Free printable resource

Monthly Self-Inspection Checklist

Once a month, walk your kitchen the way I used to: same route, same questions, about 30 minutes. Start at the back door and end at the restrooms. Check off what passes. Whatever you can't check off is your fix list for the week, and it's built from the violations SNHD actually cites most, not a generic national list.

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Date:    Completed by:

Receiving

• Cold deliveries probed on arrival: TCS food at 41°F or below before it's accepted.
• Packaging intact: no torn bags, leaking cases, or dented, swollen, or rusted cans.
• Deliveries moved to storage right away, never left on the dock or the floor.
• Invoices checked and dated so date marking starts on day one.

Cold storage

• Every cooler and walk-in holding 41°F or below, checked with a probe in product, not just the door gauge.
• A working thermometer visible in every unit.
• Raw meat, poultry, and seafood stored below and away from ready-to-eat food.
• All TCS food date-marked; nothing past its 7-day mark.
• First in, first out: oldest product at the front, nothing hiding in the back.
• Everything at least 6 inches off the floor; door gaskets clean and sealing.

Prep

• Hands washed at every task switch and glove change, and gloves changed whenever the task does.
• Thawing under refrigeration or cold running water, never on the counter.
• Separate cutting boards and utensils for raw proteins and ready-to-eat food.
• Sanitizer bucket fresh, cloths stored in it, and test strips confirming label strength.
• If you use time as a public health control, the written procedure and time marks are actually being filled in.
• Whoever is prepping can say which menu items contain major allergens.

Cook line

• Cold table pans probed at 41°F or below, product, not air.
• Hot holding at 135°F or above; nothing riding the line at room temperature.
• Final cook temperatures checked with a clean, calibrated probe.
• In-use utensils stored in the product with the handle out, on a clean surface, or in hot running water, and swapped on a schedule.
• Wiping cloths in sanitizer between uses, not on the cutting board.

Warewashing

• Dish machine sanitizing on every cycle, verified with a test strip or temperature check today.
• Three-compartment sink set up in order: wash, rinse, sanitize, with sanitizer at label strength.
• Dishes air-dried, never towel-dried.
• Clean dishes stored dry, covered or inverted, on clean shelving.

Handwash stations

• Every handsink stocked: soap, paper towels, hot water.
• Nothing stored in or blocking any handsink. It washes hands, nothing else.
• Crew actually using them: watch the line for five minutes and count.

Dry and chemical storage

• All chemicals labeled and stored below and away from food, utensils, and single-use items.
• Dry goods sealed, labeled, and at least 6 inches off the floor.
• Employee food, drinks, and personal items in a designated spot away from the line.

Restrooms and back door

• Restrooms clean and stocked, with soap, paper towels, and a self-closing door.
• Back door tight and screened or closed: no daylight gaps, because gaps mean pests, and pests can close a kitchen at any score.
• Dumpster lids closed and the area around them clean.
• Mop water dumped in the mop sink, mops hung to dry.

Free educational tool from Vinh Food Safety Solutions (vinhfoodsafety.com). This is not an official Southern Nevada Health District document, it doesn't replace an SNHD inspection, and no checklist can guarantee a grade. Built around the SNHD 2023 Food Regulations and the violations cited most in SNHD's 2021 Restaurant Risk Factor Study.