Employee health & personal hygiene is one of the SSOP keys. Proper management of a food establishment involves ensuring that food employees do not work when they are ill and having procedures for identifying employees who may transmit foodborne pathogens to food, other employees, and customers. Management must ensure that food employees and “conditional” hires alike are aware of the reporting requirements for foodborne illness symptoms and diagnoses. When a food employee or conditional food employee reports either an exposure to, symptoms of, or a diagnosis with foodborne illness, the person in charge (PIC) must take action to prevent the transmission of foodborne bacteria and/or viruses from the infected food employee to the food. The PIC must understand the requirements for restricting, excluding, and reinstating food employees. A correlation between the severity of a food employee’s clinical illness and the level of exclusion and restriction required to eliminate the risk has been established. Proper handwashing reduces the spread of fecal-oral pathogens from the hands of a food employee to foods. Handwashing can also help reduce the transmission of other pathogens from environmental sources.

Detail of employee health & personal hygiene as below:

Proper Attire: Wear appropriate clothing- clean uniform with sleeves and clean non-skid close-toes work shoes that are comfortable for standing and working on floors that can be slippery; Aprons used by employees are to be hung in a designated area when not in use. They are not to be worn in the toilet area, eating areas or locker rooms; Use disposable gloves, or dispensing equipment such as tongs, spatulas or tissue paper when handling ready-to-eat foods that will not be heat-treated. Change disposable gloves as often as handwashing is required. Wash hands before donning and after discarding gloves.

Hair restrains and jewelry: Effective hair restraints must be worn in food preparation and service areas; Keep beard and mustaches neat and trimmed. Beard restraints are required in any food production area; No jewelry is allowed during handling of food.

Illness: Food employees shall report to Person in Charge when they have a symptom caused by illness, infection, or other source that is: Associated with, diarrhea, vomiting or other acute gastrointestinal illness; Jaundice; Sore throat with fever; A boil, infected wound or other lesion containing pus that is open or draining. If located on the hands or wrists, a finger cot that protects the lesion and a single use glove must be worn. Lesions on exposed portions of the arms must be protected by an impermeable cover. Employees with gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting and/or diarrhea) will be excluded for a minimum of 48 Hours after symptoms have stopped; Employees with jaundice will be excluded until laboratory results indicate the individual is not currently infected with Hepatitis A; Employees with acute respiratory infection or sore throat with fever will be excluded until symptom free. Employees could be re-assigned to activities so that there is no risk of transmitting a disease through food.

Cuts, Abrasions and Burns: Bandage any cut, sores, rash, lesion, abrasion or burn that has broken the skin; Wear disposable gloves to cover bandages on hands. Change as appropriate; Inform Person in Charge of all wounds.