Employee Health, Personal Hygiene, and Training
People as a contamination route
Human hands and intestinal carriage are major contributors to foodborne illness, so the Food Code builds a reporting and exclusion framework around the Big 6 pathogens and active symptoms. Employees must report vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, infected wounds or boils on hands or arms that cannot be covered, and prior illness from a Big 6 agent. The person in charge decides whether to restrict duties (no food handling) or exclude the worker from the establishment, may require medical documentation, and must keep records. Symptomatic workers in a food-handling role are normally excluded; exclusions for specific pathogens can extend for a defined period after symptoms resolve, so rely on the principle rather than a memorized hour count when the wording is ambiguous.
Handwashing is the single most tested behavior: at least 20 seconds with soap and warm running water, after using the restroom, touching the body, handling raw animal foods, changing tasks, coughing or sneezing, taking out garbage, and before starting work. Hand antiseptics never replace handwashing. Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing, must be changed when soiled, torn, or when changing tasks, and never permit bare-hand contact to be replaced by dirty gloves. No bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food unless a documented alternative procedure exists.
Other basics: hair restraints, clean outer clothing, no jewelry on hands or arms, no eating or drinking in food areas, and proper covering of wounds. Training must be tied to duties and documented, and the person in charge needs food safety certification where required.
Worked example: a cook with vomiting is excluded, not merely restricted, and cannot return until cleared per the adopted code.