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Welcome to the Public Health Inspection Division
The mission of the Public Health Division is to protect the health of consumers in Denver by ensuring that food service establishments, swimming pools, child care facilities, residential health and housing, emergency vehicles, body art establishments, personal care boarding homes, boarding homes and residential facilities are in compliance with the respective laws while providing public education to consumers and technical assistance to businesses.
As part of the Department of Environmental Health we are committed to directing our efforts toward resolving situations posing the greatest risk to the public health. We seek to render a high level of customer responsiveness and engage in an aggressive industry partnership and training effort in addition to regular inspections and assessments. Please browse our web site for extensive information on our programs.
We've Moved! (September 25-28, 2009)
Department of Environmental Health, including Public Health Inspections Division, is moving. We have relocated to 200 W. 14th Avenue, 2nd Floor, which is on the southwest corner between the City and County Building and the Denver Art Museum.
All business with the division will be conducted at the new location; this includes menu reviews for special events.
If you have questions about our move or receiving services during the move dates, you may contact us through the call center at 311 or 720-913-1311 or email the agency at phicomments@ci.denver.co.us.
New Technology Takes Us Green In Spring '09
The Retail Food Inspection Program, which regulates restaurants and other retail food establishments in Denver, will be acquiring and implementing some exciting new technology to assist with conducting inspections in the coming months.
In 2008, Seed Capital Fund Program dollars administered by the Environmental Quality Division of the Denver Department of Environmental Health were awarded to the Public Health Inspection Division’s Retail Food Inspection Program. With this grant money, the program has purchased handheld electronic devices for use in conducting regulatory inspections and generating inspection reports.
Starting in early spring, inspection reports will be provided to operators in electronic form via email, although a hard copy will be printed out and left at the facility upon request. The use of this technology will dramatically reduce the large quantity of paperwork generated by the program. In 2008, the program generated in excess of 15,000 sheets of paperwork which will now be recorded and stored in electronic format!
Reducing the amount of paperwork isn’t just good for our environment—it will also reduce the time it takes staff to write reports and it will eliminate the administrative time that has been required to scan and file hard copy inspection reports. The extra time that is freed up will be used to improve the services provided to customers, including increasing training opportunities for inspected facilities, improving the regulation of mobile food vendors and food peddlers, and providing more complete information to licensees relating to deficiencies identified during inspections and how to correct them.
While integrating the new technology, the Retail Food Inspection Program is developing a more user-friendly inspection report that will be easier for operators and the public to read. If you are a retail food licensee, you may notice changes in the next inspection report you get… and you may be looking at it on your computer instead of in hard copy format! The Public Health Inspection Division is excited about the upcoming changes and is exploring how the efficiencies created can translate to better service for our customers. Questions or comments? Please send them to phicomments@ci.denver.co.us.
New National Swimming Pool Drain Requirement
Beginning December 19, 2008, all swimming pools are required to meet the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act.
The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007 established U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission standards for pool and spa safety, including suction drain safety requirements.
The federal law requires the installation of drain covers meeting the ASME/ANSI A112.19.8-2007 Standard or drains too large to be blocked by a human body, including large-aspect covers 18-inches by 23-inches or larger and channel drains 3-inches by 31-inches or larger, or systems that prevent the entrapment of a swimmer.
The act allows for modifications to the drain covers or systems designed to prevent entrapment. The best information on the types of drains and systems comes from the consumer product safety council staff interpretation. http://www.cpsc.gov/phth/vgpsa.pdf.
Denver Department of Environmental Health will be verifying that the modifications are in place either by December 19, 2008 or in regards to outdoor pools, when the pool opens for the 2009 season. Please keep records, receipts, etc to help us verify that your pool is in compliance.
To discuss this issue with a swimming pool inspector dial 311 or 720-913-1311.
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