Health & Hygiene Requirements for Food Businesses (Show all)

Health of Food Handlers (duties of food businesses) - Are actions taken to ensure staff members do not engage in food handling if they are suffering from a foodborne disease or condition?

Guidance		If a food handler is suffering from a condition, a foodborne disease, has symptoms of a foodborne disease or is a carrier of a foodborne disease, a food business must ensure that they do not engage in any food handling that could contaminate the food (see Standard 3.2.2 cl 16 of the Code). If a decision has been made to restrict a person from certain duties, the person may only resume those duties when advice is received from a medical practitioner that the person is no longer suffering from or carrying the foodborne disease. A food business must ensure that a person who is known or suspected to be suffering from a foodborne disease and continues to engage in food handling takes all practical measures to prevent food contamination. Practical measures that a person can take include: completely covering infected skin lesions with bandages or dressings and, if the skin lesion is on an exposed part of his or her body, covering the bandage or dressing with a waterproof covering (this may not always be practical, particularly with acne); avoiding touching the infected skin lesion, or discharge from ear, nose or eye; washing and drying hands thoroughly if direct contact is made with an infected skin lesion or discharge; using medication to dry up discharges from the ear, nose or eye; and using disposable tissues to mop up any discharge, followed by thoroughly washing and drying hands.
Non-compliance	Minor	N/A
	Major	A food business has not informed their staff of their health and hygiene obligations. E.g. staff are unaware of their responsibility to inform management if they are suffering from a foodborne disease or condition.
	Critical	The food business does not exclude a food handler from food handling duties when they have reported they are unwell. E.g. staff are permitted to handle food when they have informed management that they are suffering from a symptom including diarrhoea, vomiting, sore throat with fever, fever or jaundice. The food business permits a food handler excluded from food handling activities (because they were suffering a food-borne disease) to recommence food handling activities without receiving medical advice that the person is no longer affected by that food-borne disease. The food business allows a food handler to engage in food handling operations with uncovered skin lesions on exposed parts of their body, where there is a reasonable likelihood of food contamination. The food business does not ensure that a food handler excluded from certain duties, does not then conducts those duties.