Florida Violation V04: Ill employee working

Overview

Violation V04 (Ill employee working) is a High Priority food safety violation in the Personnel category with 20 citations in the past 12 months. DIRECT PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT: Allowing an ill employee to handle food causes immediate risk of mass infection.

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

High PrioritySeverity
PersonnelCategory
20Citations (12 mo)
Codes 01–28Classification

Violation V04 — Ill employee working — is classified as a high priority violation in Florida's food safety code under the Personnel category.

Reference: 61C-4.023(2), FDA Food Code 2-201.12

What the Code Says

V04 — Ill employee working

Employee working while ill with transmissible disease

— Florida Administrative Code 61C-4, FDA Food Code

Why This Matters

DIRECT PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT: Allowing an ill employee to handle food causes immediate risk of mass infection. Hepatitis A has a 28-day incubation period — hundreds of customers can be exposed before symptoms appear. Norovirus survives on surfaces for weeks. A single Typhoid carrier can infect an entire community. Staphylococcus from infected skin produces heat-stable toxins that cooking cannot destroy.

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

A 2017 Hepatitis A outbreak at a smoothie shop in Virginia sickened 7 people after an infected employee continued working while symptomatic. The Virginia Department of Health issued a public alert advising nearly 500 potential exposures. CDC emphasizes that a single ill food worker can contaminate hundreds of servings.

Source: CDC — Hepatitis A Outbreaks

Code Requirements

IMMEDIATELY exclude employees with: vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or diagnosed Hepatitis A/Salmonella Typhi/Shigella/E. coli O157:H7/Norovirus. Restrict employees with sore throat and fever from working with exposed food. Do NOT allow return until symptom-free for 24+ hours or cleared by healthcare provider.

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Florida food safety violation V04?
Florida DBPR violation V04 (Ill employee working) is a High Priority violation in the Personnel category. Employee working while ill with transmissible disease
Why is violation V04 (Ill employee working) dangerous?
DIRECT PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT: Allowing an ill employee to handle food causes immediate risk of mass infection. Hepatitis A has a 28-day incubation period — hundreds of customers can be exposed before symptoms appear. Norovirus survives on surfaces for weeks. A single Typhoid carrier can infect an entire community. Staphylococcus from infected skin produces heat-stable toxins that cooking cannot destroy.
What are the requirements to correct violation V04?
IMMEDIATELY exclude employees with: vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, or diagnosed Hepatitis A/Salmonella Typhi/Shigella/E. coli O157:H7/Norovirus. Restrict employees with sore throat and fever from working with exposed food. Do NOT allow return until symptom-free for 24+ hours or cleared by healthcare provider.
What CDC risk factor does violation V04 fall under?
Violation V04 (Ill employee working) 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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