling skills by temporary food vendors and the lack of training course geared toward these operators, which leads to an increased risk of foodborne illness. As a beach resort destination on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the small, rural County of Worcester hosts over 50 temporary events (Fairs, Festivals, etc.) each year. Some of the larger events (Springfest, Sunfest, Bike Week) include up to 45 food vendors and are each attended by approximately 100,000 people. Many of the attendees are either the very young or the elderly, making them more susceptible to foodborne illness. Due to the profitability of these type of events, we observed a rise in participation by ‘inexperienced’ food vendors with unapproved equipment and food from unapproved sources as was noted by an increase in critical item violations during our inspections. In order to provide this needed training, Worcester County Health Department staff developed a Certified Food Operator Course specifically geared toward temporary food vendors. The objective was to develop an innovative course that was unique to temporary events, where, in most cases, the food preparation and storage is taking place under a tent or temporary structure. The Certified Food Operator Course covers food transportation and temperature requirements (hot holding, cold holding, reheat, etc.), required equipment, hand washing, and proper use of disposable gloves, utensil washing and sanitizing, correct use of thermometers, insect control, basic HACCP principles, and application and plan submittal criteria. Taught by Environmental Health staff, the course is held at local libraries, fire halls, health department buildings, and the like at least four times a year and usually prior to large events. Upon course completion, each participant is awarded a Safe Food Handler Certificate. Encountering an increase in the number of inexperienced food vendors, using unapproved equipment while preparing a variety of foods, we started to research how other jurisdictions handled temporary events. After conversing with colleagues during national and state conferences and spending considerable time searching for appropriate literature and browsing sources online, several components of existing Permanent Food Service Facilities training modules were determined to be valuable, if combine within parameters more applicable to the temporary food setting. While some states and local jurisdictions have existing legislation requiring the certification of Permanent Food Service Facility operators, certification demands were not uncovered for temporary food vendors. Our Code of Maryland Regulations, COMAR, does not mandate certification. The lack of such legislation in Maryland, and in the general temporary food arena, has lead to a ‘truck driver today, food operator tomorrow-here today, gone tomorrow’ mentality among a lot of temporary vendors. As a result, we found few operators responding to existing ‘common-practice’ training methods, which are mainly geared toward permanent establishments. Some of these adopted modules morphed into the two-tier, fee-incentive based Worcester County Food Operator Course, which is part of a Comprehensive Temporary Events program-a new concept to the field of public health. Its novelty is mainly due to its innovative implementation of local, state, and federal; materials, experience, and ideas-all of which are being utilized in a way that was specifically tailored to mutually benefit all stakeholders. As result of vendor feedback obtained during our new course, and our increasingly specific requirements put on vendors, the need for more detailed applications and as such, an extended processing time was revealed. The amount and types of violations most a tool for vendors and regulators to optimize food safety implementation. This process led to the development of category-specific temporary food vendor applications such as; private label prepackaged foods, private label prepackaged with opened food samples, not-for-profit potentially-hazard foods, and commercial-vendor potentially-hazard foods. A 10-business day applications submittal deadline was implemented, with a $500 late-fee for applications received no later than the five business day cutoff day prior to the event. Worcester County Environmental Health staff developed the course in a PowerPoint format and used pictures that staff have taken over the years of good and bad practices as a teaching tool. The PowerPoint presentation allows the food vendors to interact with the health department instructor and often results in innovative suggestions on how to comply with our requirements. Preparing food outside of a licensed kitchen present unique challenges, and experience has shown that if we explain what we are looking for during an inspection, there will be a food vendor who will come up with an innovation to meet that requirement. Some of the most interesting innovations have included new types of portable hand washing stations and three-compartment sink set ups. The event sponsors have also played a large role in the success of the program. Sponsors have supported the 10-day deadline and late-free requirements. They have also been very supportive of not allowing non-compliant vendors to continue to operate at future events. The food vendors have also been a part of the program’s success. Having provided suggestions on course content, they have begun to self-police other vendors who try to evade the requirements. By participating in the courses and interacting with the temporary food vendors. Lastly, this program would not have been successful without the support of the County Board of Health (County Commissioners), who adopted the two-tier fee schedule, the punitive late-fee, and the deadlines into County Resolution.Worcester County Environmental Health staff developed the course in a PowerPoint format and used pictures that staff have taken over the years of good and bad practices as a teaching tool. The PowerPoint presentation allows the food vendors to interact with the health department instructor and often results in innovative suggestions on how to comply with our requirements. Preparing food outside of a licensed kitchen present unique challenges, and experience has shown that if we explain what we are looking for during an inspection, there will be a food vendor who will come up with an innovation to meet that requirement. Some of the most interesting innovations have included new types of portable hand washing stations and 3-compartment sink set ups. The event sponsors have also played a large role in the success of the program. Sponsors have supported the 10-day deadline and late-free requirements. They have also been very supportive of not allowing non-compliant vendors to continue to operate at future events. The food vendors have also been a part of the program’s success. Having provided suggestions on course content, they have begun to self-police other vendors who try to evade the requirements. By participating in the courses and interacting with the temporary food vendors. Lastly, this program would not have been successful without the support of the County Board of Health (County Commissioners) , who adopted the two-tier fee schedule, the punitive late-fee, and the deadlines into County Resolution. |
| Agency and Community Roles: |
The local health department initiated, developed, and maintains a majority of this practice. The role for stakeholders other than the LHD is primarily to further the practice. |
| Costs and Expenditures: |
By utilizing photos, videos, music, and hands-on experience obtained from local, state, and federal sources, a PowerPoint presentation was put together allowing for the upstart and maintenance of this program without direct funding costs. In-kind costs consist mainly of staff time spent at each class and is estimated to be on average three classroom hours per staff member present. In addition, one person spends one hour of clerical work preparing course certificates. Initial staff investment prior to implementation of the course was approximately five work days dedicated to educational material development. With 39 classes taught to date and an average of two staff present at each class, the calculated time investment in this course is approximately 281 hours. It is critical to note that the staff time vested in this program as whole is believed to be akin to staff time spent prior to implementation. However, the current use of our time has largely shifted from a reactionary punitive mode during an event to a proactive continuous educational approach. This practice is part of our normal operating cost and falls under outreach and education. |
| Implementation: |
This practice addresses improper food handling skills by temporary food vendors and the lack of training course geared toward these operators, which leads to an increased risk of foodborne illness. As a beach resort destination on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, the small, rural County of Worcester hosts over 50 temporary events (Fairs, Festivals, etc.) each year. Some of the larger events (Springfest, Sunfest, Bike Week) include up to 45 food vendors and are each attended by approximately 100,000 people. Many of the attendees are either the very young or the elderly, making them more susceptible to foodborne illness. Due to the profitability of these type of events, we observed a rise in participation by ‘inexperienced’ food vendors with unapproved equipment and food from unapproved sources as was noted by an increase in critical item violations during our inspections. In order to provide this needed training, Worcester County Health Department staff developed a Certified Food Operator Course specifically geared toward temporary food vendors. The objective was to develop an innovative course that was unique to temporary events, where, in most cases, the food preparation and storage is taking place under a tent or temporary structure. The Certified Food Operator Course covers food transportation and temperature requirements (hot holding, cold holding, reheat, etc.), required equipment, hand washing, and proper use of disposable gloves, utensil washing and sanitizing, correct use of thermometers, insect control, basic HACCP principles, and application and plan submittal criteria. Taught by Environmental Health staff, the course is held at local libraries, fire halls, health department buildings, and the like at least four times a year and usually prior to large events. Upon course completion, each participant is awarded a Safe Food Handler Certificate. Encountering an increase in the number of inexperienced food vendors, using unapproved equipment while preparing a variety of foods, we started to research how other jurisdictions handled temporary events. After conversing with colleagues during national and state conferences and spending considerable time searching for appropriate literature and browsing sources online, several components of existing Permanent Food Service Facilities training modules were determined to be valuable, if combine within parameters more applicable to the temporary food setting. While some states and local jurisdictions have existing legislation requiring the certification of Permanent Food Service Facility operators, certification demands were not uncovered for temporary food vendors. Our Code of Maryland Regulations, COMAR, does not mandate certification. The lack of such legislation in Maryland, and in the general temporary food arena, has