Health Services > Statewide and Community Health Services > Population Health Branch

Role of environmental health workers

EHWs should ensure that anyone who produces or sells food in their council area is properly licensed, and that food being sold has been prepared in a registered place designed to ensure that the food is safe and suitable for people to eat. In the EHW General Duty Statement, you'll find sections 5.6 and 6.3 outline things EHW need to do regularly to ensure food safety.

Duty 5.6—Food Stores

Check food stocks for correct storage, packaging, stock rotation, and fitness for human consumption
Respond to instructions listed in food recalls received from your local Population Health Unit and discuss these recalls with food operators as appropriate
Investigate community complaints about food.

Duty 6.3—Food Stores

Ensure that food stores offering food for sale comply with the Food Standards Code
Ensure that council issues licences to food store owners according to the Food Act 2006 and ensure that all licensable businesses have a food safety supervisor.

Licences

Under the Food Act 2006, if a food business needs a licence, this is issued by the local council. Anyone who should have a licence and operates and sells food without one can be prosecuted.

Queensland Health has a brochure called 'Does my food business comply with the Food Act 2006' to assist food businesses.

Queensland Health has a sample Application package and guide to licensing fixed food premises. To obtain copies you should contact your local Population Health Unit. The guide covers the process of applying for a food licence with information on:

food laws
who needs to apply for a licence of a food business
activities exempt from the application of the Act
food safety supervisors and food safety programs
what applicants need to do
plans and drawings
the application process
on-site assessments
ongoing inspections and assistance
other approvals required by food businesses
issues managed by other government departments
definitions of key words from the Act and the Food Standards Code.

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Inspections

EHWs will need to do regular inspections of places selling food to see that:

food is being properly stored
food packaging is not damaged
out-of-date food is not left on shelves for sale
hot food displays are kept at a safe temperature
refrigerators and freezers are working properly
vermin (rats) and vectors (flies) are being kept out
people handling food are being careful (eg. washing hands, using clean knives and surfaces)
rubbish bins are kept well away from food and sealed against flies, rats, and dogs, etc.
the licence and registration of the business are current and cover that type of business
toilets have water, soap and towels for food handlers to wash their hands
new staff are receiving the proper training and supervision
any changes to the layout or equipment in the business does not create a risk to food or customers.

It is a good idea to have a printed checklist of things you inspect regularly. Queensland Health has developed a free CD titled Queensland Food Network. (call Food Safety Policy and Regulation for a CD on 07 3234 0938.) The CD has an inspection proforma (sample checklist) and other helpful resources. When you have done an inspection, give a copy of your completed checklist to the owner or manager of the businesses you inspected so that they know what they are expected to do to ensure food is safe.

Educating food businesses

EHWs should also advise businesses on ways to improve food safety. Everyone operating or working in a food business must know and understand what they need to do to keep food safe. EHWs can help businesses improve food safety by giving out information during inspections and talking to business owners and workers about food safety. A very helpful guide you could recommend to people to use in a food business is Queensland Health's Know Your Food Business. It helps people set up a system for ensuring that important tasks and checks are done. It is also useful for EHWs developing their inspection routines. This booklet and other information for food businesses can be obtained from the Queensland Health food industry website.

Fundraising and community events

If food is being sold to raise funds at sporting, cultural or other community events, the organisers and food handlers/workers must understand what is required to keep food safe. They will find it helpful to read Queensland Health's Food Safety for Fundraising Events guide. EHWs should also be familiar with the guide so that they can give advice to organisers.

Donating food

If a local food business wants to donate food to a not-for-profit organisation, they can do so but it is important that donated food is still safe and suitable food and should not be past its use by date or be unsuitable to eat in some other way.

Community education

The EHW is one of the community's best sources of information about food safety. Although EHWs are not required to oversee food safety and hygiene in private homes, they can assist people keep their food safe. Some ideas are listed on the Community Awareness Campaigns page.

Good information for the public is available from Queensland Health's website, the Food Safety Information Council and the Queensland Food Network CD (call Food Safety Policy and Regulation for a free CD on 07 3234 0938).