How to Record a Fitness for Work Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Step 1: Set the scene and context

The fitness for work policy exists to ensure that food handlers don't present any health risks to the food itself. A food handler who is ill—or who has recently been ill—can contaminate the food they prepare and potentially cause food poisoning outbreaks affecting dozens or even hundreds of customers. This isn't about being overly cautious; it's about understanding that the bacteria causing food poisoning can still be present and transmissible even when someone feels better.

Your team needs to understand that reporting illness isn't optional or something to be embarrassed about—it's a fundamental safety requirement. Coming to work with symptoms, or returning too soon after illness, puts customers at risk and can have serious consequences for the business.

Where to film this video:

This is primarily a knowledge-based video, so film in a quiet area where you can speak clearly. Have your fitness-to-work form available to show your team what documentation needs to be completed. If you have a staff area or office where illness reporting would typically be done, consider filming there for context.

What to have ready:

• Your fitness-to-work form (blank copy to show)
• Your illness reporting procedure documentation
• Contact details for managers who handle illness reports
• First aid kit showing blue waterproof plasters
• Information about local GP or occupational health services if relevant

Start your video by explaining:

"This video covers fitness for work—our policy for ensuring that food handlers don't present health risks to the food we serve. I'm going to explain why this matters, what conditions must be reported, the concept of convalescent and asymptomatic carriers, when you must be excluded from work, and the process for returning safely. This isn't about being harsh on people who are unwell—it's about protecting customers from potentially serious illness caused by contaminated food."

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Fitness for work training combines conceptual understanding with specific reporting procedures and exclusion rules. Split your content strategically.

Best for video (on camera):

• Explaining why food handlers who are ill present a risk to food safety
• The concept of convalescent carriers—why someone who feels better can still be infectious
• The concept of asymptomatic carriers—why some people spread bacteria without knowing
• Why high personal hygiene standards matter for everyone
• The reporting process and why it must happen immediately
• When exclusion is required versus when it's not (non-infective causes)
• The return-to-work process and fitness-to-work form

Best for supporting written text:

• Full list of reportable conditions (food poisoning symptoms, skin conditions, etc.)
• Specific exclusion periods for different conditions
• What to do if a family member is ill
• Non-infective causes that don't require exclusion
• Return-from-holiday illness procedures
• Contact details for reporting illness
• Fitness-to-work form requirements

Example written reference to include:

What Must Be Reported:
□ Food poisoning symptoms (vomiting, diarrhoea)
□ Any infectious disease
□ Septic lesions (infected wounds)
□ Infected skin conditions
□ Family members with any of the above conditions

Exclusion Requirements:
→ Food handlers showing symptoms = sent home/excluded from food duties
→ Return only when symptoms have ceased
→ Holiday illness abroad = do not return until symptoms clear
→ If in doubt about illness = seek doctor's advice before returning
→ Fitness-to-work form = must be completed on return

Non-Infective Causes (Exclusion Not Required):
• Morning sickness due to pregnancy
• Medication side effects causing nausea or diarrhoea
• Gastrointestinal conditions (IBS, colitis, Crohn's, coeliac, etc.)
• Dietary indiscretions (excess alcohol, spicy food)
→ If in doubt, assume infection and exclude

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Cover the essential knowledge your team needs about fitness for work, illness reporting, and the science behind exclusion rules.

Why fitness for work matters:

Begin with the context: "The fitness for work policy ensures that food handlers don't present any health risks to the food itself when they show or have previously shown signs or symptoms of a food-borne illness, or have skin diseases or disorders. A food handler with food poisoning symptoms—or even one who has recently recovered—can transfer pathogenic bacteria to the food they handle, potentially causing illness in every customer who eats that food."

Understanding convalescent carriers:

This is a critical concept your team needs to understand: "A convalescent carrier is a person who has suffered from a food-borne illness and appears to have completely recovered—they feel fine, symptoms have stopped—but they're still harbouring and excreting pathogenic bacteria. Sometimes this continues for a long period after apparent recovery.

This is why you can't return to work the moment you feel better. You might feel recovered, but you can still be infectious. You still present a significant risk to food safety until the point when all pathogenic organisms have been shown to have been excreted—usually proven by negative stool samples monitored under the supervision of a doctor."

Understanding asymptomatic carriers:

Explain this second critical concept: "Occasionally, some individuals can harbour pathogenic bacteria internally without ever showing any apparent symptoms of a food-borne illness. These are known as asymptomatic or healthy carriers. They might never feel ill, but they're still capable of contaminating food.

Additionally, some individuals naturally carry high levels of pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus on their skin and hands. These individuals may unknowingly present a serious risk to food safety.

