Article II — Food Worker’s Certificate

No person shall engage or serve or seek employment in any work, occupation or employment which requires or occasions the handling of any food, liquid or material intended for food or drink for human consumption or the handling of any dishes or other articles used in the preparation or service of food or drink for human consumption, who does not hold or produce a food worker’s certificate as required by this chapter or any person known or reasonably believed to be infected with active communicable tuberculosis. (Prior code § 114.10)

Any person who engages in or serves or seeks employment relating to domestic or household work or to temporary, occasional or intermittent functions of bona fide religious, charitable or public service organizations, including fraternal organizations, veterans organizations, established youth organizations, parent-teacher associations, or students in public or private schools under the age of 16 engaged in school food operations, and civic or community organizations or groups, the primary purpose of which is the betterment of the cultural, social or economic welfare and environment of the community, shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 5.16.040 of this chapter. (Prior code § 114.11)

• A. Any person who is engaged or intended to engage in an occupation or employment for which a food worker’s certificate is required by Section 5.16.040 of this chapter shall file with the Health Officer an application for such certificate or a renewal thereof in such form as the Health Officer may require, which application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable fee of $5.00; provided, however, students 16 years of age or older engaged in school food operations are exempt from such fee.

• B. Such application must be accompanied by a signed statement of a physician duly authorized to practice medicine in the state, or a report from an organization acceptable to the Health Officer, showing that the applicant is free of active communicable tuberculosis. Such statement or report shall show that within six months of the date of application the applicant has received either a normal chest x-ray which shows the applicant to be free of active communicable tuberculosis, or an intradermal Mantoux test, the result of which was negative. The statement or report must show that in the Mantoux test no less than five tuberculin units, which is the equivalent of .0001 milligrams intermediate PPD, or one to two thousand solution of old tuberculin freshly prepared, have been used. In duration of six or more millimeters will be construed as a positive skin test. All positive skin test reactors to the Mantoux test will be required to obtain a chest x-ray. Such statement or report shall bear a date not more than six months before the date of application.

• C. A valid certificate of health, indicating that the applicant is free from active communicable tuberculosis, issued by any regularly constituted public health agency and bearing a date of issuance, may be accepted by the Health Officer, in lieu of the statement or report as required in subsection B of this section, during its period of validity, not to exceed one year from the date of its issuance. (Prior code § 114.12)

To qualify for the issuance or renewal of a food worker’s certificate required by Section 5.16.040 of this chapter, the applicant shall be certified to be free from active communicable tuberculosis. (Prior code § 114.13)

• A. When qualified pursuant to Section 5.16.070 of this chapter, the applicant shall be issued a food worker’s certificate containing the following information:

  1. Certificate number;

  2. Name;

  3. Home address;

  4. Expiration date; and

  5. Attesting signature.

• B. Such certificate shall expire one year after the date it was issued. Any person whose health, in the opinion of the Health Officer, requires further investigation may be issued a temporary food handler’s certificate at the discretion of the Health Officer for a period not to exceed three months, during which time such investigation shall be carried out to determine whether or not active communicable tuberculosis is present.

• (Prior code § 114.14)

A duplicate food worker’s certificate, for good cause, may be issued by the Health Officer for a fee of $1.

(Prior code § 114.15)

The food worker’s certificate may be revoked by the Health Officer upon evidence indicating repeated or continuing violations of accepted practices and procedures in the preparation, service, storage, distribution or sale of food or beverages, or upon evidence indicating falsification of information required for issuance of such certificate, or an infectious condition creating a hazard to the public or co-workers. (Prior code § 114.16)

Any person who has an application for a food worker’s certificate denied by the Health Officer or who has had such a certificate revoked by the Health Officer, may appeal such denial or revocation by filing with the clerk of the Board of Supervisors within ten days after the date of such denial or revocation. The clerk shall give notice of the time and place of the hearing to the appellant. Such appeal shall be heard by the Board of Supervisors which may affirm, amend or reverse the decision or take such other action as it deems appropriate. In conducting the hearing, the Board of Supervisors shall not be limited by the technical rules of evidence. (Prior code § 114.17)

Any person required to have a food worker’s certificate shall immediately submit such certificate to his or her employer. It shall be the duty of every such employer to keep on continuous display at the place of employment the food worker’s certificates of all such persons employed or engaged therein, and to display therewith a current list of all such persons therein engaged or employed for comparison with such certificates. Upon termination of employment, each unexpired certificate shall be returned to the holder. (Prior code § 114.18)

Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an infraction. (Prior code § 114.99)