ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
Resources
Example of the Clockify Data Entry Field FIGURE 2
• Standard 8 of the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides an initial model for resourcing the program: www.fda.gov/media/86864/download • The Alternative Standard 8 Workbook 2023 from the Conference for Food Protection offers alternative models: www.foodprotect.org/guides-documents/alternative-stan dard-8-workbook-2023 • Standard 3 of the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards from FDA addresses assigning risk categories: www.fda.gov/media/86769/download • The FDA 2022 Food Code Annex 5 establishes guidance on assigning risk categories and inspection frequencies: www.fda.gov/media/164194/download
is free, works on all platforms (I have it on my work laptop, personal laptop, and phone), and it supports my core requirements, including: • A timer • Quick entry start and stop time
Corresponding Author: Darryl Booth, U.S. Operations Manager, Hedgerow Software. Email: darrylbooth@hedgerowsoftware.com
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
• A project field • Task selection • A notes section • Summary reports
The Journal seeks guest authors for the Building Capacity column. Our goal is to provide a platform to share capacity building successes occur- ring across the country and within different sectors of the environmental health profession, including academia, private industry, and state, local, tribal, and territorial health agencies. Submissions will be reviewed by the NEHA technical advisors for data and technology and Journal staff for appropriate content, relevance, and adherence to submission guidelines. To learn more about the submission process and guidelines, please visit www.neha.org/contributors.
training, sick days, special projects, and com- plications every day. So, one question for me to consider is how much detail to cap- ture. I could record in 5-minute increments, 15-minute increments, or even by the hour. Your agency’s environmental health data system likely already tracks time. If so, there should also be reports and maybe even dash- boards (Figure 1). If your agency’s data system does not track time or if your agency does not use a software solution, then you can always look for avail- able apps. There are many—just search your favorite app store for “time tracking.” For my purposes and research, I selected and have been using Clockify by cake.com. It
Additional features get unlocked with the paid version. On my Windows laptop, the data-entry screen looks like Figure 2. Then, with some accumulated days of time track- ing, I can see where I have spent my time. I can see (and adjust if needed) my split between projects. I expect to find that I have been drawn into other projects and tasks that take away from my targets. That is fine, too, because I will be ready to make some tweaks to my work plan or even adjust some behaviors. So, in sum, tracking your time and activ- ity thoroughly (even for a trial period) can be enlightening, both for your practices as well as practices for your agency.
You can level up your food safety skills with our expert-led courses! Our virtual trainings cover key food safety topics such as foreign suppliers, preventive controls, and intentional adulteration. The trainings are also designed to fit your schedule and will expose you to industry experts. Advance your career—Learn more and register now at www.neha.org/Food-Safety-Preventative-Controls- Alliance-FSPCA-Course-Suite.
Did You Know?
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Volume 87 • Number 9
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