113949-113950.5
HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE
SECTION 113949-113950.5
113949. It is the intent of the Legislature to reduce the likelihood of foodborne disease transmission by preventing any food employee who is suffering from symptoms associated with an acute gastrointestinal illness, or known to be infected with a communicable disease that is transmissible through food, from engaging in the handling of food until the food employee is determined to be free of that illness or disease, or incapable of transmitting the illness or disease through food as specified in this article. 113949.1. (a) When a local health officer is notified of an illness that can be transmitted by food in a food facility or by an employee of a food facility, the local health officer shall inform the local enforcement agency. The local health officer or the local enforcement agency, or both, shall notify the person in charge of the food facility and shall investigate conditions and may, after the investigation, take appropriate action, and for reasonable cause, require any or all of the following measures to be taken: (1) The immediate restriction or exclusion of any food employee from the affected food facility. (2) The immediate closing of the food facility until, in the opinion of the local enforcement agency, the identified danger of disease outbreak has been addressed. Any appeal of the closure shall be made in writing within five days to the applicable local enforcement agency. (3) Any medical evaluation of any employee, including any laboratory test or procedure, that may be indicated. If an employee refuses to participate in a medical evaluation, the local enforcement agency may require the immediate exclusion of the refusing employee from that or any other food facility until an acceptable medical evaluation or laboratory test or procedure shows that the employee is not infectious. (b) For purposes of this section, "illness" means a condition caused by any of the following infectious agents: (1) Salmonella typhi. (2) Salmonella spp. (3) Shigella spp. (4) Entamoeba histolytica. (5) Enterohemorrhagic or shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli. (6) Hepatitis A virus. (7) Norovirus. (8) Other communicable diseases that are transmissible through food. 113949.2. The owner who has a food safety certificate issued pursuant to Section 113947.1 or the food employee who has this food safety certificate shall instruct all food employees regarding the relationship between personal hygiene and food safety, including the association of hand contact, personal habits and behaviors, and food employee health to foodborne illness. The owner or food safety certified employee shall require food employees to report the following to the person in charge: (a) If a food employee is diagnosed with an illness due to one of the following: (1) Salmonella typhi. (2) Salmonella spp. (3) Shigella spp. (4) Entamoeba histolytica. (5) Enterohemorrhagic or shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli. (6) Hepatitis A virus. (7) Norovirus. (b) If a food employee has a lesion or wound that is open or draining and is one of the following: (1) On the hands or wrists, unless an impermeable cover such as a finger cot or stall protects the lesion and a single-use glove is worn over the impermeable cover. (2) On exposed portions of the arms, unless the lesion is protected by an impermeable cover. (3) On other parts of the body, unless the lesion is covered by a dry, durable, tight-fitting bandage. 113949.4. A food employee shall do both of the following: (a) Report to the person in charge the information specified under Section 113949.2. (b) Comply with the exclusions or restrictions, or both, that are specified under Section 113950. 113949.5. (a) The person in charge shall notify the local enforcement agency when notified that the food employee has been diagnosed with an infectious agent specified under subdivision (b) of Section 113949.1. (b) A person in charge shall notify the local enforcement agency when he or she is aware that two or more food employees are concurrently experiencing symptoms associated with an acute gastrointestinal illness. 113950. (a) The local health officer or, in consultation with the local health officer, the local enforcement agency shall do either of the following: (1) Exclude a food employee from a food facility if the food employee is diagnosed with an infectious agent specified in subdivision (b) of Section 113949.1 and the food employee is symptomatic and still considered infectious. (2) Restrict a food employee if the food employee is diagnosed with an infectious agent specified under subdivision (b) of Section 113949.1 and is not experiencing symptoms of the illness associated with that agent but is still considered infectious with an agent specified in subdivision (b) of Section 113949.1. (b) The person in charge shall do either of the following: (1) Exclude a food employee from a food facility if the food employee is diagnosed with an infectious agent specified under subdivision (b) of Section 113949.1. (2) Restrict a food employee from working with exposed food; clean equipment, utensils, and linens; and unwrapped single-service and single-use articles in a food facility if the food employee is suffering from symptoms of an acute gastrointestinal illness. 113950.5. (a) The person in charge may remove a restriction for a food employee upon the resolution of symptoms as reported by a food employee if the food employee states that he or she no longer has any symptoms of an acute gastrointestinal illness. (b) Only the local health officer or the local enforcement agency, or both, shall remove exclusions or restrictions, or both, related to diagnosed illnesses due to infectious agents specified in subdivision (b) of Section 113949.1 after the local health officer provides a written clearance stating that the excluded or restricted food employee is no longer considered infectious.