Maintain food safety while working with food in a retail organisation

This standard is about maintaining food safety in a retail organisation.
This standard applies to staff whose main job role requires working in a food preparation area and involves any of these activities:

• handling wrapped or unwrapped food including food subject to temperature control requirements (for example, in storage, display, in the bakery or on the deli counter)
• preparing unwrapped food, including food subject to temperature control requirements

This standard is for all staff involved in food preparation in a retail organisation.

When you have completed this standard you will be able to demonstrate your understanding of and ability to:

• Maintain food safety while working with food in a retail organisation

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1. keep yourself clean and protected during work activities in food preparation areas following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
2. keep your hair, skin and nails in a suitable condition for working with food following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
3. remove any jewellery and other accessories that could cause food safety hazards following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
4. maintain and wear clean clothes including any personal protective equipment and clothing your workplace provides following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
5. maintain and wear the personal protective equipment and clothing correctly and change them following your workplace procedures
6. wash your hands at the right times and using effective washing methods following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
7. avoid unsafe behaviour that could contaminate the food being prepared following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
8. report any open wounds, skin infections and infectious illnesses promptly to the correct person following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
9. make sure any open wounds and skin infections are treated and covered with a suitable dressing following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
10. keep your work area and food preparation area in the right condition for working with food following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
11. keep the immediate work area clean and tidy during all work activities following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
12. carry out any scheduled cleaning at the right times and in line with your workplace procedures
13. keep tools, utensils and equipment in good working order, in a hygienic condition and stored correctly following your workplace procedures
14. work in a way that keeps food safe for customers following your workplace procedures
15. follow your workplace procedures and relevant legislation to dispose of food waste promptly and hygienically
16. protect food from food safety hazards and cross-contamination during all work activities following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
17. follow your workplace procedures for dealing with contaminated food
18. follow your workplace procedures and relevant legislation for items that may cause allergic reactions
19. label products clearly with the correct use-by/expiry dates following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
20. check and record the condition of food following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
21. check food and food preparation and storage areas in line with your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
22. maintain food safety at all times when working in food preparation areas following your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
23. follow your workplace procedures and relevant legislation for keeping accurate and complete records of the checks that need to be made
24. follow your workplace procedures for any indicators of potential food safety hazards within your authority to deal with
25. follow your workplace procedures for identifying infestations in the food preparation area and report them to the correct person
26. promptly report to the correct person any indicators of potential food safety hazards not within your authority to address following your workplace procedures

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1. how personal hygiene and behaviour affect food safety in the workplace
2. the types of illness the relevant legislation require to be reported to an employer
3. why skin infections and wounds must be reported and treated
4. what the relevant procedures are for covering open wounds according to your workplace procedures and relevant legislation
5. how food handling practices affect food safety in the workplace
6. why the immediate work area must be kept clean and tidy
7. your workplace procedures for cleaning the workplace and why these must be followed
8. why certain foods must be kept at specified temperatures and how to do so
9. your workplace procedures for checking and reporting the condition of food and food storage areas, and why these must be followed
10. your workplace procedures for maintaining food safety in food preparation areas
11. the main types of infestation in food preparation areas, how they can happen, how to prevent them, how to recognise them and what to do if these are discovered
12. the main types of food safety hazards and cross-contamination, how they can happen, how to prevent or reduce the risk of them happening and what to do if indicators of food safety hazards or cross-contamination are discovered
13. the causes of food spoilage, how to recognise food spoilage and what to do if it is discovered
14. how to operate a food safety management system
15. the types of food poisoning, how food poisoning organisms can contaminate food, the factors which enable the growth of food poisoning organisms and the common symptoms of food poisoning
16. why it is important to know that certain foods can cause allergic reactions and the procedures you should follow in your workplace to deal with these foods, including what you should do if a customer asks if a particular food item is free from a certain food allergen

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Cross-contamination – In your workplace there are two kinds of cross-contamination to guard against:

• the transfer of harmful bacteria between foods by direct contact (e.g. the juices of raw meat dripping onto cooked meat stored on a lower shelf), or indirect contact (e.g. via the hands, clothing, cloths, equipment or other surfaces)
• the cross-contamination of foods containing specific allergens (e.g. nuts, milk, eggs) with other food (e.g. by use of common utensils on cold meat counters and salad bars, slicers on deli counters, etc., by the mixing of foods due to damaged packaging or spillages, or via hands, clothing, cloths or other surfaces)

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4

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2030

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Current

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Original

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Skillsmart Retail

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SSR.B235

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Food Preparation Trades, Retail and Commercial Enterprise, Retailing and Wholesaling, Sales and Customer Services Occupations, Sales Assistants and Retail Cashiers, Skilled Trades Occupations

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7111

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Retailing; retailers; maintains; maintaining; meat; fish; poultry; produce; vegetables; cheese; baking; bakery; butchers; butchering; butchery

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