Emergencies like rabies bites or outbreaks of food-borne illnesses get its attention, too. She's even been to court as a witness in cases involving environmental health matters. West spent Monday of last week reviewing facilities in the county with the state inspector who was formerly responsible for them, she said. Local department staff have been entering information about each of the facilities into computers so files will be available for each. Visits are unannounced, but generally occur at off-peak times during regular operating hours, the specialist said.
Violations result in follow-up visits.
The inspector's interested in practices ranging from hand-washing to maintaining food temperatures, either degrees of heat in cooking or coldness for stored items. On other occasions when West patronizes a facility on her own, she might make a mental note about a possible violation she's observed, then check it at the next inspection, she said. Wisconsin requires restaurant managers to learn state health codes while training for their licenses and pass a related exam. The state's Department of Health and Family Services is expected to adopt a uniform code package next year, she said. The Sparta native was originally schooled in veterinary technology at Waseca, Minn., and worked at a veterinary clinic in Eau Claire.