What does fitness to work mean?
'Fitness to work' is the term used to describe the state of health of a food handler, and is mainly used to highlight a health condition that could affect the safety of the food they prepare or serve. Department of Health guidelines mean food handlers must be 'fit to work' with food.
Why does it matter?
By law, as the 'business operator' of a food business you are responsible for the food you produce (the business operator is often the business owner).
Some food-poisoning organisms can be passed on to your customers through food and drink. Viral-borne diseases, such as the norovirus (winter vomiting virus or 'tummy bug'), travel through the air.
Viruses can easily move from person to person using the faecal oral route - which is where contaminated faeces from an infected person gets into the digestive system of another person. An example of this is someone who uses the toilet but does not wash their hands and then handles food.
Food poisoning is unpleasant and can be dangerous, so it is very important to control every possible means of contamination, including any illness carried by food handlers and those who work in a food environment.
What do I need to do?
Make sure everybody understand what the law says.
The main thing you can do as part of your controls is make sure that you and your staff understand what fitness to work means. By law, everyone working with food must immediately report to their supervisor, their business owner or their or manager, any health issues that could affect the food. This includes the following illnesses:
diarrhoea or vomiting
food poisoning or food borne disease (confirmed by a doctor)
a heavy cold or sore throat
respiratory infections
skin infections
any kind of infected wound, or any weepy eyes, ears, boils or abscesses
illness after a holiday or visit abroad, especially if they have been to areas where sanitation is poor or the climate is warm
illness at home, for example if they have children with a tummy bug or food poisoning.