CANADA: More health inspection results coming to a computer near you

09.apr.08
The Vancouver Courier
Naoibh O'Connor

Six years after Vancouver Coastal Health started posting restaurant inspection results online, it's gearing up to add inspections of licensed residential care facilities for seniors and swimming pools to the website.
The goal is to eventually add day care inspection results, but the other information could be available for public viewing as soon as mid- to late-April. Nick Losito, Vancouver Coastal Health's regional director of health protection, was cited as saying some logistical details are being worked out, adding, "Obviously, with day care and residential care there are some further freedom of information--or actually more protection of privacy issues that we need to address."
Postings for senior homes would include basic information about the facilities and the types of issues uncovered during the last three inspections. Units, room numbers or client names won't be listed to protect privacy. Losito believes the public is interested in accessing such facts, citing the Ontario Ministry of Health website, which shows online reports of long-term care facilities. "The fact that these [sites] are out there and in use in other jurisdictions creates a demand from the public and from folks who are wanting to place family members in care," he said.
Coastal Health has always meant to add swimming pool inspection results to the website. A summary of concerns, what was done to rectify problems and if any further action was taken, would be included.
In 2006, Montreal's mayor shut down 48 of that city's public swimming pools following a media investigation into swimming pool sanitation. Some pools were found with high levels of fecal matter, urine, E. Coli, C. difficile, legionella, hepatitis A and giardia, the last of which may cause nausea, diarrhea, respiratory problems and skin and eye infections.
In Vancouver, public pools and hot tubs are randomly tested a couple times a year to ensure they meet provincial standards. Losito said a recent review of two years of Vancouver swimming pool inspection statistics revealed few significant problems.
The story also notes that in the future, results from drinking water systems inspections may be added to the website, along with reports about beauty parlours, barber shops and other personal care facilities such a tattoo parlours. But Losito suspects the most interest will still be with the restaurant site.
That site allows users to look up specific restaurants and see the dates and results of restaurant health inspections. It was designed to get information out to the public in a timely manner and was developed with input from the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association. The first inspections appeared in 2002.
Losito said it was launched after a few sensational stories about dirty restaurants appeared in the media, and other cities such as Toronto were developing ways to inform patrons about cleanliness issues. Coastal Health sat down with the B.C Restaurant and Food Services Association to create its plan.