All food handlers at work must be free from the following symptoms of diseases:

• Diarrhoea / adominal pain     
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Sore throat
• A carrier of foodborne diseases, e.g. cholera or hepatitis A
• Discharging wounds or sores on any exposed part of the body
• Secretions from ears, eyes or nose
• Jaundice related to infectious diseases   

If food handlers at work are suspected to be suffering or are suffering from any of the above symptoms, or they are a carrier of foodborne diseases (e.g. hepatitis A or Salmonella), they must:

• immediately report their illnesses to the supervisor and consult a doctor.
• immediately be suspended from engaging in all work that may allow them to directly or indirectly come into contact with food, including contact with food utensils or equipment, to prevent food contamination.       
• stop delivering food to customers.
• make sure that they do not contaminate any food if they have skin injuries or sores or are otherwise unwell.       
• wear disposable gloves if there are wounds or cuts on hands, or cover all wounds or cuts on hands or forearms completely with bright-coloured (e.g. blue) waterproof plasters. Change both gloves and plasters regularly.

If continuing to engage in other work in the food premises, food handlers suffering from a disease must take all practicable measures to prevent food from being contaminated as a result of the disease. Food handlers ceasing working due to an infectious disease should obtain a certificate from a doctor stating that they have recovered before they can resume handling food.

Visitor requirements

Visitors to places where food is being prepared should wear appropriate protective clothing and comply with the hygiene requirements in this chapter. Also, they should be aware of the following:

• Visitors (including outsourced contractors) should fill out a record of visit and a health declaration form at the reception or security desk and wear a visitor' s pass for identification.       
• Visitors suffering from a cold, vomiting, diarrhoea, skin problems / sores or gastroenteritis should not be allowed to enter the food preparation area.

First aids

A fully equipped first aid kit must always be available in food premises. It should be:

• easily accessible     
• stocked with bright-coloured (e.g. blue) waterproof plasters
• restocked with waterproof plasters immediately when they are used up

Waterproof plasters Waterproof plasters should be replaced regularly (preferably every 4 hours), because wounds may be infected with Staphylococcus aureus. Bright-coloured plasters should be used because they can be easily detected when falling into food, and they should be waterproof to prevent the blood and bacteria in wounds from contaminating food, as well as preventing raw meat from causing wound infections.

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