Florida Violation V02: Employee health policy
Under Florida's food safety regulations, V02 (Employee health policy) is a high priority violation addressing Personnel standards.
Reference: 61C-4.023(2)
What the Code Says
V02 — Employee health policy
No employee health policy or inadequate policy
— Florida Administrative Code 61C-4, FDA Food Code
Why This Matters
DISEASE TRANSMISSION: Without a written employee health policy, sick food workers transmit Norovirus (20 million US cases/year), Hepatitis A (causes liver failure), Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli O157:H7. CDC estimates 40% of restaurant outbreaks involve ill food workers. A single infected employee can contaminate food for thousands of customers.
CDC Risk Factor Classification: Poor Personal Hygiene - CDC Risk Factor #5
The CDC identifies five major contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks: food from unsafe sources, inadequate cooking, improper holding temperatures, contaminated equipment, and poor personal hygiene. Source: CDC Contributing Factors
Real-World Impact
In 2017, a Hepatitis A outbreak at a Michigan restaurant sickened over 170 people and killed 1. Investigators found the establishment had no written employee health policy requiring workers to report symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice. Had a health policy been in place and enforced, the infected worker would have been excluded before spreading the virus.
Code Requirements
Maintain written employee health policy addressing: reporting of symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever), diagnosed illnesses (Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli), exclusion and restriction criteria, and return-to-work requirements. Train all employees on policy at hiring and annually.
References
- Florida DBPR Division of Hotels & Restaurants
- FDA Food Code (Current Edition)
- CDC Food Safety
- CDC: Contributing Factors to Foodborne Illness Outbreaks
- Florida Administrative Code Chapter 61C-4
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Florida food safety violation V02?
- No employee health policy or inadequate policy This is classified as a high priority violation under the Personnel category.
- Why is violation V02 (Employee health policy) dangerous?
- DISEASE TRANSMISSION: Without a written employee health policy, sick food workers transmit Norovirus (20 million US cases/year), Hepatitis A (causes liver failure), Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli O157:H7. CDC estimates 40% of restaurant outbreaks involve ill food workers. A single infected employ...
- What CDC risk factor does this violation fall under?
- This violation is classified under: Poor Personal Hygiene - CDC Risk Factor #5.
Data source: Florida DBPR public inspection records. Health risk information sourced from CDC, FDA Food Code, and peer-reviewed research. How we collect and verify this data.