Guidance Document for Assessing Emergency Operation Plans for

Guidance Document for Assessing

Emergency Operation Plans for Food Service Establishments

The Georgia Food Service Rules and Regulations, Chapter 511-6-1 has a provision that allows food

service establishments (FSE) to remain open for up to two hours when there is an interruption to

water service, electrical service or natural gas without an Emergency Operation Plan

(EOP), provided minimum requirements can be met to ensure food safety during that time. (Refer

to the Water Interruption Guidance Document for more information.)

For a food service establishment to remain open beyond two hours in the event of an emergency,

there must be an EOP, approved by the local health authority or department before the event

occurs.

An EOP must provide specific guidelines that the food service establishment will follow and detailed

information as to how all aspects of the guidelines will be met. This document contains information

on what elements should be addressed, at a minimum, within the EOP. Each food service

establishment is unique in its operation; therefore, there is no “one size fits all” template that can

be used for an EOP.

ELEMENTS TO CONSIDER:

 Does the plan specify a length of time the FSE will be able to operate? For example: XYZ restaurant has

enough bottled water to continue operations for up to one week on a limited menu. After one week, XYZ will

close. OR ABC restaurant has a generator that can run all electrical equipment. ABC restaurant will continue

normal operations unless there is no gasoline available in the area to operate the generator.

 Does the plan specify the type of emergency it is prepared to handle? Water interruptions only?

Electrical? Natural Gas?

 Does the plan include a specific menu of items it will serve during the time the plan is operational? For

example, will vegetables that require washing be taken off the menu to conserve water? Will only

prepackaged items be served? For example: a restaurant that primarily serves sandwiches, salads and

fresh vegetables will only use pre-washed, pre-bagged vegetables during the water interruption event. OR

The menu will be limited to items on the regular menu such as sandwiches with no lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

 Does the FSE have the capability to boil water on-site? For example: A pizza restaurant that has only pizza

baking ovens has an electric burner and several large pots that it will use to boil water. OR A restaurant with

an electric stove has a propane “fish cooker” that it will use to boil water if the electricity is out and a boil

water advisory is in effect after a storm.

 Is the FSE planning to have commercial water and/or ice delivered or is the FSE stockpiling water

ahead of time? If commercially bottled water is proposed, is there a pre-existing contract in place for

the water to be delivered? A large-scale water outage will cause bottled water from nearby stores to

be limited due to the high-demand of others in the area. If water is being stockpiled at the FSE, is there

enough storage space for the water, and what are the plans for replacing the used water? Will water

be delivered at that time, or will the FSE attempt to go purchase water from a nearby store? What

measures are in place if the local stores are out of water because of high-demand?

 Will the FSE use disposable plates, utensils, cups, etc. in a water interruption event? For example, a boil

water advisory is in effect and the dish machine CANNOT be used. The FSE does not have the capability to

boil enough water to use in the 3-compartment sink to wash all the pots and pans, utensils and dishes, so

customers will use single-service items. OR A do not drink/do not use advisory is in effect and there is not

enough potable water for the 3-compartment sink, so customers will be given their food in “to-go”

containers.

 If a water outage occurs and will last longer than two hours, and the toilets do not have a tank such that

water can be added for flushing, does the FSE have a contract in place for portable toilets to be

delivered? During a long-term water outage, portable toilets may be in high demand. If the restaurant is

unable to get the toilets delivered until a day or two later, the restaurant will be required to close if toilets

are not functional.

 If portable toilets are proposed, will they be for employee and customer use? If so, what type of

handwashing provisions will be in place for customers? For example, the FSE has a pre-existing contract

for X number of portable toilets to be delivered along with X number of portable handwashing stations. The

restaurant will supply warm water at least 100°F to handwashing stations set up in the back of the parking

lot. OR Portable toilets will be used by employees only, and customers will only be able to get food “to-go.”

Handwashing stations will be delivered with the portable toilets and warm water will be supplied at 100°F in

the portable stations in the parking lot for employees’ use only.

 Does the FSE have the capability to set up temporary handwashing provisions inside the restaurant for

employee use? For example, a clean and sanitized tea urn will be set up on or immediately adjacent to an

existing handwashing sink so that employees can continue to wash their hands in a way that the water from

the tea urn will drain into the existing handwashing sink. The tea urn will be filled and maintained with

warm water at least 100°F.

