Overview

Symptoms of illness

If you are working as a food handler you must not work when you have symptoms of:

• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• fever
• yellow eyes and skin (jaundice).

These can be the symptoms of food poisoning or an infectious disease, which could contaminate the food that you are handling and cause other people to become unwell.

Food poisoning bacteria can be found in soil, on animals, people and on things people touch and use, such as your mobile phone and keys.

Some bacteria can multiply to many millions in a short period of time - lack of proper personal hygiene can be a major risk to the food you handle.

You should not work when you are unwell and you should see your doctor and tell the doctor you are a food handler. Your doctor will determine when it safe for you to return to work.

It is your responsibility to avoid contaminating food or infecting other staff members and customers.

Don't:

• go to work if unwell
• handle food at work
• be pressured into returning to work if you are not well.

Some diseases that cause food poisoning do not last very long, but others such as Typhoid may result in hospitalisation and a lengthy time off work.

Your doctor or the government health department will advise you when you are clear to return to work if you have an illness that by law means you cannot work with food for an extended period of time.