Preparing for a health inspection in Ohio
What the inspector looks for
An Ohio health inspector, called a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) or sanitarian, checks your operation against the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code, OAC 3717-1. Most routine inspections are unannounced.
The items that matter most are the ones that can make someone sick: temperatures, handwashing, sick employees, cross-contamination and sanitizing. Ohio's inspection report lists these as critical violations, separate from non-critical ones. Get them right every day and the inspection takes care of itself.
How to pass: avoid critical violations
Walk through this list before any shift, not just before an inspection. Each item links to the rule behind it.
"Potentially hazardous food" is the long-standing name for food that needs temperature control. The Food Code now calls it time/temperature controlled for safety (TCS) food.
Employee health and hygiene
- Every hand sink is accessible 3717-1-05.1(O), has hot and cold running water (at least 85°F through a mixing faucet) 3717-1-05.1(C), and is stocked with soap and paper towels 3717-1-06.2(B), (C).
- Employees wash hands throughout the day, before putting on gloves, and any time hands may be contaminated. 3717-1-02.2(C)
- Employees who have been vomiting or have diarrhea do not work in the establishment. 3717-1-02.1(A), (D)
- Eating, drinking, or smoking in designated areas only (see the rule for drink exceptions). 3717-1-02.3(A)
Food temperatures
- All time/temperature controlled cold foods are held at 41°F or below. 3717-1-03.4(F)
- All time/temperature controlled hot foods are held at 135°F or above. 3717-1-03.4(F)
- Hot foods are cooled rapidly from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, using an ice bath, shallow pans, ice wands or a blast chiller. Then they go into refrigeration to cool from 70°F to 41°F or below within 4 hours. 3717-1-03.4(D)(1), (E)
Cooking temperatures
| Food | Final cooking temperature | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs (cooked to order) and pork | 145°F for 15 seconds | 3717-1-03.3(A)(1)(a) |
| Ground beef | 155°F for 17 seconds | 3717-1-03.3(A)(1)(b) |
| Poultry | 165°F, instantaneous (less than 1 second) | 3717-1-03.3(A)(1)(c) |
| Refrigerated leftovers, reheated before serving or hot holding | 165°F, reached rapidly | 3717-1-03.3(I)(1) |
Every temperature is on one page in the Ohio food temperature chart.
Food handling safety
- Use accurate, calibrated long-stem thermometers to take internal temperatures of food. 3717-1-04.2(G), 3717-1-04.1(K)
- Food comes from approved sources. Do not serve food prepared in a private residence. 3717-1-03.1(A)(1), (2)
- Dented cans are kept apart from cans in good condition. 3717-1-03.2(C)(1)(f)
- Follow the rules for handling ready-to-eat food, including no bare-hand contact. 3717-1-03.2(A)(2)
- Unpackaged food served to a customer is never re-served or re-used. 3717-1-03.2(X)
- Potentially hazardous cold foods that won't be eaten within 24 hours are date-marked. 3717-1-03.4(G)
- "Use by" dates are watched, and food past its date is thrown out. 3717-1-03.4(H)
Equipment sanitation
- Manual warewashing follows the order wash, rinse, sanitize, air dry. 3717-1-04.6(C), 3717-1-04.8(A)
- Dishes are sanitized properly:
- Chlorine: 50 to 100 ppm. 3717-1-04.4(N)(1)
- Quaternary ammonia: as the manufacturer's label directs, typically 150 to 400 ppm. 3717-1-04.4(N)(3)
- Hot water: final rinse at 180°F in a dish machine. 3717-1-04.4(L)
- Prep surfaces are sanitized between raw and ready-to-eat food. 3717-1-04.5(B)(1)(b)
- Cleaning rags are kept submerged in sanitizer buckets. 3717-1-03.2(M)(2)(a)
- Toxic chemicals are stored and used properly. 3717-1-07.1, 3717-1-07.2
Paperwork to keep at the facility
Have these ready for the inspector to review:
- Level 1 food safety certificate (person in charge certification) for the person in charge. 3701-21-25(K)
- Level 2 manager certificate (manager certification in food protection). Required for risk level III and IV operations. 3717-1-02.4(A)(3)
- Signed employee health agreements for all employees, showing each employee was told to report certain illnesses to the person in charge. 3717-1-02.1(A)
- A written vomit clean-up procedure, and the kit to go with it. 3717-1-02.4(C)(18)
Violations that may close a facility
These can lead an inspector to close an operation on the spot:
- Widespread food temperature violations that can't be corrected during the inspection.
- A vermin infestation. 3717-1-06.4(K)
- Sewage backed up in the facility.
- No running hot and cold water.
- Poor sanitation, with no clean preparation surfaces.
No single rule sets off a closure: the inspector weighs several factors together.
The licensor's power to suspend a license for failing to keep sanitary conditions is in ORC 3717.49.
During the inspection
A person in charge must be on site during all hours of operation, and the inspector will always talk with them. This applies to every license type. If no person in charge is present, that is an automatic critical violation, and it can't be corrected on the spot. 3717-1-02.4(A)
Risk level III and IV operations also need at least one supervisor with manager certification in food protection. 3717-1-02.4(A)(3)
The person in charge is expected to show they know food safety as it applies to your operation. 3717-1-02.4(B) Expect questions such as:
- What temperature do you hold cold food at, and how do you check it?
- How do you cool a large batch of soup or rice?
- Which symptoms mean an employee should not work with food?
- What sanitizer do you use, at what strength, and how do you test it?
Walk with the inspector, take notes, and fix what you can on the spot. Many items can be corrected during the visit.
Review and disclaimer
Last reviewed: November 8, 2026. Checked against OAC 3717-1, effective September 5, 2024.
FoodCodeBuddy is not an official government app. It may be incomplete or out of date. Before you rely on a rule, check the official text at codes.ohio.gov.