Everyday habits: illness, records and pests

Ali had diarrhoea until 11pm on Friday. On Saturday morning he feels fine, and the team is short of staff. Should he go in and handle food?

No. He must stay away from food handling until 48 hours after his symptoms stopped, so the earliest he can return is 11pm on Sunday. Feeling better is not enough, and he must tell his manager. If he took medicine to stop the diarrhoea, the 48 hours start when he stopped taking it. Infected wounds, skin conditions and sores must be reported too. Cover cuts with a brightly coloured waterproof dressing.

Jo fills in a week of fridge checks on Friday, from memory. Every entry says 4°C. Records are the main evidence for due diligence, which is the defence that all reasonable precautions were taken and all due diligence exercised. Made-up records prove nothing, and they hide real faults. Do checks when they are due, record what you found and write down what you did about it.

A new starter finds droppings behind the flour bins and sweeps them up. Sweeping is not enough. Any sign of pests must be reported to a supervisor at once. Do not lay bait or poison yourself.

Finally, keep your training up to date. Certificates have no legal expiry, and no law requires a specific certificate or level. Your employer decides what training your role needs.