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Code of Practice: Processing of Bee Products

5 Personnel Competency, Health and Hygiene

Amendment 2

June 2006

5.1 Purpose and scope

To ensure that all personnel are competent and medically fit to perform their duties, and that they comply with good hygienic practices. Personnel include all workers, contractors providing services, and visitors.

5.2 Sources of hazards

5.3 Mandatory requirements

5.3.1 RMP Spec 13 (2)

The operator must document the competencies needed by:

• the day-to-day manager;

• those persons authorising all or part of the risk management programme; and

• those persons performing key tasks under the risk management programme including monitoring, corrective action, and operator verification.

5.3.2 RMP Spec 13(3)

The operator must keep records demonstrating that the competencies mentioned in 5.3.1 have been achieved and maintained.

5.3.3 AP Reg 12

The operator must ensure that all personnel whose presence or action within the premises may result in contamination of edible bee product:

• wear appropriate protective clothing, where necessary;

• follow an appropriate personal hygiene routine; and

• behave in such a manner as necessary to minimise contamination of edible bee product, other inputs, packaging and the processing environment.

5.3.4 HC Spec 23(1)

The operator must take reasonable measures to ensure that a person (including any visitor or contractor) who is:

• infected with, or a carrier of, an infectious disease in a communicable form as described in Section A, Part 1, of the First Schedule of the Health Act 1956, and that is likely to be transmitted through edible bee products or associated things; or

• suffering from acute respiratory infection; or

• suffering from boils, sores, infected wounds, or any other condition that cannot be adequately prevented from becoming a source of contamination;

• does not work as a product handler in, or enter, an area where he or she may adversely affect the fitness for intended purpose of edible bee product.

5.3.5 HC Spec 23(2)

A product handler suffering from an illness described in HC Spec 23 (1) must provide a certificate from a registered medical practitioner confirming that he/she is no longer likely to be a source of contamination, prior to resuming work involving the handling of food and food contact materials.

5.3.6 HC Spec 23(3)

A product handler suffering from boils, sores or infected wounds or any other condition that cannot be adequately prevented from being a source of contamination must be assessed by a suitably skilled person to confirm that the worker is no longer likely to be a source of contamination, or he/she is adequately protected from being a source of contamination, before being allowed to work involving the handling of edible bee product and product contact materials.

5.4 Procedures

5.4.1 Competencies

5.4.1.1 The day-to-day manager or person authorising all or part of the RMP must be familiar with the documented risk management programme and have the following competencies:

• have knowledge in food safety relevant to the bee products industry, and hygienic procedures and practices documented in this code of practice;

• have knowledge in regulatory requirements, including responsibilities, related to the effective development and implementation of the risk management programme;

• have technical knowledge and experience in the particular product/process; and

• be able to liaise and communicate effectively with workers and the regulator.

5.4.1.2 Workers performing key tasks including monitoring, corrective action, and operator verification must have the following competencies:

• have knowledge and skill in executing the particular task; and

• be familiar and able to consistently comply with hygienic practices and procedures.

5.4.2 Induction and on-going supervision of workers

5.4.2.1 New workers must be informed of their job description, health requirements, and hygienic practices and procedures before starting work.

5.4.2.2 Ongoing supervision and/or training must be provided to ensure that new workers are adequately trained on their specific tasks and on hygienic practices and procedures.

5.4.3 Health of workers

5.4.3.1 Workers must inform the person responsible for operations if he/she is suffering from diarrhoea, acute respiratory infection; or is diagnosed with illness caused by Salmonella, Shigella spp., E. coli spp., Campylobacter, Hepatitis A virus infection or other infections likely to be transmissible via food.

5.4.3.2 Any injury, wound, or cut must be treated immediately and dressed with a secure waterproof dressing to prevent the contamination of any product, packaging or equipment with blood or other fluid discharge. The dressing must be maintained in a sanitary condition and adequately secured to avoid dislodgement.

5.4.4 Hygienic practices

5.4.4.1 All personnel who enter any processing or packing areas must wear suitable clean protective clothing and foot wear. Protective clothing (e.g. coats, overalls, aprons) must be visibly clean at the start of each day’s operation.

Foot wear must be suitably clean so it does not cause soil, mud, grass and other plant material, and other dirty material to be brought into processing and packing areas.

5.4.4.2 All personnel must thoroughly wash and dry hands and exposed portions of the arms with hand detergent and water:

• before entering any processing or packing areas;

• before handling any product or exposed packaging;

• after using the toilet;

• after handling or coming into contact with waste and contaminated surfaces or material; or

• after hand contamination from coughing, sneezing, and blowing the nose.

5.4.4.3 After washing, hands must be thoroughly dried on:

• Disposable paper towels; or

• “Roller” type towels which present a clean surface to each user; or

• Individual towels which must be laundered and sanitised daily (Generally appropriate for small premises only)

5.4.4.4 The following activities are not permitted inside processing or packing areas:

• eating of any food;

• smoking;

• spitting; or

• any other activity that may cause the contamination of any product and product contact surfaces.

5.4.4.5 Workers involved in the handling of edible bee product must not wear any jewellery except plain wedding bands (i.e. no stone). Plain wedding bands may be worn provided they cannot be easily dislodged and they can be effectively cleaned in the same manner as hands.

5.4.4.6 Personal items such as sweets and cigarettes must not be taken into processing or packing areas.

5.4.5 Visitors and contractors

5.4.5.1 Visitors and contractors must report to the responsible person on arrival at the premises. They must be supervised by an assigned staff while within the premises. It is the responsibility of the assigned staff to ensure that hygienic practices and procedures are followed by the visitor or contractor.

5.4.5.2 Visitors and contractors must not be allowed to handle edible bee product in processing and packing areas unless they have complied with all the hygiene requirements for product handlers.

5.4.6 Handling and disposition of contaminated materials

When contamination from blood or any body discharge occurs, the following actions must be carried out:

• affected product must be considered unfit for human or animal consumption;

• affected product contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitised prior to reuse; and

• affected packaging materials that cannot be effectively cleaned and sanitised must not be used for packing of any edible bee product.

5.4.7 Monitoring

Compliance to documented procedures must be regularly checked by the responsible person.

5.5 Records

Records giving the following information must be kept by the operator:

• any medical certificates

• induction or training of personnel

• monitoring records of compliance to hygienic practices and/or of any problems observed and any corrective action taken (including restoration of control, product disposition and prevention of recurrence).