Food Safety Handout for Agency Staff

Food Safety Handout for Agency Staff

Introduction

The Royal Children’s Hospital Mental Health Services Banksia Unit provides meals for its patients for breakfast, lunch, dinner and mid-meals for morning tea, afternoon tea and supper.

Lunch and dinner are prepared by the Western Hospital food services using a cook/chill system and transported rethermalised to the unit. Staff in the unit prepare breakfast and mid-meals.

The Royal Children’s Hospital Mental Health Services Banksia Unit operates under a Food Safety Program (Class 1) to provide safe food to our clients. The Food Safety Program ensures that each process step is systematically analysed. Potential problems for each process is identified and sufficient controls are implemented in order to reduce, eliminate or destroy risks. At the commencement of employment the Unit Manager gives all agency staff an overview of the Food Safety Program and their direct responsibilities.

Under this program all agency staff employed by the Banksia Unit must:

-  follow good food and personal hygiene practices.

-  have the appropriate skills and knowledge to undertake their responsibilities in a safe and hygienic manner.

At the commencement of employment with the Banksia Unit all agency staff must:

-  provide documentation that they have successfully completed an accredited food safety training course,

-  provide evidence of attendance at food safety training course within the previous three years and

-  read the information contained in this handout and sign a declaration that you understand and will adhere to our policy and procedures.

Agency Food Safety Declaration

I ______(your name) declare that l understand and will adhere to the following policies and procedures:

Personal Hygiene & Grooming

·  Maintain high standards of personal cleanliness.

·  Wear a specific industry cap, Chef’s hat or disposable cap over hair when preparing, cooking, reheating or serving of food.

·  Tie up long hair and secure under a cap.

·  Will not wear hair clips or pins.

·  Keep beards and moustaches short and trimmed.

·  Keep fingernails short, clean, free of nail polish and not wear false nails.

·  Keep jewellery to a minimum. A plain wedding band (no stones) and small sleeper hoop earrings only. Wedding rings with stones maybe worn, only if covered with a blue safety band-aid; and a clean glove at all times when handling food.

·  Will wear any necklaces underneath a uniform and not be visible.

·  Will not wear watches, bracelets and studs.

Hand Washing

Regular and proper hand washing is essential for all food handlers. Hands must be washed according to instructions on hand washing posters - using warm water and soap and dried on single use disposable paper or under an air dryer and following a set hand washing technique:

- Rinse hands with warm water,

- Lather hands and forearms with soap,

- Rinse with running warm water,

- Dry with disposable paper towels or hot air dryer.

·  Staff must wash their hands:

- Before commencing work,

- Before handling food,

- Before and after breaks,

- Between working with different food groups or handling cooked and raw food,

- Between changing gloves,

- After using the toilet,

- After blowing their nose,

- After smoking,

- After coughing into their hands,

- After touching their face, hair, nose or mouth or any body part,

- After handling money,

- After eating/drinking,

- After handling rubbish or any other cleaning tasks,

- In circumstances where crosscontamination is possible.

·  Staff to wash hands only in facilities designated for this purpose.

Cuts & Sores

·  Cuts, sores and skin infections are covered with a blue safety band-aid and a disposable glove if the wound is on hands.

Staff Illness

·  Staff are obliged by law to report illnesses that might lead to food becoming contaminated to the Unit Manager.

·  Illnesses that stop a food handler from working include the following: Typhoid and Paratyphoid, Cholera, Shingellosis, Staphylococcal disease, Streptococcal disease, Campylobacter enteritis, Amoeblasis, Glardiasis, Salmonellosis, Rotaviral enteritis, Yersiniosis, Hepatitis A and E, Taenia sollum (pork tape worm), Tuberculosis, Gastroenteritis with acute diarrhoea and vomiting, Norwalk, Boils, abscesses, lesions of hands, face or nose.

Clothing

·  Staff are required to dress in such a way that they do not contaminate food or any surface which comes into contact with food.

·  Uniforms and aprons must be worn when preparing, cooking, reheating or serving food.

·  Aprons are left in the kitchen when staff take breaks, go to the toilet or leave the kitchen for any other reasons.

