|
Minnesota Rules, part 4626.0060, subpart A lists infections that the PIC is
required to report. Contact the regulatory authority if an employee reports
that they tested positive for:
-
E. coli
O157:H7
- Salmonella
- Shigella
- Hepatitis A
You
do not need a doctor’s note of confirmation to call and report the diagnosis. Better
safe than sorry! Health practitioners will also report these diagnoses to MDH,
but transmission to patrons may have already happened. Getting information to
the health authority as soon as possible helps us put important safeguards –
like Exclusions and Restrictions – in place. As we know, these measures can help prevent foodborne
illness outbreaks when employees have symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
Back to top
Minnesota Rules, part 4626.0060, subpart B
requires the PIC to
provide employee illness records at the inspector’s request.
As
we learned in Part 3: Recording Employee Illness and Customer Complaints,
the PIC must keep a record of foodborne illness symptoms in
employees. These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice. Keep the
information from the illness logs on site and in a convenient location so all PICs
have access to it.
If you
have several employees out sick with vomiting and diarrhea, you may want to
contact your inspector. Inspectors can provide education and reminders specific
to the situation. An early reminder about employee illness might spur the PIC to put simple control measures into place. These safeguards could potentially prevent an
outbreak associated with your establishment.
Back to top
Minnesota Rules, part 4626.0060, subpart C
requires the PIC to
report:
- Complaints from customers who report becoming
ill with diarrhea or vomiting after eating at the establishment.
- Complaints from customers who test positive for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella, or
hepatitis A after eating at the establishment.
PICs
can report to your inspector or by calling MDH’s Foodborne Illness Hotline at 1-877-FOOD-ILL (1-877-366-3455). If
you don’t know who your inspector is, you can find information for Minnesota State and Local Food, Pools and lodging Contacts online.
In addition, the PIC should get contact
information such as name and phone number from the complainant. This helps MDH
reach out to the individual. The PIC can provide the foodborne illness hotline number to the customer, but do not rely on the complainant to follow through. The PIC is always required to reach out to the regulatory agency to report a customer complaint of illness.
If an inspector fields a call reporting a customer complaint of illness, they can also help jump-start an investigation by
calling to the hotline themselves to report a customer complaint. This ensures
that MDH epidemiologists know about potential foodborne illness outbreaks as
soon as possible. Time is crucial when it comes to preventing foodborne illness
transmission, so prompt action is essential.
Remember that the details of the customer’s illness do not determine
whether the PIC should report the complaint. It is not up you as the PIC or
inspector alone to determine if illness is plausible or associated with the
establishment. Epidemiologists and environmental health specialists from the regulatory
authorities will work together with the food establishment to investigate the
complaint, if appropriate.
Back to top
|
