04M — Live roaches present in facility's food/non-food areas
Roaches spread bacteria and trigger allergies, and an established infestation cannot be fixed in the hours an inspection lasts. The inspector checks motor compartments, wall voids, under equipment, and inside stacked cardboard. A single live roach in a food area scores around 6-8 points (Critical) — but the inspector can declare it an imminent health hazard and jump it to 28 points or order closure if it is on a food-contact surface or in a walk-in. Twenty or more live roaches is automatically Condition Level V (28 points).
What the inspector looks for
Pull out the flashlight and look in the warm, dark, damp spots: under and behind the reach-ins (the motor area), under the dish machine, behind pipe penetrations, and inside cracks and grout lines. Look for live roaches, brown egg cases, shed skins, or a musty smell. Any live roach in a food area is cited on the spot.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 5 points — 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 by roach count/areas (I-IV); V = 28 for >20 live roaches or harborage. NYC adds every cited violation’s points into one inspection score: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.
| Condition level | Points |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | 5 |
| Level 2 | 6 |
| Level 3 | 7 |
| Level 4 | 8 |
| Level 5 | 28 |
How to fix it
Deep-clean harborage and food debris; eliminate moisture; discard contaminated food; have a licensed professional treat the infestation — do not self-spray insecticide.
How to prevent it
Eliminate food, water and harborage: clean grease and debris from equipment voids, fix leaks and standing water, store food sealed, and keep a scheduled pest-control program with monitoring.
- ✓Never self-spray store-bought insecticide — it scatters roaches and is itself a violation; have a licensed professional treat with gel bait in cracks and voids.
- ✓Take away their water: fix leaks, dry standing water, and wipe down damp motor areas — roaches need moisture more than food.
- ✓Deep-clean grease and food debris out of equipment voids and floor seams every month; that is where they harbor and breed.
- ✓Keep food sealed and run a scheduled pest program with monitoring so a few roaches are caught before they become twenty.
Reference: Health Code §81.23(a)
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