Unit of competency details

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E

Replaces and is equivalent to SITXOHS002A Follow workplace hygiene procedures.

Updated and re-categorised to Food Safety.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

1. Follow hygiene procedures and identify food hazards.

1.1 Follow organisational hygiene procedures .

1.2 Promptly report unsafe practices  that breach hygiene procedures.

1.3 Identify food hazards  that may affect the health and safety of customers, colleagues and self.

1.4 Remove or minimise the hygiene hazard and report to appropriate person for follow up.

2. Report any personal health issues.

2.1 Report any personal health issues  likely to cause a hygiene risk.

2.2 Report incidents of food contamination resulting from personal health issues.

2.3 Cease participation in food handling activities where a health issue may cause food contamination.

3. Prevent food contamination.

3.1 Maintain clean clothes, wear required personal protective clothing and only use organisation-approved bandages and dressings.

3.2 Prevent food contamination from clothing and other items worn .

3.3 Prevent unnecessary direct contact with ready to eat food.

3.4 Avoid unhygienic personal contact  with food or food contact surfaces .

3.5 Avoid unhygienic cleaning practices  that may cause food-borne illnesses.

4. Prevent cross contamination by washing hands.

4.1 Wash hands at appropriate times  and follow hand washing procedures consistently.

4.2 Wash hands using appropriate facilities .

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communication skills to verbally report hygiene hazards and poor organisational practice
• literacy skills to comprehend workplace documents or diagrams that interpret the content of:

• organisational food safety program
• hygiene and food safety procedures
• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices

• problem-solving skills to identify and report hygiene hazards.

Required  knowledge 

• basic aspects of national, state or territory food safety laws, standards and codes. This would include:

• meaning of contaminant, contamination and potentially hazardous foods as defined by the Code
• hygiene actions that must be adhered to by businesses to avoid food-borne illnesses
• employee responsibility to participate in hygienic practices
• reasons for food safety programs and what they must contain
• role of local government regulators
• ramifications of failure to observe food safety law and organisational policies and procedures

• basic aspects of HACCP method of controlling food safety
• for the specific industry sector and organisation:

• major causes of food contamination and food-borne illnesses
• sources and effects of microbiological contamination of food
• workplace hygiene hazards when handling food and food contact surfaces
• basic content of organisational food safety program
• the contents of hygiene and food safety procedures
• hygienic work practices for individual job roles and responsibilities.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the ability to:

• integrate the use of predetermined hygiene procedures and food safety practices within day-to-day food handling work functions
• integrate, into daily work activities, knowledge of the basic aspects of food safety standards and codes and the ramifications of disregarding this.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure use of:

• an operational commercial food preparation area, bar or kitchen with the fixtures, large and small equipment and workplace documentation defined in the Assessment Guidelines; this can be a:

• real industry workplace
• simulated industry environment such as a training kitchen servicing customers

• food ingredients and ready to eat food items
• current plain English regulatory documents distributed by the national, state, territory or local government food safety authority
• the Code
• current commercial food safety programs, policies and procedures used for the management of food safety.

Method of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• direct observation of the candidate using hygienic work practices during an integrated assessment of operative functions, such as cleaning and tidying bars, cooking at a camp site, preparing meals in a commercial kitchen, storing unused foodstuffs
• use of problem-solving exercises so the individual can respond to a range of situations where food hazards exist
• written or oral questioning to assess knowledge of the content of hygiene procedures and food safety standards and codes
• review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the individual.

Guidance information for assessment 

The assessor should design integrated assessment activities to holistically assess this unit with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role, for example:

• SITXFSA201 Participate in safe food handling practices
• SITXFSA202 Transport and store food
• any commercial cookery, commercial catering, patisserie, Asian cookery or food and beverage unit involving food preparation.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Hygiene procedures :

• may cover:

• cleaning and sanitising practices to avoid contamination of food
• food storage
• handling and disposal of garbage
• personal hygiene
• regular hand washing
• safe and hygienic handling of food and beverages
• safe handling and disposal of linen and laundry
• suitable dress and personal protective equipment and clothing
• use of cleaning equipment, clothes and materials to avoid contamination of food

• may be:

• covered by staff training programs
• documented in the organisational food safety program
• required by the national food safety code.

Unsafe practices  may include:

• being asked to participate in unhygienic work practices
• food handling practices that may result in the contamination of food
• ignoring the direction of:

• hygiene signage
• supervisors
• managers

• lack of:

• required hygiene signage
• training in hygiene procedures

• outdated practices not in keeping with current organisational procedures
• poor personal hygiene and cleaning practices that may result in cross-contamination of food and other items
• practices inconsistent with organisational food safety program
• seeing others using unhygienic work practices
• use of broken or malfunctioning equipment.

Food hazards  may include:

• airborne dust
• colleagues without appropriate training or understanding of good hygiene practices, policies and procedures
• contaminated food
• contaminated garbage
• dirty equipment and utensils
• equipment not working correctly, such as fridge and temperature probes
• items, such as linen, tea towels and towels that may be contaminated with human waste, such as blood and body secretions
• use of practices not in keeping with current organisational activities
• vermin.

Health issues  may relate to:

• airborne diseases
• food borne diseases
• infectious diseases.

Other items worn  may include:

• bandages
• hair accessories
• jewellery
• watches.

Unhygienic personal contact  may involve:

• transferring micro-organisms by:

• blowing nose
• coughing
• drinking
• eating
• scratching skin and hair
• sneezing
• spitting
• touching wounds

• transmitting tobacco products by smoking.

Food contact surfaces  may include:

• chopping boards
• containers
• cooking utensils
• crockery
• cutlery
• glassware
• pots and pans
• sinks
• workbenches.

Unhygienic cleaning practices  may involve:

• cleaning food contact surfaces with linen, tea towels and towels that may be contaminated with human waste:

• blood
• body secretions
• faeces

• using dirty:

• cleaning cloths
• tea towels

• spreading bacteria from bathroom or bedroom areas to mini-bar or kitchen areas in an accommodation facility.

Wash hands at appropriate times  might include:

• before commencing or recommencing work with food
• immediately after:

• handling raw food
• smoking, coughing, sneezing, blowing the nose, eating, drinking, and touching the hair, scalp or any wound
• using the toilet.

Appropriate facilities  for hand washing may include:

• designated hand washing sink
• liquid soap
• single use towels
• warm running water.