This is exactly why we maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene for everyone—because you cannot always tell who is carrying harmful bacteria. Excellent hand washing, proper uniform, and all our personal hygiene rules apply to everyone, every time, regardless of whether they feel ill."

What must be reported:

Be clear about the reporting requirements: "All food handlers must notify their managers immediately of any food poisoning symptoms, any infectious diseases, any septic lesions or infected wounds, and any infected skin conditions.

Critically, you must also report if any immediate family members are suffering from any of these conditions. If someone in your household has food poisoning symptoms, you may have been exposed and could be incubating the illness or carrying the bacteria without symptoms yet.

This isn't about getting people in trouble—it's about protecting customers. Report immediately so we can make the right decisions about exclusion."

First aid provision:

Cover wound management: "All cuts and wounds must be covered with blue waterproof plasters. Blue so they're visible if they fall into food, waterproof so bacteria from the wound can't contaminate food. We maintain ample provisions in first aid kits in food areas, and these must be checked regularly to ensure plentiful supply is always available. If you have a cut or wound, cover it properly before handling any food."

Exclusion rules:

Explain when exclusion is required: "Food handlers showing symptoms of food-borne illness, skin lesions, or skin disease will be sent home or restricted from food handling duties. They must not return to work until safe to do so.

The key point is that symptoms must have ceased before return. Feeling 'a bit better' isn't enough. If you still have any symptoms—even mild ones—you're not fit to work with food."

Return from holiday:

Cover this specific scenario: "Food handlers who fall ill whilst abroad on holiday must not return to work until safe to do so. Many diseases and infections prevalent in other countries—which are rare or unknown in this country—can develop quickly, whilst others can take weeks to develop.

If you become ill on holiday, do not return to work until symptoms have completely ceased. If any doubt exists regarding the illness, you must seek advice from a doctor before returning to work. On return to work, you must complete the fitness-to-work form."

Non-infective causes:

Explain when exclusion isn't required: "Infections aren't always the cause of sickness and diarrhoea. Exclusion is not required when there's good evidence of a non-infective cause. Examples include:

• Morning sickness due to pregnancy
• Side effects from medications for other conditions that can cause nausea or diarrhoea
• Certain conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract such as inflammation of the bowel or stomach, diverticulitis, colitis, Crohn's disease, IBS, cancer, coeliac disease, food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities, cystic fibrosis, and similar conditions
• Dietary indiscretions such as drinking too much alcohol or consuming too much spicy food

However—and this is important—if in doubt, it's better to assume that the cause is an infection and therefore exclude the food handler unless there's clear evidence to show otherwise. Don't guess."

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

Walk through the practical application of your fitness for work policy.

The reporting process:

Walk through what should happen: "If you experience food poisoning symptoms, an infectious disease, or any of the other reportable conditions, here's exactly what you do:

Contact your manager immediately. Don't wait until your shift starts, don't try to 'see how you feel'—contact us as soon as you know there's a problem. If you're at work and symptoms begin, inform your manager immediately and stop handling food.

Explain your symptoms clearly. Are you vomiting? Do you have diarrhoea? What other symptoms are you experiencing? When did they start? Has anyone in your household been ill with similar symptoms?

We'll make the decision about whether you need to be excluded or restricted from duties. Don't make this decision yourself—even if you think you're fine to work, the decision must come from management."

The exclusion decision:

Explain how decisions are made: "When a food handler reports illness, we consider several factors:

What are the symptoms? Vomiting and diarrhoea with food poisoning characteristics require exclusion. Skin conditions that could contaminate food require exclusion or restriction from food handling.

Is there a non-infective explanation? If you have a known condition like IBS, or you're pregnant and experiencing morning sickness, or you've taken medication that causes stomach upset, that's different from unexplained food poisoning symptoms.

What's the risk? If there's any doubt, we exclude. The risk of allowing someone who might be infectious to handle food is too great. We can manage short-staffed—we cannot manage a food poisoning outbreak."

During exclusion:

Explain what happens next: "If you're excluded from work, stay home until your symptoms have completely ceased. Not 'mostly better'—completely ceased. Don't try to return too soon because you're worried about missing shifts. Your colleagues and our customers depend on you staying away until you're genuinely safe.

If symptoms persist, or if you're unsure whether you're safe to return, seek advice from a doctor. Some conditions require negative stool samples before return is safe. Your doctor can advise on your specific situation.

Keep in contact with your manager. Let us know how you're progressing, and we'll tell you when you're cleared to return."

The return-to-work process:

Walk through the final step: "When you're ready to return, you must complete the fitness-to-work form. This documents that your symptoms have ceased and that you're fit to handle food safely.

The form asks about your illness, when symptoms started, when they stopped, and confirms that you're now symptom-free. This documentation is part of our due diligence—it shows we're properly managing fitness for work and not allowing potentially infectious people to handle food.

