Food handlers can get online certification

Clark County residents in need of food worker cards can now learnthe information, take the test and purchase the cards from theirhome computers.

Last month, the Clark County commissioners approved the use of aninteractive food safety training program developed by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department. Beginning last week, Clark CountyPublic Health began offering the program online at http://www.foodworkercard.wa.gov.

The new program is the only online food worker testing approvedby the state and county.

The online system is developed to provide people with theeducation they need to safely serve food, and it providesflexibility for people to obtain a food worker card, said GaryBickett, program manager for public health.

The online program is similar to the test workers take at thehealth department. The county will still offer the test at theCenter for Community Health for those who dont have access to theInternet or dont have a credit card, which is needed for onlinepayment, Bickett said.

The online program includes an educational video followed by 31test questions, just like the traditional method. Workers must stillanswer 80 percent of the questions correctly (25 questions) in orderto pass, Bickett said.

Once a worker passes the test, he or she pays the $10 fee andprints out one copy of his or her food worker card all from a homecomputer. The testing process takes about 60 minutes, compared tothe 90-minute process at the health department, Bickett said.

The online program is offered in eight languages English,Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Mandarin, Cantonese andRussian and has a closed captioned option.

The new program will save residents time and money because theywont have to drive to the health department in order to take thetest, Bickett said. In addition, fewer visitors to the Center forCommunity Health will help alleviate congestion in the centersparking lot, he said.

County officials also expect the change will reduce overheadcosts to administer the program at the center. The health departmentissues about 14,000 food worker cards, which are good for two years,to Clark County residents each year, Bickett said.

Seventy-eight percent of the cards issued by the Tacoma-PierceCounty Health Department have been through the online program sinceit launched in January. Tacoma-Pierce officials announced this monththey would reduce the number of classes offered at the healthdepartment because of the success of the online program.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department will keep $3 of the$10 card fee to administer the program. The money will be used formaintenance and upgrades of the program, according to Clark Countyofficials.

More than a dozen other Washington counties use the new program.

Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546; marissa.harshman@columbian.com,twitter.com/col_health.