18 AAC 31.330 - Food worker cards

(a) The operator of a food establishment shall ensure that each food worker employed in the establishment, within 30 days after the date of hire, holds a valid food worker card issued by the department under this section.

(b) The department will issue an applicant for a food worker card a card after the applicant

(1) satisfactorily completes an examination conducted by the department; and

(2) pays the fee required in 18 AAC 31.050.

(c) In the examination described in (b) of this section, the department will include questions covering

(1) food receipt from an approved source, as specified in 18 AAC 31.200;

(2) food protection, including protection from hands, as specified in 18 AAC 31.220 - 18 AAC 31.228;

(3) potentially hazardous food temperature and time requirements, including maintenance, including during freezing, cold-holding, cooking, hot-holding, cooling, reheating, and serving, as specified in 18 AAC 31.230 - 18 AAC 31.234;

(4) transmission of foodborne disease, as specified in 18 AAC 31.300 and 18 AAC 31.315;

(5) handwashing procedures, as specified in 18 AAC 31.310; and

(6) effective warewashing, including chemical solutions and exposure times necessary for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing food-contact surfaces, as specified in 18 AAC 31.422 - 18 AAC 31.424.

(d) A food worker card issued by the department is valid for three years after the date of issue.

(e) An operator of a food establishment shall maintain records showing compliance with this section, as specified in 18 AAC 31.335.

(f) As necessary for compliance with 42 U.S.C. 12101 - 12213 (Americans with Disabilities Act), the department will waive the examination requirement in (c) of this section if the food worker demonstrates an understanding of the food safety requirements in (c)(1) - (6) of this section that is sufficient to ensure that public health is protected for the activities that the food worker performs or is expected to perform. If a food worker makes a demonstration under this subsection for a limited number of activities, the department will list on the food worker card each approved activity that the food worker may perform.

(g) In this section, "food worker"

(1) means an individual working with unpackaged food, potentially hazardous food, or food-contact surfaces; and

(2) does not include the following individuals, or an individual whose activities are limited to one or more of the following:

(A) an individual responsible for greeting, seating, or transacting the exchange of money or credit with customers;

(B) a grocery checker or an individual responsible for bagging groceries;

(C) a delivery driver;

(D) a patient or resident in an institution;

(E) an individual who assists patients or residents in an institution with meals;

(F) a volunteer;

(G) an individual responsible for stocking shelves or display areas;

(H) an individual responsible for receiving, stocking, shipping, delivering, or picking product in a warehouse;

(I) an individual under the age of 18 who is assisting in a school kitchen with school meal service.

Notes

18 AAC 31.330

Eff. 12/28/2006, Register 180

Authority:AS 17.20.005

AS 17.20.020

AS 17.20.072

AS 17.20.180

AS 17.20.290

AS 44.46.020