Medical Screening & Staff Health
Aligned with BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 – Clause 7.4
Requirement Overview
BRCGS Food Safety Clause 7.4 requires sites to implement and maintain effective procedures for medical screening and managing staff health, particularly those who may pose a risk to food safety through transmissible conditions.
Clause 7.4.1: “The site shall have procedures for medical screening of employees, agency staff, and contractors which are appropriate to the risks posed to the product.”
Clause 7.4.2: “Where permitted by law, employees shall be required to inform management of any relevant infectious disease, condition, or symptoms that may impact product safety.”
Ensuring that only medically fit personnel have access to food handling or production areas is critical for preventing contamination and protecting consumer safety.
Aligned with BRCGS for Storage & Distribution Issue 4 – Clause 4.3.1 & 4.3.3
Requirement Overview
BRCGS for Storage & Distribution requires that products moved via cross-docking are traceable and controlled at all times, even when they are not held in storage for extended periods.
Clause 4.3.1: “The company shall ensure that traceability is maintained at all stages, including during cross-docking operations.”
Clause 4.3.3: “Procedures shall be in place to ensure that all products handled, including those not stored on-site, remain under control and are not subject to contamination or substitution.”
Cross-docking operations must not compromise product traceability, safety, or integrity. Even with minimal handling and temporary presence, each product must be accurately identified, documented, and protected.
Key Compliance Objectives
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✓ Identify and manage health conditions that could compromise food safety
✓ Implement pre-employment and return-to-work health screening
✓ Ensure staff disclose symptoms of illness per company and legal requirements
✓ Maintain confidential, accurate, and retrievable health records
Step-by-Step Compliance Implementation
1. Establish Medical Screening Procedures
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Screening Measures May Include:
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• Pre-employment health questionnaires
• Fitness-for-duty declarations
• Return-to-work medical checks after illness or injury
• Local regulatory compliance regarding privacy and employment law
Evidence to Maintain:
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• Medical screening SOP
• Completed health declarations
• Signed confidentiality agreements
- • Pre-employment health questionnaires • Fitness-for-duty declarations • Return-to-work medical checks after illness or injury • Local regulatory compliance regarding privacy and employment law
- • Medical screening SOP • Completed health declarations • Signed confidentiality agreements
2. Define Illness Reporting Protocols
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Reporting Procedures Should Cover:
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• Symptoms to report (e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, skin infections)
• Conditions requiring exclusion from food handling
• Method for notifying supervisors or HR confidentially
Evidence to Maintain:
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• Staff health policy
• Illness reporting form or digital notification log
• Illness management logs
- • Symptoms to report (e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, skin infections) • Conditions requiring exclusion from food handling • Method for notifying supervisors or HR confidentially
- • Staff health policy • Illness reporting form or digital notification log • Illness management logs
3. Train and Inform All Personnel
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Topics to Cover:
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• Symptoms and conditions that must be reported
• Consequences of working while ill
• Steps to take if illness occurs on site
Evidence to Maintain:
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• Staff training records
• Visual posters or signs in breakrooms and locker areas
• Refresher training logs for agency/temporary staff
- • Symptoms and conditions that must be reported • Consequences of working while ill • Steps to take if illness occurs on site
- • Staff training records • Visual posters or signs in breakrooms and locker areas • Refresher training logs for agency/temporary staff
4. Monitor and Maintain Records
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Records Must Be:
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• Confidential, secure, and compliant with privacy laws
• Accessible only to authorized personnel
• Periodically reviewed for trends or missed reports
Evidence to Maintain:
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• Secured employee health files
• Attendance and illness reports
• Exclusion and return-to-work authorization forms
- • Confidential, secure, and compliant with privacy laws • Accessible only to authorized personnel • Periodically reviewed for trends or missed reports
- • Secured employee health files • Attendance and illness reports • Exclusion and return-to-work authorization forms
Common Audit Findings & Recommended Fixes
| Audit Finding | Recommended Action |
|---|---|
| No medical screening policy in place | Develop SOPs and integrate pre-employment and ongoing screening |
| Illness reporting not clearly defined | Train staff and post symptom reporting guidelines |
| Lack of documentation | Maintain signed forms and illness logs securely |
| Health confidentiality breaches | Restrict access to health data and train HR on privacy compliance |