Food Handler Pre-Shift Hygiene Check
Catch a ring, an uncovered cut or a dirty apron before the shift starts, not mid-service.
KC-22 1 page
Kitchen and catering · KC-21
Food Handler Fitness to Work Record
A free printable fitness to work record for food handlers: who reported being unwell, when they came off food handling, and who cleared their return.
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One page. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
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The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Show that anyone unwell was kept away from food and only came back under your own policy. The sheet records what was reported and decided, and diagnoses nothing.
Who it is for
Managers and supervisors in kitchens, cafes, food production, care homes and any business where staff handle open food.
How to use it
- Write your own return policy and who staff report illness to in the boxes at the top.
- When someone reports being unwell, write what they said in their own words and when they came off food handling.
- Before they go back, run through the four checks at the foot and write the date they were cleared and by whom.
- Keep the sheet somewhere private: it holds staff health information.
What is on the sheet
One page, top to bottom:
Printed under the title: A line each time a food handler reports being unwell: what they reported, when they came off food handling, and who cleared them to come back under your own policy.
A record, not a diagnosis. Write what the person reported in their own words, not a diagnosis. How long anyone stays off food after symptoms stop is set by your own policy and local health guidance. Keep this sheet where only managers can see it.
Write-on lines: Business or site · Sheet started · Manager responsible · Back to food handling when (our policy) · Staff report illness to · Policy taken from
Reports and returns — one line per time someone is unwell
Table, 8 rows: Name · Reported · Reported as · Off food · Well again · Cleared · Cleared by · Notes
Before clearing someone to return — tick on the day
- Asked when their symptoms stopped
- Checked that date against our policy
- Cuts and sores covered, or kept off food
- Reminded to wash hands thoroughly on return
Questions
Why is there no exclusion period printed?
Because how long a food handler stays off after symptoms stop is set by health guidance that differs between countries and illnesses, and by your own policy. Write the rule you work to at the top, with where it comes from, and check the rules where you are.
Should staff give medical details?
No. Record only what the person chooses to report, in their own words, such as 'stomach upset' or 'infected cut on hand'. The sheet is for deciding whether they handle food, not for diagnosing anything.
How is this different from the absence and lateness record?
That sheet tracks hours lost to any absence. This one records whether a food handler was fit to handle food, including days they worked away from food, and who cleared them to go back.
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