07A — Duties of a Department officer interfered with or obstructed
Interfering with an inspector is treated as one of the most serious findings because it suggests something is being hidden — and it ends any chance of a good outcome that day. The source lists only the most serious level, so it is cited at 28 points (an automatic C) on its own. Cooperation is always the better play.
What the inspector looks for
Before service, time yourself: can you put your hands on the posted permit, the Food Protection Certificate, the pest-control log, and any HACCP records in under 60 seconds? If any of those would take longer to find — or a manager would hesitate to admit an inspector on the spot — that is the gap to fix today.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 28 points — Only condition cited in the source is V = 28; no base value below 28 is published. NYC adds every cited violation’s points into one inspection score: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.
How to fix it
Cooperate fully with the inspector; provide access to all areas, records and food as required.
How to prevent it
Train staff and managers to admit inspectors promptly, grant full access, and never obstruct, delay or refuse an inspection.
- ✓Train every manager and host to admit an inspector right away and call the person in charge.
- ✓Give full, immediate access to all areas, records, and food — never delay or 'tidy up' first.
- ✓Be courteous and factual; answer questions briefly and let the inspector do their job.
- ✓Keep your key documents (FPC, pest logs, temperature logs) in one central spot so access is easy and fast.
Reference: Health Code §3.15(a)
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