 If the FSE’s plan includes continuity of operations during an electrical outage, what measures will be

taken for food that requires cold-holding? For example, if power goes out, temperatures of all TCS foods in

cold-holding units will be taken to ensure they are at 41°F or below. Temperatures will be monitored every

hour. Once cold TCS food temperatures rise above 41°F, the foods will be used within four hours. Any foods

that remain after four hours will be discarded. (A copy of the temperature log that will be used as the means

for monitoring temperatures is required to be submitted as part of the plan.) OR A food service

establishment will use large, hard plastic coolers to hold cold food with ice purchased from an approved

source. Unpackaged food will be stored in such a manner so that it is not in direct contact with undrained

ice.

 If the FSE’s plan includes continuity of operations during an electrical outage, do they plan to use a

generator? If so, how many electrical items can be supported by the generator and for how long? [Some

infrared toilets rely on electricity to flush] For example, the generator that is being proposed has been

verified through evaluation of the specification sheets that it can support a walk-in cooler, walk-in freezer,

all reach-in coolers, lights and the water heater, etc. OR The generator will only be used to run a reach-in

cooler, lights and grill. The restaurant will continue to power the specific electrical items for X number of

hours (or days.) [*NOTE: Gasoline supply in the area may be limited if power is out in a large area therefore

affecting how long an establishment can run on a generator.]

 If the FSE plans to receive food from another location owned by the same permit holder, how will the

food be transported and held once it is received at the location experiencing the water, electrical or

natural gas interruption? (TPHC is not allowed for transporting food – food must be transported under

proper temperatures.) For example, there are 5 restaurants by the same name with the same owner within

a 20-mile radius. Two of the restaurants are affected by electrical outages and lose power to the cold hold

units. The two affected units will receive enough cold food for one meal period from the other stores. The

food will be loaded into containers that are able to maintain temperatures at 41°F or below. When the food

is loaded into the containers, temperatures will be taken before they leave the store. Employees on the

receiving end will temp the food items to ensure they arrive at 41°F or below and keep the food in the

containers until needed. Temperature checks will be performed every hour to ensure the food does not rise

above 41°F. If the food does rise above 41°F, it will be consumed within four hours or discarded, and

employees will continue to monitor the temperature throughout the four-hour period.

 If the FSE plans to operate using single-service items and will serve customers on-site in the dining area,

does the FSE have arrangements with the sanitation company to make more frequent visits to empty the

dumpsters if the emergency is an extended event?

 Does the plan include the person responsible for ensuring all aspects of the operation are being followed

and a means to verify any corrective action taken during the event? For example: “During the operational

period under the EOP, each shift manager will ensure that employees are trained and following this plan by

conducting a pre-shift meeting and observing employee behavior throughout the shift. Any aspects of the

plan found not in compliance, will be addressed immediately by retraining the employees, taking corrective

action, and documenting the incidents in the shift manager’s log. Temperatures will be recorded on the logs

included in the plan as required.”

 Does the plan specify the conditions for when the FSE will close if the plan cannot be followed? For

example: “Restaurant XYZ will close if portable sanitation units cannot be delivered on time.” OR

“Restaurant ABC has enough potable water stored on the premises to last for three days. If water is unable

to be delivered per our contract with Water Springs water company, then we will close.”

 Does the plan include information as to who will inform the health authority that the restaurant will

begin operations under the approved EOP? For example, “The PIC on the premises at the time of the event

will notify the health department that the plan is being implemented.”

 Does the plan include information as to how the restaurant will resume normal operations once the

event is over? This would include specific information about flushing, cleaning and sanitizing ice

machines, contacting soda companies to service the dispensing machines, etc.

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER:

✓ When reviewing these plans, there is not a “One Size Fits All.”

✓ Keep in mind the operational capacity of the food service establishment and consider whether what is

proposed in the plan is reasonable.

✓ A current copy of the plan must be kept in the establishment’s file, preferably attached to the facility record

in DHD.

For more information:

The Conference for Food Protection has a resource available to help guide the development of an

EOP: http://www.foodprotect.org/guides-documents/emergency-action-plan-for-retail-food-

establishment/

Revised 10-31-2018