SITXFSA005 Use hygienic practices for food safety

Unit of competency

Modification History

Not applicable.

Application

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to use personal hygiene practices to prevent contamination of food that might cause food-borne illnesses. It requires the ability to follow predetermined organisational procedures and to identify and control food hazards.

The unit applies to all organisations with permanent or temporary kitchen premises or smaller food preparation or bar areas.

This includes restaurants, cafes, clubs, hotels, and bars; tour operators; attractions; function, event, exhibition and conference catering; educational institutions; aged care facilities; correctional centres; hospitals; defence forces; cafeterias, kiosks, canteens and fast food outlets; residential catering; in-flight and other transport catering.

It applies to food handlers who directly handle food or food contact surfaces such as cutlery, plates and bowls during the course of their daily work activities. This includes cooks, chefs, caterers, kitchen stewards, kitchen hands, bar, and food and beverage attendants, and sometimes room attendants and front office staff.

Food handlers must comply with the requirements contained within the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

In some States and Territories businesses are required to designate a food safety supervisor who is required to be certified as competent in this unit through a registered training organisation.

Food safety legislative and knowledge requirements may differ across borders. Those developing training to support this unit must consult the relevant state or territory food safety authority to determine any accreditation arrangements for courses, trainers and assessors.

Pre-requisite Unit

Nil

Competency Field

Food Safety

Unit Sector

Cross-Sector

Elements and Performance Criteria

ELEMENTS	PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Elements describe the essential outcomes	Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
1. Follow hygiene procedures and identify food hazards.	1.1. Follow organisational hygiene procedures. 1.2. Report unsafe practices that breach hygiene procedures promptly. 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 as appropriate for follow-up.
2. Report any personal health issues.	2.1. Report 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 own health issue may cause food contamination.
3. Prevent food contamination.	3.1. Maintain clean clothes and use required personal protective equipment, including appropriate bandages and dressings where required. 3.2. Prevent food contamination from clothing and other personal items. 3.3. Prevent unnecessary direct contact with ready to eat food. 3.4. Ensure hygienic personal contact with food and food contact surfaces. 3.5. Use hygienic cleaning and sanitising practices that prevent 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.

Foundation Skills

Foundation skills essential to performance in this unit, but not explicit in the performance criteria are listed here, along with a brief context statement.
SKILLS	DESCRIPTION
Reading skills to:	interpret organisational documents or diagrams relating to: hygiene and food safety procedures.
Oral communication skills to:	report hygiene hazards and non-compliant organisational practices accurately.

Unit Mapping Information

Supersedes and is equivalent to SITXFSA001 Use hygienic practices for food safety.

Course info