Safety, Hygiene, and Risk Management
This domain tests food safety, fire safety, and everyday risk control. The exam asks you to apply HACCP thinking, 5S, temperature control, and near-miss reporting to realistic service situations.
Core rules and concepts
- HACCP identifies hazards and sets critical control points. In Japan, food hygiene law requires hygiene management based on HACCP principles for many food businesses.
- Keep refrigerated food at 10°C or below and frozen food at -15°C or below; cook so the centre reaches 75°C for at least 1 minute. Separate raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination.
- Wash hands before handling food, after toilets, and after touching raw meat. Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing.
- 5S (整理, 整頓, 清掃, 清潔, 躾) supports safety and speed. Keep fire exits clear, know extinguisher locations, and follow the 防火管理者’s plan.
- Record ヒヤリ・ハット near misses and use risk assessment: likelihood × severity, then eliminate, substitute, engineer, administrate, or use PPE.
Worked example
A food handler reports diarrhoea before a shift. Reasoning: exclude them from food handling, notify the manager, and follow health guidance; do not let them work “just for today”. Diarrhoea can indicate norovirus or other pathogens, and gloves do not remove the risk.
Traps that cost marks
Believing gloves replace handwashing; storing raw meat above cooked food; blocking fire exits with stock; treating a small cut as harmless without covering it; ignoring near misses because nothing happened.