TOWSON, MD—County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Tuesday released a new data dashboard displaying information regarding recent Baltimore County Department of Health food facility inspections.

This new dashboard expands the Olszewski administration’s unprecedented efforts to provide more information to the public and increase government transparency.

“Every resident deserves the ability to access critical information about their communities and this new tool is yet another way we are making information available,” Olszewski said. “Thanks to our BCSTAT data team, as well as the Baltimore County Department of Health, for creating this new tool that expands our administration’s work to provide more accessible and open government.”

“Our Environmental Health Services unit provides licensing, oversight and monitoring to more that 3,500 food service facilities across Baltimore County,” said Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch, Baltimore County Health Officer and Director of Health and Human Services. “Working in conjunction with these facilities helps to ensure the safety and well-being of their customers and their employees.”

The Food Establishment Closure Dashboard displays establishments that have experienced closure due to a critical violation discovered during an inspection that could not be corrected immediately.

Public data such as the establishment name, date of closure(s), reason for closure(s), and reopen date(s) will be available by selecting an establishment from the map or list.

Restaurants that have experienced recent closures are differentiated by color.

The list of critical violations that would result in closure includes:

• Food items obtained from an unapproved source or using an unapproved process
• Spoilage and/or contamination of food
• Pest infestation
• Employee(s) working while ill
• Not properly washing hands
• Not cooling products properly or not approved to cool products
• Cold foods held at improper temperatures and/or insufficient refrigeration
• Hot foods held at improper temperatures and/or insufficient hot holding equipment
• Food(s) not cooked to proper temperature(s)
• Food(s) not reheated to proper temperature(s) or not approved to reheat products
• Unapproved water supply or positive bacteriological result
• Insufficient hot and cold running water
• Sewage backup or overflow

Data will be displayed for one year on a rolling basis. Restaurants with no health-related closure events during this time will not be shown.

The Food Establishment Closure dashboard is expected to be updated daily.