We are republishing our guide to responding to emergencies as Ready for Anything: Emergency and Disaster Response Guide. It will feature all the previous content, such as this piece on responding to a foodborne illness, which isn’t quite so straightforward for districts with public food service.
Additonally, we are adding content that has been frequently requested by members. These include:
- Phishing Attacks
- Ransomware
- Terrorist Attacks
- Active Shooter Incidents
- Employee Fatalities
If you would like a free copy, let us know how many and where to send them by clicking here.
Responding to Foodborne Illness
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
- Do not allow workers to work who:
- Have a fever or sore throat
- Appear jaundiced
- Are nauseous, vomiting, or have diarrhea
- Have open wounds on their hands or arms
- Maintain compliance with relevant state laws regarding hygiene and food safety
- Encourage all staff to wash hands as required by law
IF YOUR STAFF OR GUESTS REPORT SUDDEN, RELATED ILLNESS
- Report the illnesses to local health departments and ensure you have:
- District name and contact information
- Name of ill person(s) and symptoms
- Name of any doctors involved
- Any foods consumed by all of them
- When the food was consumed
- Any staff who may have handled the food
- Any other relevant information
- Administer first aid to ill persons, being careful of blood borne pathogens
- Cooperate with any investigation conducted by health officials, including:
- Holding samples of food if requested
- Submitting to interviews
- Allowing for inspections
- Advise your insurer and attorney
ADVICE FOR NON-FOOD SERVICE DISTRICTS
- If numerous staff members become ill with the same gastrointestinal symptoms:
- Thoroughly clean all surfaces, phones, doorknobs, computers, and bath fixture with antibacterial cleansers
- If the employees ate at a common restaurant report the illness
- Ask ill employees to stay home from work