·  Aprons are changed when moving from one preparation area to another and between handling raw and cooked/readytoeat foods.

·  Uniforms and aprons should be changed daily or more often if necessary.

·  Closed toed shoes are worn.

·  Personal belongings are stored well away from the kitchen.

·  With respect to disposable gloves, staff must wear gloves when:

- Directly touching food by hand i.e. preparing toast, muffins, crumpets, fresh and toasted sandwiches, cutting fresh fruit, salads or their ingredients.

- Wear gloves for one specific activity and then discard them.

- Change gloves whenever they would normally wash their hands.

- Change gloves in between handling raw and cooked food.

- Change gloves frequently (at least once per hour).

-  Not to reuse glove

-  Discard gloves if they become torn, contaminated or are removed for any reason.

Food and Drinks Bought in from Outside the Banksia Unit

Personal food and drinks brought in from outside the unit must be stored in designated areas eg staff fridge and staff tearoom. These areas must be separated from those used in the storage, preparation, cooking and reheating of patient food. The unit also operates under a nut free policy and foods containing nuts are not permitted.

Occupational Health and Safety

Safety is every employee’s concern. Staff are responsible for observing safe working practices in the interests of themselves and others. Staff must notify the Unit Manager immediately of any matter affecting safety, including accidents/incidents, near accidents/incidents and safety hazards. Remember, the time to prevent an accident/incident is before it happens.

In accordance with the Occupational Health & Safety Act of 1985 the Banksia Unit has its own designated work group and elected OH&S representative who together with Royal Children’s Hospital are responsible for development and implementation of safety rules and ensuring safe work practices. These include:

·  Staff are not permitted to smoke within the unit.

·  Staff are not permitted to drink alcohol during work hours without the approval of the Unit Manager. Similarly staff may not come to work under the influence of alcohol.

·  Staff are not permitted to take drugs during work hours or come to work under the influence of drugs.

·  Staff are not permitted to run within the unit.

·  Staff must adhere to the departmental clothing and footwear policy, which includes wearing a uniform, apron, cap and closed toed shoes.

·  Staff must adhere to correct manual handling (the action requiring lifting, pulling, stretching, reaching or pushing) techniques.

·  Staff must disposal of all waste products in a safe and hygienic manner.

·  Staff must adhere to “Universal Precaution” guidelines to reduce the exposure to potentially infectious materials.

·  Staff are encouraged to review their childhood infectious diseases history and immunisation status at the commencement of employment.

·  Staff must be fully trained in the correct and safe method of using all equipment. Staff do not use any faulty or unsafe equipment or equipment it they have not been fully instructed in its use and operation. Staff are responsible for looking after all equipment, which they use, and informing the Unit Manager of any faults or defects during use.

·  Staff must be fully trained in the correct and safe handling, storage, use and method of application of all chemicals in the workplace. All chemicals containers must be clearly labeled and stored according to manufacturers instructions separate from food storage and preparation areas. Material Safety Data Sheets must be clearly displayed within the workplace, with the first aid emergency procedures should an accident occur. The first aid kit should be accessible to all staff. Staff must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) including goggles, gloves etc. when required.

General Conduct

·  Staff must not sample foods with their fingers.

·  Staff must not put food preparation utensils in their mouths.

·  Staff must not sit or stand on food preparation benches.

·  Staff must not smoke in food preparation or storage areas.

·  Staff must inform all visitors to the premises of the hygiene regulations.

·  Staff must wear their name badges at all times.

·  Staff must report any incidents that might have caused contamination of food.

I do understand the information contained in this handout and declare that l will adhere to the policies and procedures. If l have any questions or concerns related to food safety I will address them with the Unit Manager/Food Safety Supervisor.

Staff Signature: ______

Food Safety Supervisor: Signature: ______

Date: ______

“Unit Manager/Food Safety Supervisors Use Only”

Discussed Food Safety Program and their direct responsibilities.

Sited documentation that they have successfully completed an accredited food safety training course.

Sited evidence of attendance at food safety training course within the previous three years.

Royal Children’s Hospital - Banksia Unit “Agency Food Safety Handout” (BU11.2) 15/07/2009