lead to a ‘truck driver today, food operator tomorrow-here today, gone tomorrow’ mentality among a lot of temporary vendors. As a result, we found few operators responding to existing ‘common-practice’ training methods, which are mainly geared toward permanent establishments. Some of these adopted modules morphed into the two-tier, fee-incentive based Worcester County Food Operator Course, which is part of a Comprehensive Temporary Events program-a new concept to the field of public health. Its novelty is mainly due to its innovative implementation of local, state, and federal; materials, experience, and ideas-all of which are being utilized in a way that was specifically tailored to mutually benefit all stakeholders. As result of vendor feedback obtained during our new course, and our increasingly specific requirements put on vendors, the need for more detailed applications and as such, an extended processing time was revealed. The amount and types of violations most a tool for vendors and regulators to optimize food safety implementation. This process led to the development of category-specific temporary food vendor applications such as; private label prepackaged foods, private label prepackaged with opened food samples, not-for-profit potentially-hazard foods, and commercial-vendor potentially-hazard foods. A 10-business day applications submittal deadline was implemented, with a $500 late-fee for applications received no later than the five business day cutoff day prior to the event. Worcester County Environmental Health staff developed the course in a PowerPoint format and used pictures that staff have taken over the years of good and bad practices as a teaching tool. The PowerPoint presentation allows the food vendors to interact with the health department instructor and often results in innovative suggestions on how to comply with our requirements. Preparing food outside of a licensed kitchen present unique challenges, and experience has shown that if we explain what we are looking for during an inspection, there will be a food vendor who will come up with an innovation to meet that requirement. Some of the most interesting innovations have included new types of portable hand washing stations and three-compartment sink set ups. The event sponsors have also played a large role in the success of the program. Sponsors have supported the 10-day deadline and late-free requirements. They have also been very supportive of not allowing non-compliant vendors to continue to operate at future events. The food vendors have also been a part of the program’s success. Having provided suggestions on course content, they have begun to self-police other vendors who try to evade the requirements. By participating in the courses and interacting with the temporary food vendors. Lastly, this program would not have been successful without the support of the County Board of Health (County Commissioners), who adopted the two-tier fee schedule, the punitive late-fee, and the deadlines into County Resolution.Worcester County Environmental Health staff developed the course in a PowerPoint format and used pictures that staff have taken over the years of good and bad practices as a teaching tool. The PowerPoint presentation allows the food vendors to interact with the health department instructor and often results in innovative suggestions on how to comply with our requirements. Preparing food outside of a licensed kitchen present unique challenges, and experience has shown that if we explain what we are looking for during an inspection, there will be a food vendor who will come up with an innovation to meet that requirement. Some of the most interesting innovations have included new types of portable hand washing stations and 3-compartment sink set ups. The event sponsors have also played a large role in the success of the program. Sponsors have supported the 10-day deadline and late-free requirements. They have also been very supportive of not allowing non-compliant vendors to continue to operate at future events. The food vendors have also been a part of the program’s success. Having provided suggestions on course content, they have begun to self-police other vendors who try to evade the requirements. By participating in the courses and interacting with the temporary food vendors. Lastly, this program would not have been successful without the support of the County Board of Health (County Commissioners) , who adopted the two-tier fee schedule, the punitive late-fee, and the deadlines into County Resolution. |
| Sustainability: |
There are numerous factors helping to perpetuate the practice. They are as follows: i. the reduced license fee for temporary food vendors who become certified. Due to the number of temporary events and vendor turnover, there are constant requests from new vendors for certification. The event sponsors have also encouraged their vendors to receive certification. If we observe a vendor is not practicing safe food handling, then we have the ability to require that the vendor participate and successfully complete the Certified Food Operators course prior to attending the next event. In order to sustain this program, all temporary food vendor certifications expire every three years. Certification cards are reissued if the food handler has not had any documented critical violations while they were certified. If they are found to have critical violations or repeatedly leave non-certified operators in charge of their Certified Operator licensed booth, the department has the ability to suspend their certification. The Certified Temporary Food Operator Course is part of our normal operating cost and falls under outreach and education. |
| Lessons Learned: |
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