The inspectors' job isn't a punitive one, according to Dewayne Tanner, environmental health county manager. Unlike school exams, which weed out who's best at a task, Chatham's health inspectors aren't really trying to distinguish differences. They want every restaurant to average the same perfect 100. Georgia law mandates that restaurants are inspected twice a year. Chatham County strives to double the frequency and inspect every three months.
Inspections are unannounced, though once the inspector arrives the employees know it.
Restaurants that do poorly get to know their inspector very well. A score in the 80s or below is a guarantee the inspector will pay a follow-up visit pronto. When warnings aren't heeded, the inspector can call an informal hearing that brings a restaurant manager into the health department to speak to Tanner. Inspectors also have the authority to suspend a restaurant's license on the spot, though they rarely do so. No licenses were suspended in the last year.