Cleaning, sanitising and personal hygiene

A cleaning schedule must be usable

List what is cleaned, who does it, the method, products, frequency and verification. Include hard-to-reach equipment, food-contact surfaces and shared utensils. Follow manufacturer instructions for dilution, contact time, rinsing and safe storage.

Separate cleaning from sanitising

Remove food residues and dirt before applying the appropriate sanitising step. Re-contamination can occur during drying, storage or reuse, so consider the whole workflow rather than the chemical alone.

Make reporting illness straightforward

Staff and volunteers need to know whom to tell when they are unwell or have a condition that may affect food safety. The supervisor should decide the appropriate action using current official guidance and workplace procedures.

Official sources

• FSANZ: food handler training (opens official site)
• FSANZ: food safety management tools (opens official site)

This page summarises the sources above as at 27 October 2026. It is not legal advice and is not endorsed by any regulator. Where your situation differs, the official source and your local authority prevail.