The Specialist Cheesemakers Code of Best Practice

Staff hygeine and training

INTRODUCTION

FOOD HANDLERS FITNESS TO WORK

MINIMISING HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH STAFF

INTRODUCTION

7.1 At all steps of the cheesemaking process from farm to retail, staff hygiene is fundamental to ensuring high quality cheese. Risks to food safety may occur, especially if staff are suffering from diarrhoea and/or vomiting. Risks may also occur if staff are untrained in hygiene issues and what is expected of them in a food business.

FOOD HANDLERS FITNESS TO WORK

7.2 It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that staff are not involved in food handling unless they are free of medical conditions which could affect food safety. Department of Health publishes guidance on 'Food Handlers: fitness to work' for businesses, enforcement officers and health professionals. This is intended to help to ensure the production of safer food by providing practical guidance based on sound scientific principles. It covers many of the issues raised in this section. For details of where to obtain copies, see Useful Publications.

MINIMISING HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH STAFF

7.3 You can minimise hazards of contamination and cross contamination by making sure staff:

• receive appropriate training and supervision when new to the job and whenever changes in staff duties or in processes require them to have additional understanding and skills relating to food safety and hygiene (this can be done within your business);
• attend suitable training courses in hygiene awareness and maintenance of hygienic standards (see Help and advice contacts for addresses of some organisations which administer or run such courses);
• wash with soap and dry their hands immediately before starting work and frequently throughout the day and always after using the WC, combing hair, handling waste, eating, blowing nose, and after handling any item likely to harbour a hazard to food safety, e.g., used packing material, food containers, etc.;
• keep hands clean throughout the milking operation, cheesemaking and retail activities;
• wear suitable clean working clothes. The SCA recommends light coloured clothing which covers personal clothing and which should not have pockets. Poppers may be preferable to button fastenings, as buttons may fall into products. It is good practice for food handlers not to wear one piece overalls as they may come into contact with the floor, e.g., when using toilet facilities;
• use plastic aprons where appropriate;
• keep their hair clean and tidy. If hair is long it must be kept tied back neatly away from the face. If hair is long and you are working in a cheesemaking or milking environment it is advisable to wear a hair covering to prevent hair from falling into the product;
• do not smoke, eat or drink in milk or cheese production or storage areas;
• follow recommended good practice by not wearing jewellery or watches;
• when they join the business, have no medical condition which would affect the safety of the milk or cheese, e.g., this would include people who have been ill with Salmonella and who have subsequently recovered but who may still carry the bacteria which could be passed on to food;
• keep any wounds to the skin covered with a waterproof dressing;
• notify you when they (or a partner or other family member) are ill where there might be food safety implications for milk or cheese;
• if they are suffering from illness, do not milk animals and do not handle milk or cheese;
• do not work if they are suffering from diarrhoea and/or vomiting;
• do not return to work after illness until fully fit;
• are free of medical conditions which would affect food safety when they return from holidays.

Specialist Cheesemakers Association    17 Clerkenwell Green    London EC1R 0DP

Tel: 020 7253 2114    Fax: 020 7608 1645    Email: info@specialistcheesemakers.co.uk