If you work with food, you can pass germs to other people without noticing. The Infection Protection Act (Infektionsschutzgesetz, IfSG) therefore sets out who may not work in which circumstances and how employees must be instructed about it. In this course you learn the rules in plain English.
Two instructions, two responsible bodies
The law knows two different instructions. They are easy to mix up.
- First instruction under § 43 (1) IfSG (Erstbelehrung). It applies before the first job. The local health office (Gesundheitsamt) or a doctor appointed by it instructs you and issues a certificate (Bescheinigung). The certificate must not be older than three months when you start work. After that it stays valid, even if you change employer. You also state in text form that you know of no facts that would lead to a work ban.
- Follow-up instruction under § 43 (4) IfSG (Folgebelehrung). This is the employer's task. The employer instructs staff after they start work and then every two years. The employer must document your participation.
This course relates to the second instruction. It is no substitute for the first instruction by the Gesundheitsamt. Anyone who does not yet have the first instruction must get it there before starting the job.
Who does the follow-up instruction apply to?
What counts is the activity, not the profession. The follow-up instruction concerns people who carry out an activity under § 42 (1) IfSG. These are, for example:
- employees who produce, treat or place on the market certain foods and come into contact with them,
- employees in restaurant kitchens and in communal catering facilities, such as canteens, nurseries or care homes,
- people who handle articles of daily use such as crockery, cutlery or work equipment in a way that germs could reach food. This includes dishwashing staff.
The law excludes the private household sphere. Anyone who cooks for their family at home is not covered.
What the employer must instruct about
According to the text of the law, the employer must instruct about two things:
- the work bans (Tätigkeitsverbote) under § 42 (1) IfSG, and
- your duty to report obstacles at once (§ 43 (2) IfSG).
The text of the law names no particular form. The participation must be documented; date, content and signature are usual. As a rule, signs of illness and hygiene rules are also discussed, because they help to keep to the bans. This course covers all of these topics.
Who is responsible?
The duty to give the follow-up instruction lies with the employer. The employer instructs, documents and keeps the record. The employer may hand over the delivery to suitable people, for example a hygiene officer. But the responsibility stays with the employer. Self-employed people who work with food themselves must meet the duties for themselves (§ 43 (6) IfSG).
You, as an employee, have a duty of your own: if an obstacle arises in your case, you must report it to your employer without delay.
What this course is
The course and the test are free. After you pass the test, you can buy a confirmation of participation. It shows that you have completed this course. It is not a regulated qualification and not a certificate from the Gesundheitsamt. The course is not, by itself, your workplace's follow-up instruction. Your employer decides whether to use it as the follow-up instruction or as part of it. The employer then documents your participation itself.