Checklist template

Dish room sanitation for restaurants

A ready-to-use checklist with 119 items in 6 sections, covering Machine operation, Temperatures and sanitizer, Manual washing, Clean storage, Dish room condition, Records. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 119 Items
  • 97 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 127 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Machine operation 22 items

  1. Type of dish machine inspected Choice
    • High-temperature
    • Chemical sanitizing (low-temperature)
    • Both types on site
  2. The machine's data plate is legible and shows the required temperatures and rinse pressure Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The machine is drained, cleaned and refilled at the frequency set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Scrap trays and filters are in place and free of built-up food Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Wash and rinse arms spin freely Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The jets of the wash and rinse arms are free of debris and scale Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The end caps of the wash and rinse arms are in place Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The curtains of a conveyor machine are in their correct positions and clean Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The interior walls and the heating element are free of lime scale Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The detergent, rinse aid and sanitizer containers are not empty Yes / No 1 pt
  11. The pick-up tube of each chemical reaches into the product Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Racks are loaded so that water reaches every surface, with no overlapping plates Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Cups, glasses and bowls are racked upside down Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Cutlery is presoaked before it is washed Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Dishes are scraped and pre-rinsed before they are racked Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each rack runs a full cycle, and the door is not opened before the cycle ends Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Dishes air-dry on the rack and are never dried with a towel Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The door or hood seals without leaking during the cycle Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The final rinse pressure is within the range on the data plate Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Final rinse pressure (psi or kPa) Number
  21. The operator checks items as they come out and sends soiled ones back through Yes / No 1 pt
  22. Mechanical condition of the dish machine Rating
    • Clean and fully working 5 pts
    • Working with scale, worn or missing parts 3 pts
    • Not washing or rinsing properly 1 pt

2. Temperatures and sanitizer 20 items

  1. The wash temperature is at or above the minimum on the data plate Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Wash temperature (°F or °C) Number
  3. On a high-temperature machine, the final rinse is at or above the data plate minimum, commonly 180°F (82°C) Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Final rinse temperature (°F or °C) Number
  5. On a high-temperature machine, the dish surface reaches 160°F (71°C), checked with a maximum-registering thermometer or a temperature label Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Dish surface temperature measured (°F or °C) Number
  7. A maximum-registering thermometer or temperature labels are kept in the dish room Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The booster heater is switched on and reaches temperature before the first rack of the shift Yes / No 1 pt
  9. On a chemical machine, the sanitizer in the final rinse tests within the range on the product label Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Sanitizer concentration in the final rinse of the chemical machine (ppm) Number
  11. On a chemical machine, the test strip is read on rinse water taken from the dish surface, not from the wash tank Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Test strips for the machine's sanitizer are in the dish room, dry and in date Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The temperature gauges are legible and working Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The gauges are checked against a thermometer at the frequency set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  15. The operator asked could state the temperatures or the sanitizer range the machine must reach Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The operator asked said they would stop washing and tell the manager when a reading is out of range Yes / No 1 pt
  17. When the machine is out of range, dishes are washed in the three-compartment sink until it is repaired Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The sanitizer of the bar glass washer tests within the range on the product label Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Sanitizer concentration at the bar glass washer (ppm) Number
  20. Sanitizing results at the time of the visit Rating
    • Every reading in range 5 pts
    • One reading out of range and corrected during the visit 3 pts
    • Out of range and not corrected 1 pt

3. Manual washing 20 items

  1. The three-compartment sink is set up to wash, rinse and sanitize, in that order Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Signs above the sink name each compartment Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The compartments are cleaned and sanitized before they are filled Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Wash water is at 110°F (43°C) or above, or at the temperature stated on the detergent label Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Wash water temperature (°F or °C) Number
  6. Wash water is changed when it is greasy, cool or without suds Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The rinse compartment holds clean water with no detergent film Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The sanitizer in the third compartment tests within the range on the product label Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Sanitizer concentration in the third compartment (ppm) Number
  10. Items are fully immersed in the sanitizer for the contact time on the product label Yes / No 1 pt
  11. A clock or timer can be seen from the sink Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Items air-dry on the drainboard or a rack and are not rinsed after sanitizing Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Soiled pots waiting to be washed are held on the soiled drainboard or a rack, not on the floor Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The slicer, mixer and can opener blade are taken apart, washed and sanitized at least every 4 hours of use Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Cutting boards and knives go through the machine or the three-compartment sink, not just wiped Yes / No 1 pt
  16. All three compartments have a working drain stopper Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Brushes and scrub pads are clean and not shedding Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The three-compartment sink is not used for thawing food or dumping mop water Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The bar's three-compartment sink is set up with sanitizer during service Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Manual washing procedure observed Rating
    • Every step followed 5 pts
    • Steps followed but sanitizer or time not checked 3 pts
    • Steps skipped 1 pt

