WSQ Food Safety Level 3 (FHO) flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Food handler definition

Any person who handles or prepares food, or touches food-contact surfaces or utensils, whether or not the food is intended for sale. Registration and training duties attach to this role.

Handler registration requirement

A food handler must be registered with SFA before starting food handling work, and must hold valid registration for the licensed premises where they work.

Handler basic training course

Food handlers must complete the SFA-recognised Food Safety Course Level 1 in basic food hygiene before registration, and attend refresher training at SFA-set intervals.

Medical screening for handlers

Handlers undergo stool and typhoid screening, plus chest X-ray where required, and repeat at SFA-specified intervals. Screening records must be kept and produced on request.

Symptoms barring food handling

Fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, sore throat, cough, jaundice and infected skin lesions bar a handler from food work. The handler must report these to the supervisor immediately.

Handler hand hygiene rules

Hands must be washed with soap before work, after toilet use, after raw food contact, after touching face or hair, and after waste or chemical handling. Nails short, no polish.

Travel and screening duty

A handler returning from abroad must inform the employer; SFA may require stool screening after travel to specified countries before the handler resumes food handling duties.

Food Hygiene Officer role

A trained staff member appointed by the licensee to implement, monitor and verify the premises food safety management system, hygiene practices and handler compliance records.

FHO qualification

The FHO must complete the SFA-recognised Food Safety Course Level 3 for Food Hygiene Officers and hold a valid certificate before being appointed to the role.

FHO appointment notification

The licensee must register the appointed FHO with SFA and notify SFA of any change of FHO, since the premises must have a designated FHO where required.

FHO record verification duty

The FHO checks that temperature logs, cleaning schedules and pest control reports are completed, signed, accurate and retained for the period SFA requires.

FHO incident escalation

The FHO investigates hygiene complaints and foodborne illness reports, records corrective actions, and escalates serious or repeat non-compliance to the licensee and SFA.

FHO stop authority

The FHO must be empowered to halt unsafe practices or withhold food from sale pending correction, and to report notifiable incidents to SFA within the required timeframe.

FHO handler oversight

The FHO ensures every food handler is registered, medically screened and trained, and keeps handler training and screening records current and available for inspection.

FSMS definition

A documented, premises-specific food safety management system based on HACCP principles: hazard analysis, control measures, monitoring, corrective action, verification and record keeping.

Critical control point

A step where a control measure is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level, with a defined measurable critical limit.

Monitoring versus verification

Monitoring is the scheduled measurement of a control point against its critical limit during operation; verification is the later check, such as record review or audit, that the system works.

Corrective action rule

When monitoring shows a critical limit is breached, a pre-defined corrective action must be taken, the affected food assessed for safety, and the event recorded.

Hazard categories

FSMS hazard analysis classifies hazards as biological (bacteria, viruses), chemical (cleaning agents, allergens, toxins) or physical (glass, metal, hair, pests).

SAFE framework pillars

SFA assesses four pillars: Sure (hazard analysis and controls), Assured (monitoring and verification), Food safety culture and records, and Everyday compliance.

Points Demerit System

Hygiene offences carry demerit points that accumulate against a licence over a rolling 12-month period, leading to suspension or cancellation at set thresholds.

PDS suspension threshold

Accumulating 12 demerit points within 12 months triggers licence suspension, commonly two weeks for a first suspension, with longer periods for repeat accumulation.

FSMS record retention

Temperature, cleaning, pest control, training, supplier and corrective action records must be retained and produced on inspection as evidence that the FSMS is operating.

Licensee premises responsibility

The licensee is answerable for the premises, fittings, equipment and the conduct of every food handler on site, and must keep the premises clean, repaired and pest-free.

Licence display requirement

The food shop licence and the Food Hygiene Officer's particulars must be displayed conspicuously at the licensed premises so they are visible to officers and customers.

Temperature danger zone

The range 5°C to 60°C in which bacteria multiply rapidly; potentially hazardous food must be held at 4°C or below, or at 60°C or above.

Cross-contamination prevention

Raw and ready-to-eat food must be stored and prepared separately, using separate chopping boards, utensils and sinks, with raw food kept below cooked food in storage.

Approved food sources

Food must be bought from licensed or approved suppliers with traceable documentation, and stored off the floor and away from chemicals and waste.

Pest control obligation

Premises must be pest-proofed, pest control carried out by a licensed pest control operator, and pest control records kept and produced for inspection.

Chemical storage rule

Cleaning and other chemicals must be clearly labelled, kept in designated containers, and stored separately from food and food-contact equipment to prevent chemical contamination.

Operator outbreak reporting

The operator must report foodborne illness outbreaks and notifiable incidents to SFA promptly, and must ensure all handlers are registered, fit and trained.