Health and hygiene

Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (Food Standards Code) Food Safety Standard 3.2.2 Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food handlers and food businesses have legal responsibilities related to health and hygiene.

Food businesses

A food business must:

inform all food handlers working for the food business of their health and hygiene obligations detailed below.
ensure any information provided by a food handler in relation to their health, as per the requirements below, is not disclosed to any person without the consent of the food handler, except the business owner or an authorised officer, and that the information is not used for any purpose other than addressing the risk of food contamination.
take all practicable measures to ensure all people on the food premises:
- do not contaminate food
- do not have unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat food
- do not spit, smoke, or use tobacco or similar preparations in areas where there is unprotected food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food.
maintain easily accessible hand washing facilities
maintain, at or near each hand washing facility, a supply of–
- warm running water;
- soap; or
- other items that may be used to thoroughly clean hands.
ensure hand washing facilities are only used for the washing of hands, arms and face
provide, at or near each hand washing facility–
- single-use towels or other means of effectively drying hands that are not likely to transfer pathogenic microorganisms to the hands; and
- a container for used towels, if needed.

Food handlers

A food handler is anyone who works for a food business and handles food or surfaces that are likely to come into contact with food, such as cutlery, plates, bowls, or chopping boards.

A food handler must take all reasonable measures not to handle food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food in a way that is likely to compromise the safety and suitability of food, ie, food handlers must not contaminate food.

A food handler must:

do whatever is reasonable to avoid unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat foods, such as salads or cooked meat.
take all practical measures to prevent contamination of food or surfaces that are likely to come into contact with food, by anything:
- from their body e.g. hair, bodily secretions and fingernails; or
- they are wearing e.g. clothes, jewellery, hair accessories, bandages.
wear clean outer clothing, appropriate for the type of work they do
make sure bandages or dressings on any exposed parts of the body are covered with a waterproof covering
not eat over unprotected food or surfaces likely to come in contact with food
not sneeze, blow or cough over unprotected food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food
not spit, smoke or use tobacco or similar preparations where food is handled.

Hand washing

Food handlers are expected to wash their hands whenever their hands are likely to contaminate food. This includes washing their hands:

immediately before working with ready-to-eat food or after handling raw food
immediately after using the toilet
before they start handling food or go back to handling food after other work
immediately after smoking, coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, eating, drinking or using tobacco or similar substances
after touching their hair, scalp or a body opening.

How to wash hands effectively

Use the hand washing facilities provided by the business

Clean hands thoroughly using soap
Use warm running water
Dry hands thoroughly on a single use towel or in another way that is not likely to transfer disease-causing organisms onto the hands (eg an air dryer).

The food safety supervisor must also oversee personal hygiene requirements that are to prevent the contamination of food from a person handling the food. Preventative measures include:

washing hands
wearing clean clothing
avoiding contact with food
covering wounds.

For more information, see the section on skills and knowledge.

Food businesses have specific responsibilities relating to the health of people who handle food, the provision of hand washing facilities, telling food handlers of their health and hygiene obligations and respecting the privacy of food handlers.

Health of food handlers

It is very important that people who may be suffering from or carrying certain illnesses or suffering from some conditions do not handle food or food contact surfaces. This is particularly important if they are likely to contaminate food while they are working.

If a food handler has ……	The food handler will ……
One or any of the following symptoms of foodborne disease: diarrhoea vomiting sore throat with fever fever jaundice	Immediately inform the food safety supervisor Seek medical attention Not return to work until they have been symptom free for 48 hours
Been diagnosed with any of the following diseases: Hepatitis A Norovirus Typhoid fever Shigellosis Staphylococcal or Streptococcal disease	Cease all contact with food and food contact surfaces Not return to food handling duties until medical clearance is provided
An exposed wound or cut or infected skin sore	Cover with a bandage with a highly visible waterproof covering
Any discharge from their ears, nose or eyes	Take medication to stop any nasal or other discharge that may contaminate food

The supervisor will not disclose any of the above medical information to anyone with the exception of the proprietor of the business or an authorised officer, without the consent of the food handler. The company will not use this information for any purpose other than to protect food from contamination.

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