Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.


A food safety program:
Systematically identifies the food safety hazards that may be reasonably expected to occur in all food handling operations of the food business
Identifies where and how each hazard can be controlled, describes how these controls are to be monitored, the corrective action required if control conditions are not met and information to be recorded
Must comply with relevant national, state and industry legislation/regulations
The food business is responsible for establishing a food safety program. Where a person who is not a direct employee of the business carries out the functions covered by this guideline competency standard, they are responsible for ascertaining the requirements of the food business relating to food safety
These requirements may be set out in procedures and/or in agreements or contractual arrangements established with service providers
Responsibilities of any person visiting and/or working in a food handling area must be communicated prior to entering the food handling area


Food handling area can refer to:
any work area where receiving, basic handling and inspection, preparation, cooking, processing, display, packaging, storage and/or transport occur


Examples of contamination that can result from work activities in a food handling area include:
Chemical contamination which could be caused by lubricants, resins, and cleaning and sanitation chemicals
Physical contamination which could be caused by metal, glass, plastic and cloths
Microbiological contamination that could result from cross-contamination when moving into and between food handling areas
Both direct contamination of the product and contamination of the work area are to be avoided


Products and materials used by anyone working in a food handling area:
Must be suitable for this use


Personal hygiene, clothing and footwear and requirements to report health conditions or illness:
Must meet workplace requirements and procedures
Must, at a minimum, ensure that any person in a food premises:
does not contaminate food
does not have unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat food
does not spit, smoke or use tobacco or similar in a food handling area

Refer to Food Safety Standard 3.2.2, Clause 17:3 as a minimum guide and/or relevant state legislation/ regulations

EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this competency unit:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Assessment of this unit must occur in a real or simulated workplace
Such an environment must provide a typical range of food handling and related food safety requirements that would normally be found in a food handling business
The assessment process must provide an opportunity for the individual being assessed to demonstrate work activities that are consistent with the workplace food safety procedures and with food safety legislation
The specific assessment context will be defined by the workplace
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of workplace situations relevant to an identified work role


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in the health industry should be aware of access and equity issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment
In recognition of particular health issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities