Environmental Health

As of March 1, 2010 OAC 3701-21-25(K) requires that all new food service operations have at least one person per shift that has obtained person in charge certification or higher. OAC 901:3-4-16(C) requires ALL retail food establishments, except micro markets, have at least one person per shift that is person in charge certified training no matter when they opened. The following courses have been approved by the Ohio Department of Health for Level 1 Certification in Food Protection:

Person in Charge Requirements

Providers of Person In Charge (PIC) Certification in Food Protection:

Summit County Public Health - Food Safety Basics
1st Choice Food Safety Training, LLC
FND Consulting Services
State Food Safety
TrainingNow.com
ServSafe
- ServSafe Person in Charge - OHIO reviews seven areas of basic foodservice safety for team leads and hourly employees. If the Manager trained employee isn’t present during operation hours, then the individual overseeing the facility must be PIC trained.
- ServSafe Food Handler training is still offered in Ohio, but is considered voluntary covering five areas of basic food safety for non-managerial staff as it no longer meets the PIC requirement as of April 2020

Manager Certification in Food Protection/Level 2 Certification in Food Protection

Effective March 1, 2017, at least one employee per risk level III or IV facility with supervisory and management responsibility and the authority to direct and control food preparation and service shall obtain the level 2 certification (at least 15 verified contact hours) in food protection according to rule 3701-21-25 of the Administrative Code. *A certificate must be obtained from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Level two certification and a copy of the ODH certificate shall be maintained on site at the facility and readily available to the inspector during routine inspection.*

Providers of Level 2 Certification include:

ServSafe Manager Course
Food Safety Consulting LLC - All food safety training services are available in English and Spanish.
The Always Safe Company
1st Choice Food Safety Training, LLC
- July 202
University of Akron -ServSafe® Class
FND Consulting Services
M & M Biz Solutions - Click on Ohio
National Restaurant Association ServSafe®
Ohio Restaurant Association
HRFoodsafe.com
- HRFoodsafe class schedule

The following online courses are approved for meeting the requirements of the Ohio Manager Certification in Food Protection:

ServSafe Manager 7th Edition online (Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association)
Learn2Serve Ohio Manager Certification in Food Protection online course (360Training.com)
Super SafeMark: Retail Best Practicies and Guide to Food Safety Sanitation (Food Marketing Institute)
TAPSeries Food Safety Manager Certification
Diversys Learning (TrainingNow.com)
StateFoodSafety (Above Training, Inc.)
NEHA Professional Food Manager (National Environmental Health Association)
Food Protection Manager Course (AlwaysFoodSafe.com)

If the individual completes an online course, there are two options for the exam:

Have the exam proctored by a provider approved by ODH and the provider must send ODH the exam score reports; or
Take the exam through an online proctor. If the exam is proctored online, the student must submit this application, their exam certificate and record of course completion to ODH's office to receive a manager certificate from Ohio Department of Health. The list of exams that are ANSI approved for online proctoring can be found here: https://anab.ansi.org/credentialing/food-protection-manager/remote-proctoring.

page updated 04-29-2025

Read more about Food Safety Training Courses

Foodborne Illness

One of the responsibilities of the Food Safety program is to investigate reports of foodborne illnesses and to reduce the potential for future foodborne disease outbreaks.

To report any suspected illnesses related to consuming food, please call:

(330) 926-5600

Resources:

Read more about Foodborne Illness

Food Safety Inspection Reports

Food Facility Inspection Reports

Summit County Public Health makes all food facility inspection reports available to the public. It is important to note that any inspection report is a “snapshot” of observations recorded during the time the inspector was at the facility. On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted on the day of the report. Therefore, an inspection report may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions within an establishment.

It is also important to note that if a violation is cited at a particular operation, such violation is for that location only and not representative of all other operations owned or managed by the same parent company. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that complex facilities will always be free of violations. One measure of an operator’s responsiveness is the successful resolution or correction of violations on subsequent inspection reports.

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Inspection Reports

Summit County Public Health makes inspection reports available to the public. It is important to note that any inspection report is a “snapshot” of observations recorded during the time the inspector was at the facility. On any given day, an establishment may have fewer or more violations than noted on the day of the report. Therefore, an inspection report may not be representative of the overall, long-term conditions within an establishment.

Keep in mind that any inspection report is a "snapshot" of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a facility could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection may not be representative of the overall compliance of the facility. Also, at the time of the inspection violations are cited but are often corrected on-the-spot prior to the inspector leaving the establishment.

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Health Code

Click below to see laws and regulations about pools, spas and beaches:

Environmental Health Code Chapter 1840 - Bathing Beaches

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Environmental HEalth Code Chapter 1820 - Swimming Pools

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Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-31 - Swimming Pools, Public Spas and Special Use Pool Rules

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Read more about Health Code

Information for Operators

Public swimming pool operators are the first line of defense against injury and illness at public aquatic facilities. The following information may be helpful to maintaining your operation in a safe and healthy manner.

Alterations

Is your facility thinking about modifying your pool/hot tub/special use pool? Do you need a new piece of equipment in your pump room? WAIT! Before you make any changes, continue reading. Depending on the extent, some changes may require prior approval from the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

Replacement equipment that is identical (same manufacturer, same model number) to the original and previously approved equipment is considered as maintenance and repair that does not require special approval.

Changes to equipment, including the use of additives or substitute materials, reagents or chemicals that affect equipment performance and are not authorized by the manufacturer, affect the product listing; accordingly, such are substantial alterations that must be authorized by ODH. This includes:
- Replacement of a disinfection reagent feed device with a different method of delivery, different reagent, or that changes the disinfectant outpu;t
- Replacement of a circulation filter with a different size, different method of filtration, different media, or a different method of operation;
- Replacement of a circulation, jet, or special feature pump that changes the operation of the pool or associated equipment;
- Replacement of a Safety Vacuum Release System (SVRS)/Automatic Pump Shut-off System (ASPO) to prevent potential entrapment from drain outlets;
A new public swimming pool/spa/special use pool must go through plan review through ODH.
Other substantial alterations requiring more extensive plan review shall be submitted with plans and a completed Application for Plan Review to ODH.

Forms:

Public Swimming Pool Incident Report Form

Ohio Department of Health Public Swimming Pool Equipment Replacement Notification Report

Ohio Department of Health Application For Plan Review Public Swimming Pools and Spas

Resources for Alterations:

Acceptable Automatic Pool Chemical Controllers

Acceptable Pool/Spa Paints and Coating Colors

Preventing Recreational Water Illness

A Recreational Water Illness (RWI) is defined as an illness caused by germs and chemicals found in the water we swim in. To learn more about common RWI’s and to prevent them from occurring in your pool or hot tub, visit the following links:

Somebody Pooped in My Pool – What Do I Do?!

Cryptosporidium Factsheet

Giardia Factsheet

Legionella Factsheet

MRSA Factsheet

“Hot Tub Rash” Factsheet

“Swimmer’s Ear” Factsheet

Pool Chemical Safety

Chemicals are a crucial part of keeping swimming pools and spas clean and healthy. However, improper use or storage of them can be dangerous to you and your patrons. Review the following videos and posters to make sure everybody at your facility stays safe.

Pool Chemical Safety

The Importance of Testing the Interlock Flow Switches on Chemical Feeders

Safe Pool Chemical Storage

Safe Pool Chemical Use

Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act

The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act is a federal law that went into effect on December 19, 2008. The act places certain manufacturer and installation requirements on swimming pool/spa drain covers and drain systems to prevent suction entrapment which could lead to injury, drowning, or even death.

Summary of the VGB act

VGB Act FAQ’s

VGB Compliance Diagram