Florida Violation V02: Employee health policy

Overview

Violation V02 (Employee health policy) is a High Priority food safety violation in the Personnel category with 17,455 citations in the past 12 months. 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.

Summary generated from Florida DBPR public inspection records and CDC food safety data.

High PrioritySeverity
PersonnelCategory
17,455Citations (12 mo)
Codes 01–28Classification

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.

Source: CDC MMWR — Hepatitis A Outbreak, Michigan 2016-2017

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Florida food safety violation V02?
Florida DBPR violation V02 (Employee health policy) is a High Priority violation in the Personnel category. No employee health policy or inadequate policy
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 employee can contaminate food for thousands of customers.
What are the requirements to correct violation V02?
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.
What CDC risk factor does violation V02 fall under?
Violation V02 (Employee health policy) is classified under: Poor Personal Hygiene - CDC Risk Factor #5. The CDC identifies five major risk factors contributing to foodborne illness outbreaks in food service establishments.

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