Premises, Equipment, and Pest Control
Premises, equipment, and pest control
This domain tests whether a facility is designed, maintained, and monitored to prevent contamination and pest entry. Questions often describe a physical defect and ask for the risk and the correction.
Core rules
- Premises must be clean, in good repair, and protected from contamination. Floors, walls, and ceilings should be smooth, non-absorbent, washable, and free of cracks. Lighting over food should be shielded; ventilation must remove steam, grease, and odours.
- Handwashing stations must be accessible, stocked with liquid soap, paper towels, and hot and cold running water, and used only for handwashing-not for food prep or dumping mop water.
- Equipment and food-contact surfaces must be smooth, non-toxic, corrosion-resistant, and easily cleanable. Install equipment off the floor or sealed to it so debris cannot collect. Keep thermometers calibrated and probes sanitized.
- Pest control is prevention first: seal cracks, use door sweeps and screens, keep doors closed, store food in pest-proof containers, remove garbage frequently, and eliminate standing water. Monitor for droppings, gnaw marks, grease rubs, live or dead pests, and fly specks. Use licensed pest control operators and keep records.
- Waste must be stored in covered, leak-proof containers, removed often, and kept away from food and food-contact surfaces. Outdoor bins need tight lids and a clean pad.
Worked example
A dry-storage room has mouse droppings on a flour bag and gnaw marks on a cereal box. The person in charge should close the area to food use, discard visibly contaminated or chewed food, clean and sanitize shelves and floors, contact a licensed pest control operator, and seal entry points. Traps alone are not a fix; without exclusion and sanitation, the infestation returns. Record the finding and corrective action for the inspector.
Traps
- Pest control is not seasonal; rodents and insects are active year-round.
- Cardboard boxes on the floor invite pests and moisture; transfer to pest-proof containers.
- A mousetrap is not a substitute for sealing entry points.
- Cleaning chemicals stored beside food are a chemical hazard, even in a clean facility.