Assessing Active Managerial Control: Factors Influencing How EHS Mark Supervision Compliance Status
Abstract
Active managerial control (AMC), under the direction of the person-in-charge (PIC), takes a preventive approach to managing risk factors during day-to-day retail food service operations. While conducting routine inspections, environmental health specialists (EHS) are responsible for determining if the operator is practicing AMC by evaluating the systems that the PIC has put into practice regarding the oversight and routine monitoring of risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributing factors influencing how EHS assess AMC and mark supervision compliance status when risk factor violations were observed. To determine the contributing factors, this study used the review of routine retail food service inspections, along with surveys distributed to environmental health personnel throughout Georgia. The study found that EHS held differing views regarding AMC assessment, which resulted in varying interpretations for pattern of noncompliance and obvious failure of the PIC to ensure risk factor compliance. The varying interpretations ultimately led to uncertainty among EHS attributing to the underassessment of AMC. As a result of the findings the following recommendations were made in order to increase consistency and standardization among EHS; amendment of Georgia’s marking guide instructions to include definitions for pattern of noncompliance and obvious failure of the PIC to ensure compliance, creation of supplemental job aids explaining the proper assessment of AMC, evaluation of current training methods for effectiveness, and inclusion of an evaluation of AMC assessment as a part of district uniform inspection audits.
Key words: active managerial control, risk factor, person-in-charge, compliance, environmental health specialist, food safety
Keywords
Key words: active managerial control, risk factor, person-in-charge, compliance, environmental health specialist, food safety
Assessing Active Managerial Control: Factors Influencing How EHS Mark Supervision Compliance Status
Active managerial control (AMC), under the direction of the person-in-charge (PIC), takes a preventive approach to managing risk factors during day-to-day retail food service operations. While conducting routine inspections, environmental health specialists (EHS) are responsible for determining if the operator is practicing AMC by evaluating the systems that the PIC has put into practice regarding the oversight and routine monitoring of risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributing factors influencing how EHS assess AMC and mark supervision compliance status when risk factor violations were observed. To determine the contributing factors, this study used the review of routine retail food service inspections, along with surveys distributed to environmental health personnel throughout Georgia. The study found that EHS held differing views regarding AMC assessment, which resulted in varying interpretations for pattern of noncompliance and obvious failure of the PIC to ensure risk factor compliance. The varying interpretations ultimately led to uncertainty among EHS attributing to the underassessment of AMC. As a result of the findings the following recommendations were made in order to increase consistency and standardization among EHS; amendment of Georgia’s marking guide instructions to include definitions for pattern of noncompliance and obvious failure of the PIC to ensure compliance, creation of supplemental job aids explaining the proper assessment of AMC, evaluation of current training methods for effectiveness, and inclusion of an evaluation of AMC assessment as a part of district uniform inspection audits.
Key words: active managerial control, risk factor, person-in-charge, compliance, environmental health specialist, food safety
