What Australian food handlers must do when sick: reporting illness, exclusion from work, covering cuts and bandages, and hygiene duties under Standard 3.2.2.
Under the Food Standards Code (Standard 3.2.2), a food handler in Australia generally must tell their supervisor if they have symptoms of a foodborne illness — such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or jaundice — and must not handle food where they could contaminate it. Businesses usually must exclude sick handlers from working with ready-to-eat food, keep cuts covered so they cannot contaminate food, and follow personal hygiene rules. Exact exclusion periods vary by jurisdiction, so confirm with your state or territory health department. Key takeaways: Food handlers generally must report symptoms of a foodborne illness (vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, sore throat with fever, jaundice, or discharges from the ear, nose or eye) to their supervisor before or as soon as they start work.. A handler who is sick, or a known carrier of a foodborne disease, must not handle food where there is a reasonable likelihood of contaminating it — this usually means being excluded from working with ready-to-eat food.. Cuts, wounds and sores on exposed skin must be covered with a dressing that will not contaminate food; best practice is a waterproof, brightly coloured bandage, plus a single-use glove over any dressing on the hands.. Guidance from most Australian health departments is to stay away from food handling until at least 48 hours after diarrhoea or vomiting has fully stopped, but specific periods vary by jurisdiction — confirm with your state or territory health department.. The business (through the person in charge or Food Safety Supervisor) shares the duty: it must not let a sick handler contaminate food and should have a written illness-reporting and exclusion procedure.. What the law requires of food handlers The core health and hygiene duties sit in Standard 3.2.2 (Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, which applies to food businesses across Australia. It places obligations on both the individual food handler and the food business. A 'food handler' is anyone who directly engages in the handling of food, or who handles surfaces likely to come into contact with food, such as cutlery, plates and utensils. In broad terms, a food handler must take all practicable measures to avoid contaminating food, must report relevant illness, and must maintain a high standard of personal cleanliness. The business must supervise handlers, provide the facilities and information they need to comply, and must not permit a handler to do anything that is likely to make food unsafe or unsuitable. These are shared duties — an inspector will look at both the handler's behaviour and the systems the business has put in place. The Code is applied and enforced by state, territory and local authorities, and some detail can vary by jurisdiction, so confirm the specifics with your local council or state food regulator. Applies to anyone handling food or food-contact surfaces, including casuals and volunteers.. Duties fall on both the individual handler and the business.. Standard 3.2.2 sets the baseline; enforcement is by councils and state or territory regulators.. Reporting illness: what and when to report A food handler who knows or suspects they may have a foodborne illness — or who has symptoms that could indicate one — generally must report this to their supervisor before handling food. The point is to let the person in charge decide whether the handler should be excluded or reassigned before any food is put at risk. The symptoms that trigger reporting are the classic signs of gastrointestinal and infectious illness. If a handler develops these during a shift, they should stop handling food and tell their supervisor immediately rather than waiting until the end of the day. Handlers who are carriers of a foodborne disease (for example, someone recovering from a Salmonella infection who may still shed the organism) also have a duty to report, even if they currently feel well. Note that a discharge from the ear, nose or eye — for instance from a cold, flu or eye infection — is also treated as a reportable condition. Vomiting. Diarrhoea. Fever. Sore throat with fever. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). Discharges from the ears, eyes or nose. Being a known carrier of a foodborne disease, even without current symptoms. Exclusion: when a sick handler must not work with food Reporting is only the first step — the more important duty is not handling food where there is a reasonable likelihood of contaminating it. In practice, a handler with active symptoms of a foodborne illness should generally be excluded from any work involving ready-to-eat food (food that will not be cooked again before serving, such as salads, sandwiches, sushi and garnishes). The person in charge decides the response. Options usually include sending the handler home, or — if the condition is clearly not infectious, such as a wound that can be fully covered — reassigning them to duties away from open food. Most Australian health departments advise that anyone who has had vomiting or diarrhoea should not handle food until at least 48 hours after their symptoms have fully stopped. For confirmed illnesses such as Salmonella, hepatitis A, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli or norovirus, longer exclusion periods and medical clearance may apply. These exclusion periods are set and enforced at state and territory level and can differ, so check with your state or territory health department. Active gastro symptoms usually mean exclusion from ready-to-eat food work.. General guide: stay away until at least 48 hours symptom-free after vomiting or diarrhoea.. Confirmed notifiable illnesses may need medical clearance before return.. The person in charge, not the handler alone, is responsible for the exclusion decision.. Cuts, wounds, sores and bandages Skin breaks are a direct contamination route because they can harbour Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria. Standard 3.2.2 requires handlers to take all practicab
How to handle a food handler reporting illness at the start of a shift
When a handler reports symptoms, listen and note the details: which symptoms, when they started, and whether they have stopped. Record this in your illness log or diary. Treat the report as routine, not as a problem the handler has created.