Don't skip the form. Even if you've been off for just a couple of days, the fitness-to-work form must be completed on return to work."

Handling family illness:

Walk through this scenario: "If an immediate family member—someone you live with—has food poisoning symptoms or an infectious disease, you must report this to your manager even if you feel perfectly fine.

You may have been exposed and could be incubating the illness. You could be an asymptomatic carrier, spreading bacteria without symptoms. We need to know so we can make an informed decision about whether you should be handling food.

This isn't about punishing you—it's about managing risk. We might decide you can work with enhanced hygiene precautions, or we might decide it's safer for you to stay home until your family member recovers and there's no sign of symptoms in you. But we can only make that decision if you tell us."

Managing wound and skin conditions

Cuts and wounds in the kitchen:

"I've cut my finger while prepping. Let me show you exactly what I need to do."

"First, I stop handling food immediately. I move away from the food preparation area. I don't continue chopping with blood on my hands."

"I wash the wound under clean running water. Then I apply a blue waterproof plaster. Blue so it's visible if it falls into food. Waterproof so bacteria from the wound can't contaminate food through the plaster."

"If the wound is on my hand, I might also need to wear a disposable glove over the plaster for additional protection. This depends on the severity and location of the cut."

"I check the plaster regularly throughout my shift. If it comes off or becomes compromised, I replace it immediately. If I can't find a plaster that's come off, I report it—it might be in the food."

Infected wounds and skin conditions:

"An infected wound is different from a simple cut. If I notice redness, swelling, pus, or discharge from a wound, I must report this immediately."

"Infected wounds harbour bacteria that can contaminate food even through waterproof plasters. I may need to be restricted from food handling duties until the infection clears."

"Skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema, or psoriasis on the hands can also be problematic. Broken, flaking, or weeping skin can contaminate food. If I have a flare-up of a skin condition, I report it and we decide together whether I can safely handle food or whether I need to be assigned to other duties."

Specific illness scenarios

Vomiting at work:

"I'm at work and I suddenly feel nauseous. I think I'm going to be sick. What do I do?"

"I stop handling food immediately. I move away from the food area. I don't try to 'finish this order first'—I stop now."

"I go to the washroom if I need to be sick. After vomiting, I do not return to food handling. I inform my manager immediately."

"Even if I feel better after being sick, I don't return to food duties that day. Vomiting is a symptom that requires exclusion. I go home and stay home until I'm symptom-free."

"If I'm sick in or near a food area, that area needs immediate cleaning and disinfection before any food preparation continues."

Diarrhoea symptoms:

"I've had diarrhoea this morning but I feel okay now. Can I come to work?"

"No. Diarrhoea is a symptom that requires exclusion from food handling. 'Feeling okay' doesn't mean I'm not infectious. I stay home and report to my manager."

"I don't come back until symptoms have completely ceased—not just 'mostly better' but completely stopped. Usually this means 48 hours symptom-free as a minimum, but it may be longer depending on the illness."

Returning after confirmed food poisoning:

"I had confirmed Salmonella. I've been off for a week and I feel fine now. Can I come back?"

"Not necessarily. Some food poisoning illnesses require medical clearance before return. With certain pathogens, I might need to provide negative stool samples before I'm cleared to handle food again."

"I contact my manager, who may refer me to occupational health or advise me to see my doctor. The doctor can advise on whether I need testing before returning."

"This isn't about being overly cautious—it's about the fact that I could still be shedding bacteria even though I feel recovered. Convalescent carriage can last weeks after symptoms stop."

The fitness-to-work form in detail

What the form covers:

"Let me show you the fitness-to-work form and explain each section."

"Section one: personal details. Name, job role, department."

"Section two: illness details. What symptoms did you have? When did they start? When did they stop? Were you diagnosed with anything specific?"

"Section three: current status. Are you now completely symptom-free? Have you sought medical advice? Did your doctor recommend any restrictions?"

"Section four: declaration. By signing, you're confirming that the information is accurate and that you believe you're fit to return to food handling duties."

"Section five: manager sign-off. Your manager reviews the form, asks any clarifying questions, and signs to confirm they're satisfied you're fit to return."

Why the form matters:

"This form isn't bureaucracy for its own sake. It creates a documented record that we properly assessed your fitness to return."

"If there's ever an incident—if a customer gets ill and there's an investigation—we can show that we had a system for managing staff illness and return to work. We can show that you were assessed as fit to return before you handled food again."

"Without this documentation, we can't prove we followed proper procedures. The form protects you, protects the business, and demonstrates due diligence."

Record-keeping requirements

What we document:

"Every illness report is documented. Every exclusion is documented. Every return to work is documented."

