COVID-19
The best ways to prevent the community spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are for everyone to maintain effective hygiene and follow social distancing rules.
The Food Standards Code requires food businesses to take all practicable steps to prevent contamination of their food service or processing environment.
Maintaining effective hygiene includes:
You must ensure you are cleaning and sanitising the following, regardless of COVID-19:
We advise you to review your cleaning and sanitising practices to ensure general surfaces are also cleaned frequently and effectively. These include:
Check if you are covering the Australian Government Guidelines for routine environmental cleaning on the Department of Health website. You should add anything to your standard procedures for cleaning and disinfection of your business premises if necessary.
In the event of COVID-19 exposure, a more thorough and extensive cleaning and sanitising regime may be required.
For guidance see cleaning and sanitising for food businesses in response to COVID-19 exposure (771 KB).
Food handlers must take all practicable measures to prevent contamination of the food service or processing environment. They must maintain good personal hygiene including regular handwashing.
Employees showing symptoms of COVID-19 must not attend work. Symptoms include fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue, and shortness of breath. We recommend you review the health of all employees daily.
Food handlers who know or suspect they are unwell with COVID-19 or other illness must report this to their supervisor.
You must exclude unwell food handlers from food handling activities or from the workplace entirely. This exclusion must be until they are professionally deemed safe to return to work, with guidance from health authorities.
Normal best-practice prevention measures will reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19, and foodborne diseases like norovirus and salmonellosis:
In many businesses, particularly food manufacturers, staff routinely wear personal protective equipment such as protective clothing and gloves. With correct use these can help prevent transmission of infectious diseases.
Everyone in the community has an obligation to stay home while they have any symptoms such as fever or coughing. Businesses have the right to refuse service and insist that anyone with these symptoms leaves the premises.
Personal and equipment hygiene must be maintained at all times.
In response to COVID-19 local food enforcement agencies may have their own requirements or advice.
Read our InfoBites factsheets for further information on routine health and hygiene requirements, and cleaning and sanitising.
Information on a wide range of topics relevant to all businesses can be found on the Safe Work Australia website.
Read more topics on Novel Coronavirus and Food Safety.
Thank you for completing the food safety basics learning tool. It has been developed for our members that handle and prepare food while working in ministry. Please complete your name, as you would like it displayed for your certificate and the email address where it can be sent. For any further information please make contact with Jodie Bird at the NNSW Conference Office on 02 4951 8088.
