GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1989

H	2 

HOUSE BILL 485
Committee Substitute Favorable 6/23/89

Short Title:  Food Workers Health Precautions.	(Public)
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Sponsors:
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Referred to: 
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March 8, 1989

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO REQUIRE FOOD SERVICE WORKERS WHO HANDLE UNWRAPPED FOOD TO WEAR GLOVES OR USE A UTENSIL WHEN HANDLING UNWRAPPED FOOD AND TO BE TESTED ANNUALLY FOR HEPATITIS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. G.S. 130A-248 reads as rewritten:
"§ 130A-248. Regulation of restaurants and hotels.
(a)	For the protection of the public health, the Commission shall adopt rules governing the sanitation of restaurants, hotels, motels, tourist homes, school cafeterias, summer camps, food or drink stands, sandwich manufacturing operations, mobile food units, pushcarts and other facilities where food or drink is prepared or served for pay or where lodging is provided for pay. The rules shall address, but not be limited to, the establishment of sanitation requirements for cleanliness of floors, walls, ceilings, storage spaces, utensils and other areas and items; adequacy of lighting, ventilation, water supply, sewage collection, treatment and disposal facilities, lavatory facilities, food protection facilities and waste disposal; the cleaning and bactericidal treatment of eating and drinking utensils and other food-contact surfaces; methods of food preparation, transportation, catering, storage and serving; health of employees; and animal and vermin control.  Rules of the Commission shall also address the appropriate and reasonable use of gloves or utensils by employees who handle unwrapped food.  The rules shall also require testing for hepatitis using the Immunoglobulin M test within six months before employment for new employees and annually for all employees who handle food.  The rules shall contain a system for grading facilities, such as Grade A, Grade B and Grade C.
(b)	No facility shall commence or continue operation that does not have a permit issued by the Department. The permit shall be issued to the owner or operator of the facility and shall not be transferable. A permit shall be issued only when the facility satisfies all of the requirements of the rules. A permit shall be immediately revoked in accordance with G.S. 130A-23(d) for failure of the facility to maintain a minimum grade of C.  A permit may otherwise be suspended or revoked in accordance with G.S. 130A-23."
Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective October 1, 1989, and shall apply to all persons employed in food service or food preparation establishments on or after that date.