Chapter: Operations and Documentation
Section: F.B.7 Personnel
Sub-Section: N/A

Elements

The regulatory requirements contained in this guideline will be met when:

F.B.7 (01) Acceptable hand washing practices are followed. (Risk Ranking: High)

F.B.7 (02) Any person in any room or area of the fish processing plant where fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials are exposed, wears sanitary hair and beard coverings (if applicable). (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (03) Any person who is in any room or area of the fish processing plant where fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials are exposed, wears clean footwear and uses a footwear dip or other method to effectively clean and sanitize footwear, if necessary to protect the fish product, ingredient, labelling material or packaging material from contamination. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (04) Any person engaged in the processing, packaging, labelling, handling or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials at the fish processing plant wears clean and sanitary clothing. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (05) Gloves are worn to handle exposed ready-to-eat fish products, these gloves are sound, clean, sanitary and suitable for their intended purpose. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (06) Gloves worn by any person engaged in the processing, packaging, labelling, handling or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials at the fish processing operation are sound, clean, sanitary and suitable for the intended purpose. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (07) No person who is engaged in processing, packaging, labelling, handling, shipping, receiving, or storing of fish products engages in any activity, behaviour or practice that poses a risk of contaminating the fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (08) No person who is engaged in processing, packaging, labelling, handling, shipping, receiving, or storing of fish products wears an object or uses a substance that may pose a risk of falling into or otherwise contaminating the fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials, unless effective steps are taken to mitigate all risks. (Risk Ranking: Low)

F.B.7 (09) Access to the fish processing plant used by the operation is controlled to minimize the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (10) The pattern of employee movement minimizes the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

F.B.7 (11) No person with a condition that is likely to contaminate fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials is engaged in processing, packaging, labelling, storing or handling fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials. (Risk Ranking: Medium)

Rationale

Handwashing

Hands must be washed with soap and water as frequently as needed to minimize the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials. This includes:

  • when exiting a washroom,
  • before or immediately upon entering, processing/handling/storage areas,
  • after a break,
  • between handling products that are incompatible with each other,
  • any time when hands have been exposed to contamination.

It is important to adequately train, supervise and monitor plant personnel to ensure that they are following proper handwashing procedures.

Hair/beard nets and head coverings

Hair must be completely and effectively covered by hair nets, beard nets, and/or head coverings in fish product handling areas of the plant. Hair coverings must be kept clean and must be worn in combination with a hair net if the covering does not completely and effectively cover all hair.

Sanitary clothing

Clothing, footwear, and other apparel may be a source of contamination in a fish processing plant. Operators must ensure that anyone in any room or area of the fish processing plant who is engaged in the fish processing operation, wears clean and sanitary clothing and footwear.

Clothing and footwear should be designed and made of materials that are appropriate and compatible with fish processing operations. Employees must take appropriate steps to keep clothing, footwear, and other apparel clean. Employees should change their clothing and other apparel as frequently as necessary if the clothing is likely to contaminate fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials. Furthermore, when not being used, footwear, clothing and other apparel should be stored in a location where it will not become contaminated and will not cause risk of contamination to any part of the fish processing operation or the fish processing plant.

Gloves

When used properly, gloves can help protect food from contamination and may also protect food handlers from foodborne illness.

Gloves should be treated as a food contact surface and must be kept clean and sanitary. Employees who wear gloves for any purpose in the fish processing operation must ensure the gloves are sound, clean, sanitary and suitable for their intended use. Correct handwashing procedures is essential.

Gloves are particularly important when handling exposed ready-to-eat fish products because consumers eat these products without further cooking. Employees must wear gloves that are clean when handling ready-to-eat products.

Once contaminated, disposable gloves should be discarded. Gloves should not be worn between incompatible areas of the fish processing operation.

Latex or plastic gloves may be worn by employees to cover bandaged cuts, burns or abrasions. These gloves must be regularly cleaned during use or replaced.

Personal habits, objects, and adornments

Personal behaviours that could contaminate products (for example, eating, using tobacco or chewing gum) must be prohibited in any part of the fish plant that is used for the processing, packaging, labelling, handling, shipping, receiving or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials.

Employees who handle fish products should not wear objects or adornments (for example, jewellery or hair clips) because they can potentially contaminate and/or fall into the product. If any objects or adornments are worn (such as medical alert devices or wedding rings) they must be adequately covered to mitigate the risk of contaminating products. Items such as pens, pencils and thermometers must not be kept in coat or shirt pockets because they may fall into the product.

