news // no. 4

theotherpress.ca

Douglas food services deemed ‘low-risk’

» Faulty fridge frustrates food service operator

Atiba Nelson
Staff Reporter

 

Ithough there are many dining

establishments close to both the New
Westminster and Coquitlam campuses,
to students on campus and ina rush, the
campus cafeterias are usually the only game
in town.

Each campus is outfitted with a
cafeteria offering a variety of hot and cold
items, as well as Tim Hortons kiosks.

Annually, Douglas’ food services
undergo inspections as per the Food Safety
Act of BC. Typically, the health authority
in charge of regulating food services
within their jurisdiction schedules food
inspections at random times—without
warning to the operators. Every food
service establishment in a region that
can be accessed by the public must be
inspected.

In September, Health inspectors
descended on Campus Deli and Tim
Hortons on the New Westminster Douglas
College campus for their annual inspection.

The health inspector did not identify
any critical or non-critical hazards—a list
of which can be found within The Food
Safety Act—in their examination of the
New Westminster campus Tim Hortons,
and assigned a risk score of zero, deeming
the service low risk.

The campus deli’s inspection was not

as fortunate.

During the September surprise visit,
the inspection report (DSEA-BG3SZU)
noted two critical and one non-critical
hazards. The critical hazards—which are
acts that can potential harm customers
by helping to propagate food-borne
illness—included “Adequate handwashing
stations not available for employees” due
to dead batteries in a soap dispenser, and

  

Photo by Billy Bui

“Cold potentially hazardous food stored/
displayed above 4 °C.” This was because of
a faulty two-door pizza prep cooler stored
products that needed refrigeration above
four degrees.

The cold storage issue led to the
Campus Deli throwing out food items and
taking precautionary measures— including
icing potentially hazardous food items—
until the cooler could be repaired, which

the health inspector mandated must occur
within 48 hours.

The malfunctioning pizza cooler was
the source of 8 of the 13 points scored by
Campus Deli as the consequences of using
non-refrigerated food items is severe.

Despite the warm cold storage unit,
Campus Deli was deemed low risk, as their
point total missed a ‘moderate’ risk score
by three points.

The health inspector noted that the
next inspection should occur within the
next six months.

Details of past food inspections
and the food inspection reports for food
retailers servicing both Douglas College
campuses can be found at the “food safety”
webpage of Fraser Health Authority.

How public health inspections work
Health inspectors, officially called
Environmental Health Officers (EHOs),
present to a food service operations

and examine the premises for health
violations, as outlined by the Food Safety
Act. Generally, the officers scrutinize the
premises for large food safety violation,
such as rodents, pest, and improper food
storage processes; however, EHOs also
ensure the food service establishment
has employees trained in food safety
courses and can provide consultation and
education to food operators.

Shake off earthquake anxiety with the
Great BC ShakeOut

» Event highlights the importance of
earthquake safety and procedure

Jessica Berget
Editor-in-Chief

 

o you know what to do when the “Big

One” hits?

On October 17, at 10:17 am, both
Douglas College campuses held an
earthquake drill known as the Great British
Columbia ShakeOut. The event is province-
wide and is used to educate participants
on safety and procedures in the case of
earthquakes.

The ShakeOut BC website states that
BC is at a higher risk for earthquakes in
comparison to the rest of Canada. It goes
on to say that over 3,000 earthquakes occur
in BC every year, most of them being too
small for anyone to feel impact of. The
website also cautions that there is a risk of a
big earthquake that could cause significant
damage in the future. ShakeOut BC states
that there were almost 570,000 participants
in the event in our area of Southwest
BC—Metro Vancouver accounting for over
504,000 of those who partook.

The drill encouraged the college
community to carry out an earthquake drill
known as “Drop, cover, hold on” to inform
people how to protect themselves in the
potential event of an earthquake.

According to the Facebook page, the
event is held to better prepare students and
staff, and to review and update emergency
preparedness plans and supplies. It is also
used as a reminder for the community

to sign up and receive DC alerts—an
emergency communication system that
sends notifications to your phone or email
in the case of an emergency on campus that
could impede safety.

The emergencies DC Alerts notifies
subscribers of are things like snow closures,
bomb threats, power outages, or any other
safety or security concerns. Students can
subscribe to these alerts through their
Douglas College accounts under their
Emergency Notification Information.

Natural Resources Canada’s website
states that the Pacific Coast is the most
earthquake prone region in all of Canada—
Manitoba and Saskatchewan being the
least prone. Earthquakes are caused by
tectonic plates slipping past or underneath
each other which releases stress, causing
the ground above to move and shake, ergo
an earthquake.

City of Vancouver says some of the
largest earthquakes in the world have been
in BC. It also says the city is at high-risk of
having another one in the future.

Ina Douglas College blog post, Nancy
Constable, Director of Safety, Security,
and Risk Management emphasized the
importance of earthquake drills in the
Lower Mainland. “Seismic experts tell us
that we can expect a major destructive
earthquake in BC,” she said. “We don't
know when it might hit. This drill is about
practicing how to protect ourselves when
it does.”

HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF DURING AN EARTHQUAKE

Cover
YOUR HEAD AND NECK

YOUR HAND AND KNEES

-_
INSIDE

STAY WAY FROM FURNITURE,
WINDOWS AND LAMPS

45 CALM 45 POSSIBLE

IF YEH AGE 181A CRSA DEE
PLACE PROTECT TOUR HEAD
WHITE YOUR ARMS Of TAKE
COVER UNDER SEATS AND TABLES

IF ¥OU USE A WHEELCHAIR,
PUT THE BRAKES OM
IN A SAFE PLACE AND PROTECT
YOUR HEAD WHITE
FOUR ARMS

TO YOUR SHELTER

=|

OUTSIDE >

STAT AWAY FROM BUILDOHG, WALLS
AND POWER POLES

IF YOU ARE DRMING
STOP IN A SAFE PLAGE,
TURN OA THE HAZARD LIGHT
AND STAY INSIDE THE VEMICLE