Check the reported symptoms against the reportable list — vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, sore throat with fever, jaundice, or discharges from the ears, eyes or nose. Any of these involving the gut or a fever generally points toward exclusion from open food.
As the person in charge, decide the response. If gastro symptoms are present, send the handler home. If the issue is minor and fully controllable (for example a coverable cut), you may reassign them away from ready-to-eat food. Only clear them for food handling if there is no reasonable likelihood of contamination.
Tell the handler when they may return. As a general guide, that is at least 48 hours after vomiting or diarrhoea has fully stopped. For confirmed notifiable illnesses, ask them to obtain medical clearance and check your state or territory health department's requirements before they resume.
Reassign the shift and consider whether any food the handler prepared before reporting needs to be discarded. Document the decision. If several staff report similar symptoms, treat it as a possible outbreak and contact your local council or state health department.
Frequently asked questions
Can a food handler be told to go home when they are sick?
Yes. The person in charge of a food business generally must not allow a handler to work where they could contaminate food, so sending home a handler with foodborne-illness symptoms is both permitted and expected under Standard 3.2.2. Employment entitlements such as sick leave are a separate matter — check your obligations under the relevant award or Fair Work rules, and confirm exclusion details with your state or territory health department.
How long should a food handler stay off work after vomiting or diarrhoea?
Most Australian health departments advise staying away from food handling until at least 48 hours after symptoms have completely stopped. For confirmed notifiable illnesses such as Salmonella, hepatitis A, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli or norovirus, longer exclusion and medical clearance may be required. Because these periods are set at state and territory level and can differ, confirm the specific requirement with your state or territory health department.
What symptoms must a food handler report to their supervisor?
Generally you should report vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, a sore throat with fever, jaundice, or discharges from the ears, eyes or nose. You should also report if you know you are a carrier of a foodborne disease, even without current symptoms. Report before handling food, or immediately if symptoms start during a shift, so the person in charge can decide the response.
Do gloves remove the need to cover a cut or wash hands?
No. A cut on the hand should first be covered with a dressing that will not contaminate food (a waterproof dressing is best practice), then a single-use glove worn over it. Gloves are never a substitute for handwashing — hands must be washed before gloving up and each time gloves are changed. Gloves also need changing between tasks, especially when moving from raw to ready-to-eat food, to prevent cross-contamination.
What kind of bandage should be used in a food premises?
Use a dressing that stays firmly in place and will not contaminate food; a waterproof dressing is best practice. Many kitchens use brightly coloured (often blue) bandages so that if one falls off it is easily spotted in food. On the hands, cover the dressing with a single-use glove. If a wound is weeping, infected or cannot be reliably covered, the handler should generally be kept away from open food until it heals.
Who is responsible if a sick handler contaminates food — the worker or the business?
Both share duties under the Food Standards Code. The handler must report relevant illness and not handle food where they could contaminate it; the business, through the person in charge or Food Safety Supervisor, must supervise handlers, provide facilities, and not permit a sick handler to make food unsafe. Enforcement is by your local council or state or territory food regulator, so confirm specifics with them.