Movement of people

Access to the fish processing plant must be controlled and the movement of people within the fish plant must follow a pattern that minimizes the potential for contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials.

Cross-over of incompatible activities (for example, the movement of people from raw product handling to finished product handling areas, or the movement of people from areas with allergens to areas without allergens) should be avoided. Movement can be assessed by reviewing the operation’s processing steps in conjunction with the floor plan and normal operational people/product flow, to ensure that cross-contamination does not occur or is prevented by operational controls (such as time separation).

One efficient and effective method of controlling movement is the use of colour coding. For example, coloured headwear or clothing can immediately identify inappropriate cross-over practices, making supervision and control easier.

Employees with a condition

An employee with a condition (such as an infectious disease, skin disease or infection, open cut or wound) may be a source of contamination within a fish processing plant. Ill employees should immediately notify plant management if they are suffering from, show symptoms of, or are known to be carriers of a disease that is transmissible through food, or any other condition that may impact food safety. Employees with open cuts or wounds should notify plant management to ensure that appropriate and effective protective coverings are used.

Ill individuals must not engage in the processing, packaging, labelling, storing or handling of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials.

Training

The operator must ensure that all employees of the operation are trained and competent to perform their duties. Operators should include documented policies and procedures for all personnel practices in their training program. Refer to “Training” FPG for more information.

Visitors and contractors

Visitors should be discouraged from entering processing areas because they pose a contamination risk. Operators should post notices that restrict visitor access.

Operators are responsible for the hygienic processing of fish products. This includes carefully monitoring access to the fish processing plant by anyone other than employees. To avoid contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials, any visitors or contractors who are in an area where fish products are handled, should maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness and should follow the same policies and procedures that apply to employees (hand washing, hair coverings, sanitary clothing and footwear, illness and injuries, etc.).

Regulatory references

Food Safety and Quality Act, 2001; O. Reg. 465/19 s. 47, 48, 49

    1. The operator of a fish processing operation in respect of which a licence is required under this Regulation shall ensure that every person engaged in the processing, packaging, labelling, handling or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials washes their hands thoroughly with soap and water,
      1. as frequently as is necessary to minimize the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials;
      2. before exiting a washroom; and
      3. before or immediately upon entering an area of the fish processing plant where fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials are processed, packaged, labelled, handled or stored, as the case may be.
    2. The operator shall ensure that if a person has a condition, and it is likely to contaminate fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials, the person shall not engage in the processing, packaging, labelling, storing or handling of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials.
    3. No person who is engaged in the fish processing operation’s processing, packaging, labelling, handling, shipping, receiving or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials shall,
      1. engage in any activity, behaviour or practice that poses a risk of contaminating the fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials; or
      2. wear an object or use a substance that poses a risk of falling into or otherwise contaminating the fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials, unless effective steps are taken to mitigate that risk.
    4. The operator shall ensure that any person who is in any room or area of the fish processing plant used by the fish processing operation where a fish product, ingredient, labelling material or packaging material is exposed,
      1. wears a sanitary hair covering, including a beard covering if applicable; and
      2. wears clean footwear and, if necessary to protect the fish product, ingredient, labelling material or packaging material from contamination, uses a footwear dip or other method to effectively clean and sanitize the footwear.
    1. The operator of a fish processing operation in respect of which a licence is required under this Regulation shall ensure that every person engaged in the handling of exposed ready-to-eat fish products wears gloves that are sound, clean, sanitary and suitable for their intended purpose.
    2. The operator shall ensure that if a person engaged in the processing, packaging, labelling, handling or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials at the fish processing plant wears gloves, the gloves are sound, clean, sanitary and suitable for their intended purpose.
    3. The operator shall ensure that every person engaged in the processing, packaging, labelling, handling or storing of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials or packaging materials at the fish processing plant wears clean and sanitary clothing in order to minimize the risk of contamination of the fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials.
  3. The operator of a fish processing operation in respect of which a licence is required under this Regulation shall ensure that,
    1. access to the fish processing plant used by the operation is controlled to minimize the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials; and
    2. the pattern of employee movement in the normal course of operation of the plant minimizes the risk of contamination of fish products, ingredients, labelling materials and packaging materials.