4. Clean storage 18 items

  1. Clean dishes are stored on clean shelves at least 6 in (15 cm) off the floor Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Glasses and cups are stored upside down on clean racks or ventilated matting Yes / No 1 pt
  3. No towel or cardboard lines the shelves under clean items Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Stacks of plates are covered or the top plate is turned over Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Cutlery is stored with the handles up Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Pots, pans and inserts are stored upside down Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Clean items are stored out of splash range of the soiled dish table, the hand sink and the mop sink Yes / No 1 pt
  8. No wet-nested pans or inserts were found in 10 stacks checked Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Chipped or cracked plates and glasses found in a sample of 20 Number
  10. Chipped or cracked items found are taken out of service Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Plastic containers and cutting boards are free of deep scoring Yes / No 1 pt
  12. A sample of 10 plates and 10 pieces of cutlery from clean storage showed no food residue, grease or lipstick Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Soiled items found in that sample Number
  14. The employee unloading clean racks washes hands after handling soiled dishes Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Clean dish racks are stored off the floor on dollies or shelves Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Tableware set up at server stations is protected from splash and dust Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Clean storage shelves are on the cleaning schedule and free of dust and grease Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Condition of clean tableware and storage Rating
    • Clean, dry and protected 5 pts
    • Minor lapses 3 pts
    • Soiled or wet-nested items in storage 1 pt

5. Dish room condition 19 items

  1. Soiled dishes arrive on one side and clean dishes leave on the other, without crossing Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The soiled dish table and bus tubs are not overflowing onto the floor or the clean side Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The scrapping station has a lined waste bin that is not overflowing Yes / No 1 pt
  4. The pre-rinse spray hose is in good repair and hangs above the rim of the sink Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The scrap collector basket or the disposal throat is free of built-up food Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The floor is free of standing water Yes / No 1 pt
  7. No water backs up from the floor drains when the machine or the sinks are drained Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Floor mats are clean and lie flat Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Walls and ceiling are free of mold and peeling paint Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The exhaust over the machine is running Yes / No 1 pt
  11. No condensation drips from the hood or ceiling onto clean dishes Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Light fixtures over the dish tables are shielded or fitted with shatter-resistant bulbs Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The floor under the machine and the dish tables is free of food debris Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The drain line of the dish machine discharges through an air gap Yes / No 1 pt
  15. No water leaks from the machine, the pipes or the sinks Yes / No 1 pt
  16. No drain flies or cockroaches were seen around the drains or under the machine Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Wet cloths and soiled linen are placed in a designated container Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Dish racks and bus tubs are themselves clean, without slime or scale Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Cleanliness and repair of the dish room Rating
    • Clean and in good repair 5 pts
    • Needs cleaning or minor repairs 3 pts
    • Dirty or in poor repair 1 pt

6. Records 20 items

  1. A log of dish machine temperatures or sanitizer readings is kept at the machine Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The dish machine log has an entry for each meal period of the last 7 days Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Each entry is initialed by the operator who took the reading Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A sanitizer log is kept for the three-compartment sink Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Out-of-range entries show the corrective action taken Yes / No 1 pt
  6. A manager signs the dish room logs every week Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Missing entries in the dish machine log in the last 7 days Number
  8. The dish room logs are kept for the retention period set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The last service report of the dish machine technician or chemical supplier is on file Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Date of the last service of the dish machine Date
  11. Each deliming of the machine is recorded Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Date of the last deliming Date
  13. No repair request for the dish machine has been open longer than the time set by company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  14. The dish room cleaning schedule was signed off on each of the last 7 days Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A written back-up plan covers a dish machine breakdown (manual washing or single-use tableware) Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each dish machine operator has a training record Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Warewashing findings from the last health department inspection have been corrected Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Name of the manager on duty Short text
  19. Overall dish room sanitation Rating
    • Machine and sink sanitizing in range and clean items stored clean 5 pts
    • Sanitizing in range with lapses in storage, cleaning or logs 3 pts
    • Dishes leaving the dish room without being sanitized 1 pt
  20. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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