Washington Administrative Code › Title 246 - Health, Department of › FOOD HANDLING › Chapter 246-217 - Food worker cards › Section 246-217-025 - Issuance of food worker cards - Fees

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
(1) In order to qualify for issuance of an
				initial or renewal food worker card, an applicant must demonstrate his/her
				knowledge of safe food handling practices by satisfactorily completing an
				examination conducted by the local health officer or designee.
(2) Each applicant for a food worker card
				must pay a fee in the amount of ten dollars. The fee shall be used by the
				jurisdictional health department or designee to defray the costs of food worker
				training and education, administration of the program, and testing of
				applicants. Photographic identification may be required at the time of
				application.
(3) The local health
				officer or designee must furnish to the applicant a copy of the latest edition
				of the "
Food and Beverage Service Workers' Manual
" or similar
				publication, as prepared or approved by the department.
(4) Effective January 1, 2000, prior to
				conducting the examination of the applicant(s), the health officer (or
				designee) must provide at least thirty minutes of instruction, including both
				audio and visual presentations. Instruction content shall include topics
				related to safe food preparation, storage and service. At a minimum, topics
				must include: Food borne illness overview; basic bacteriology as it relates to
				food borne illness; proper cooking, hot holding, cold holding and cooling of
				potentially hazardous foods; cross-contamination prevention; and proper
				handwashing techniques. Instruction content must also include the topic of food
				allergy awareness that is presented and/or distributed to each
				applicant.
(5) The food worker card
				examination will be uniform statewide and will be prepared by and/or approved
				by the department; except that jurisdictional health departments may include
				additional questions to address local health concerns. The examination will
				cover topics identified in subsection (4) of this section, except food allergy
				awareness, as required instruction topics. An exam must be approved by the
				department prior to its use. To pass the examination the applicant must answer
				at least eighty percent of the questions correctly.
(6) Upon payment of the required fee and the
				applicant's satisfactory completion of the examination, the applicant will
				receive the food worker card.
(7) A
				copy of the card or the applicable information must be kept on file at the
				jurisdictional health department.
(8) Copies of food worker cards for all
				employed food service workers must be kept on file by the employer or kept by
				the employee on his or her person and open for inspection at all times by
				authorized public health officials.
(9) All food worker cards must be issued and
				signed by the local health officer. The local health officer may contract with
				persons to provide the required training or testing within his/her
				jurisdiction. The contracts must include test security provisions so that test
				questions, scoring keys, and other examination data are exempt from public
				disclosure to the same extent as records maintained by state or local
				government agencies.
(10) The
				health officer or designee must make test accommodations in accordance with the
				Americans with Disabilities Act for those requesting such
				accommodations.
Statutory Authority:
					 RCW
					 43.20.050. 06-05-008, § 246-217-025,
					 filed 2/2/06, effective 3/5/06. Statutory Authority: Chapter 69.06 RCW.
					 02-22-079, § 246-217-025, filed 11/5/02, effective 1/1/03. Statutory
					 Authority:
					 RCW
					 43.20.050. 99-13-019, § 246-217-025,
					 filed 6/7/99, effective 7/8/99.