OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — The Alameda County Health Department is facing a shortage of restaurant health inspectors, and it is having an impact on workers at some fast-food restaurants. This discovery comes after KRON4 reported on the rat infestation at the McDonald’s in Oakland, where the health department ended up shutting them down.
Health inspectors are assigned to certain areas and restaurants to keep track of and deal with everything from routine inspections and following up on complaints.
When KRON4 asked the Alameda County Health Department for certain health inspection reports, they said that some restaurants may not have a recent report because they do not have an assigned inspector due lack of staffing. Meaning some restaurants are not receiving timely inspections.
Some fast-food workers over the last few weeks have been striking calling for better working conditions. One of them includes the El Pollo Loco off of International Boulevard in Oakland. Here, workers have filed a complaint to CAL/OSHA claiming they have nearly been electrocuted due to flooding in the kitchen.
“They reported to their employers that the drains leaking the floor is very slippery, grease everywhere and at one point the grill caught on fire,” said Maria Maldonado, California Fast Food Workers Union statewide director.
The California Fast Food Workers Union said the workers decided to strike for three days last week looking for improvements.
We reached out to the Alameda County Health Department, which shared that currently there was not an assigned inspector for this restaurant. And it had been over a year since its last inspection.
On Monday, that changed after KRON4’s reporting, and health inspectors conducted an inspection. The restaurant passed but received five violations including uncleaned food and non-food surfaces, cleaning supplies not properly stored and bathrooms in need of a working doors.
“It’s a difficult spot for the county and agency if they don’t have enough people but I think the responsibility is still on the employer because they should run their stores at the standard that’s required. There is no excuse,” Maldonado said.
KRON4 asked the Health Department how many inspectors are needed to reach full capacity and what areas are currently without these inspectors.
“Restaurant inspector staffing shortages are a challenge for many jurisdictions across the state. Our Environmental Health Department is working to expedite filling vacant inspector positions. Public health and food safety remain top priorities,” the Health Department said in a statement.
KRON4 contacted the El Pollo Loco for comment and received the following statement in response:
“After our investigation, corrective actions have been implemented at the franchisee restaurant location to ensure compliance with Alameda County Health Department regulations. El Pollo Loco remains steadfast in our commitment to the safety and well-being of our team members and customers at all locations.”
