Food poisoning is one of the most underestimated incidents that can happen in the workplace. It can have symptoms that vary from mild to severe, depending on the source of poison. While a lot of people tend to overlook the important aspect of proper hygiene and storage especially in food facilities, food poisoning is in reality a serious illness that has claimed many lives in the past years, according to statistics from the Department of Health.
There are two kinds of food poisoning; poisoning by toxic agent or by infectious agent. Food infection is when the food contains bacteria or other microbes which infect the body after food is eaten. Food intoxication is when the food contains toxins. Even though it is commonly called “food poisoning”, most cases are caused by a variety of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, prions orparasites that contaminate food, rather than chemical or natural toxins which are what we usually call poison. Many forms of bacterial poisoning can be prevented even if food is contaminated by cooking it sufficiently but unfortunately, many toxins are not destroyed by heat treatment.
Foodborne illnesses are usually caused by improper handling, preparation or storage of food substances. Foodborne disease can also be caused by a large variety of toxins that affect the environment such as pesticides or medicines in food and naturally toxic substances such aspoisonous mushrooms or reef fish. Good hygiene practices before, during, and after food preparation can reduce the chances of contracting an illness. Food safety, which is an action of monitoring food to ensure that it does not cause foodborne illness, should also be practised.
Most symptoms vary from hours to days after eating before they start to show up. Depending on what the cause of the poisoning was, they can include one or more of the following; nausea, abdominal pain,vomiting, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis, fever, pain in the head or fatigue. In most cases the body is able to permanently get better after a short period of acutediscomfort and illness. Foodborne illnesses can result in permanent health problems or even death, especially for people at high risk, such as babies, young children, pregnant women (and their foetuses),elderly people, sick people and others with weakimmune systems. Some food poisoning infections are a major cause of arthritis which occurs 1-3 weeks after diarrheal illnesses. Tetrodotoxin poisoning from reef fish and other animals shows up very quickly in symptoms such as numbness and shortness of breath, and is often fatal.
Symptoms of food poisoning can occur from almost immediately to several hours after the food has been consumed. This makes it difficult to relate the disease to something that happened in the workplace. While each individual reacts differently to diseases and poisonings, several employees falling ill at the same time is the clearest sign food consumed in the workplace should be investigated.
People who have fallen ill normally require several days to recuperate. Those who have been severely affected need the assistance of professional care as their body will need help and additional fluids to flush out the contaminated food and to recuperate. In a worst-case scenario they will have to be hospitalized so their condition can be monitored continuously.
People can fall ill at any time, everywhere and from anything. While the Compensation Commissioner (CC) will pay out cost incurred, if it can be proved that this was a work-related incident, employers should be prepared to answer additional questions when cost incurred suddenly involves hospitalisation and, in particular, hospitalization for several days off for several employees.
Don't let food poisoning poison your relationship with the CC!
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