What It's Like To Be... with Dan Heath A Health Inspector
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Feb 24, 2026 Justin Dwyer, a Peoria health inspector with 10+ years hunting food-safety hazards. He tells stories of being locked out, shutting down unsafe kitchens, and tracing foodborne illness outbreaks. Short, vivid scenes cover dodgy dishwashers, staged fixes, handwashing myths, and the detective work behind an outbreak of cooled pulled pork.
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Locked Out Then Sneaky Entry Worked
- Some establishments refuse entry; Justin once arrived to find staff had locked the door and hidden, so he left and later changed tactics.
- He now parks out of sight and darts through the front door to avoid being blocked.
Inspect Dynamic Work Areas First
- Ask open-ended questions and observe dynamic work areas first to get truthful, current food-safety practices.
- Justin prioritizes the cook line, takes temperatures, checks sanitizer concentration, and talks to staff rather than starting in dry storage.
Embargo Broken Equipment Immediately
- Shut down or embargo malfunctioning equipment immediately to prevent contaminated service.
- Justin tags broken dishmachines and won't release them until repaired and verified working by him.
