The Southern Nevada Health District is updating its Food Handler Safety Training Card program.
Effective July 1, 2018, Food Handler Safety Training Card applicants will be required to complete testing at a Southern Nevada Health District location during business hours to obtain their cards. The current process, which will be discontinued on July 1, requires applicants to complete a training and a test online.
The test teaches about safe food handling, temperatures, cross-contamination, dishwashing, hand washing and pest control. But back in 2014, Contact 13 identified a problem with the current process which first went into effect about two years earlier. With the test being online, there are no checks and balances, no way to verify that the person taking the test is actually taking it.
In fact, the Health District caught people making a business out of taking the test for others in 2014.
"And then it does become very apparent when who supposedly took the test is at a site and not doing the common sense things of washing their hands, safe food handling," said a Health District employee at the time.
A director told Contact 13 in 2014 that they relied on an honor system. The Health District issues more than 100,000 food handler cards a year. Watch the video from the 2014 report below.
The new system provides free training material and allows the Health District to more effectively verify all applicants’ identification as they complete the process and demonstrate basic food safety knowledge. The test and training materials will be offered in multiple languages to meet the needs of all Food Handler Safety Training Card clients.
Information on the new Food Handler Safety Training Card program is available on the Health District website here.
The new Food Handler Safety Training Card testing and card services will be available at the following locations:
Southern Nevada Health District Main Facility
280 S. Decatur Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89107
(702) 759-1099
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
East Las Vegas Public Health Center
560 N. Nellis Blvd., Suite E12, Las Vegas, NV 89110
(702) 759-1340
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Health District Services in Henderson
Henderson City Hall, Neighborhood Services Center
240 Water St., Henderson, NV 89015
(702) 759-1515
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Mesquite Public Health Center
830 Hafen Lane, Mesquite, NV 89027
(702) 759-1682 (if calling from Mesquite: 346-9161)
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., closed noon-1 p.m.
Laughlin Public Health Center
55 Civic Way, Laughlin, NV 89029
(702) 759-1060
Monday–Thursday, 8 a.m.-noon