"We keep records of: who reported ill and when, what symptoms were reported, the decision made (exclusion, restriction, or continue with precautions), when they returned, and the completed fitness-to-work form."

"These records are confidential—we don't share health information with other staff. But they're available for inspection by environmental health officers if requested."

"Good record-keeping also helps us spot patterns. If multiple staff report similar symptoms around the same time, that might indicate a problem we need to investigate—perhaps food contamination in our own kitchen or a community outbreak affecting our area."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Cover the fitness for work errors that create food safety risks.

Mistake 1: Coming to work with symptoms

"The most serious mistake is coming to work when you have symptoms of food-borne illness. Maybe you feel it's 'just a bit of an upset stomach,' maybe you're worried about missing pay, maybe you think you can power through. But if you're vomiting or have diarrhoea and you handle food, you could contaminate that food and make dozens of customers ill. Stay home. Report immediately. Don't come in hoping you'll feel better."

Mistake 2: Returning to work too soon

"'I felt better this morning so I came in' is dangerous thinking. Symptoms may have eased, but you could still be shedding bacteria—especially if you had food poisoning. Wait until symptoms have completely ceased. If you're not sure, seek medical advice before returning. The fitness-to-work form exists precisely to confirm you're genuinely ready to return."

Mistake 3: Not reporting family illness

"If someone in your household is ill with food poisoning symptoms, you need to report it. You might feel fine, but you've been exposed. You could be incubating the same illness, or you could be carrying bacteria asymptomatically. Failing to report puts customers at risk. Tell your manager, even if you have no symptoms yourself."

Mistake 4: Self-diagnosing non-infective causes

"'It's probably just IBS' or 'I ate something spicy last night' might be true—but it might not be. Don't self-diagnose to avoid being excluded. If you genuinely have a non-infective cause for your symptoms and you have evidence of that, tell your manager. But if there's any doubt, assume infection. Let your manager make the exclusion decision with full information."

Mistake 5: Not completing the fitness-to-work form

"Every return to work after illness must include completing the fitness-to-work form. This isn't optional paperwork—it's documentation that you've been properly assessed as fit to handle food. Skipping it creates a gap in our records and means we have no documentation that you were symptom-free when you returned."

Mistake 6: Forgetting about holiday illness

"Illness while on holiday abroad is easy to dismiss as 'travel bug' or 'just something I ate.' But diseases prevalent in other countries can be serious and can take time to develop. If you were ill abroad, do not return to work until symptoms have completely ceased. If you're unsure about the cause, see a doctor before returning. Some overseas infections require specific treatment and clearance."

Mistake 7: Poor personal hygiene as a 'healthy' individual

"Some people are asymptomatic carriers—they harbour dangerous bacteria without ever feeling ill. Some people naturally carry high levels of Staphylococcus aureus on their skin. You cannot know if you're one of these individuals. This is why personal hygiene standards must be excellent for everyone, every time, regardless of how healthy you feel. You might be fine, but you might unknowingly be a risk."

Step 6: Key takeaways

Finish your video by reinforcing the critical points.

"Let me recap the fitness for work rules you need to remember:

Why it matters: Food handlers with food-borne illness, or those who have recently been ill, can contaminate food and cause outbreaks affecting many customers. Fitness for work policies exist to prevent ill people from handling food.

Convalescent carriers: Someone who feels recovered may still be shedding bacteria for days or weeks. 'Feeling better' doesn't mean 'safe to handle food.' Complete symptom cessation is required.

Asymptomatic carriers: Some people carry harmful bacteria without ever showing symptoms. This is why excellent personal hygiene is required from everyone, not just those who feel unwell.

What must be reported: Food poisoning symptoms, infectious diseases, septic lesions, infected skin conditions—and the same conditions in immediate family members. Report to your manager immediately.

Exclusion rules: Food handlers with symptoms will be sent home or restricted from food duties. Return only when symptoms have completely ceased. If in doubt, seek medical advice.

Holiday illness: Do not return to work after illness abroad until symptoms have completely ceased. If in doubt about the cause, see a doctor before returning.

Non-infective causes: Morning sickness, medication side effects, and known GI conditions may not require exclusion—but if there's any doubt, assume infection and exclude.

First aid: All cuts and wounds must be covered with blue waterproof plasters. Check first aid supplies regularly.

Fitness-to-work form: Must be completed on every return to work after illness. This documents that you're symptom-free and fit to handle food.

When in doubt, stay home: If you're not sure whether you're fit to work, you're not fit to work. Contact your manager, explain the situation, and let them make the decision. The risk of contaminating food is too serious to gamble on.

Fitness for work isn't about being inconvenienced—it's about protecting every customer who eats the food we prepare. Report illness immediately, follow exclusion rules completely, and return only when you're genuinely safe to do so."