Milan, Illinois -
The Rock Island County Health Department reviewed its health inspection procedures with the media Friday afternoon. They released reports for the Milan McDonald's since the beginning of the year. Those reports revealed a pattern of violations.
Rock Island County Health inspectors typically go to restaurants like a McDonalds once or twice a year. That's all that is required by law. But the Milan McDonald's because of violations last year was told in February they would be visited as many as four times this year.
The Milan McDonald's was shut down last Wednesday after the Rock Island County Health department realized an employee was working while sick with Hepatitis A and exposing customers to the disease. (Possibly 10,000 people were exposed.) When a violation occurs it's the inspectors job to find out why.
Paul Guse the Direcor of Environmental Health says, "That's where you try to dig into it normally not digging in to this point of an investigation of this nature but its, where is the failure?"
And there had been violations in the past. So much so, that Guse sent a letter to the owner in February saying, "We have identified your establishment as being below desired compliance levels and posing an increased risk for a foodborne illness outbreak." Did the health department see this outbreak coming? Guse says, "No."
"We see this now, but as I told you this could happen at any place."
But inspection records show there were critical violations in hand washing and communicating with inspectors. When inspectors went back in a surprise visit in April things had improved.
"We have no critical items that were shown to be present during this inspection."
They scored an 89 out of a possible 100 much better than their average in 2008 below 80. But with an outbreak of this magnitude three months later--could inspectors have done more?
"So, I think you are playing Monday morning quarterback you should have been really concerned. We weren't totally satisfied but we felt they were making progress as they indicated they would."
Health inspectors consider an employee not hand washing a critical violation. Hepatitis A's transmission is fecal oral, in other words, if an infected person goes to the bathroom, doesn't wash their hands, then prepares food later eaten by someone else.
Guse says inspectors would shut down a restaurant after a routine inspection if its score was below 60. That was never the case here. The restaurant was shut down last Wednesday because of the outbreak and the Illinois Health Department recommended all surfaces be cleaned. And before it opened on Saturday health inspectors went back in.
Mcdonald's owner Kevin Murphy says he did not know of the outbreak until Monday the 13th and was not told the names of the infected employees until Wednesday, July 15th after his restaurant was closed.
Rock Island County Health inspectors typically go to restaurants like a McDonalds once or twice a year. That's all that is required by law. But the Milan McDonald's because of violations last year was told in February they would be visited as many as four times this year.
The Milan McDonald's was shut down last Wednesday after the Rock Island County Health department realized an employee was working while sick with Hepatitis A and exposing customers to the disease. (Possibly 10,000 people were exposed.) When a violation occurs it's the inspectors job to find out why.
Paul Guse the Direcor of Environmental Health says, "That's where you try to dig into it normally not digging in to this point of an investigation of this nature but its, where is the failure?"
And there had been violations in the past. So much so, that Guse sent a letter to the owner in February saying, "We have identified your establishment as being below desired compliance levels and posing an increased risk for a foodborne illness outbreak." Did the health department see this outbreak coming? Guse says, "No."
"We see this now, but as I told you this could happen at any place."
But inspection records show there were critical violations in hand washing and communicating with inspectors. When inspectors went back in a surprise visit in April things had improved.
"We have no critical items that were shown to be present during this inspection."
They scored an 89 out of a possible 100 much better than their average in 2008 below 80. But with an outbreak of this magnitude three months later--could inspectors have done more?
"So, I think you are playing Monday morning quarterback you should have been really concerned. We weren't totally satisfied but we felt they were making progress as they indicated they would."
Health inspectors consider an employee not hand washing a critical violation. Hepatitis A's transmission is fecal oral, in other words, if an infected person goes to the bathroom, doesn't wash their hands, then prepares food later eaten by someone else.
Guse says inspectors would shut down a restaurant after a routine inspection if its score was below 60. That was never the case here. The restaurant was shut down last Wednesday because of the outbreak and the Illinois Health Department recommended all surfaces be cleaned. And before it opened on Saturday health inspectors went back in.
Mcdonald's owner Kevin Murphy says he did not know of the outbreak until Monday the 13th and was not told the names of the infected employees until Wednesday, July 15th after his restaurant was closed.
