ADPH, FEHH, 9/30/13 14
Highly Susceptible Populations
What are highly susceptible populations (HSP)?
• A population is highly susceptible to foodborne illness if it is:
o Immunocompromised
o Preschool-age children
o Older adults
o Individuals who receive services at custodial care, health care, assisted living,
child/adult day care center, kidney dialysis center, hospital, nursing home, or
nutritional or senior center.
What should managers serving a HSP do to help prevent exposure to viruses and harmful
pathogens?
• Follow protocols for exclusion and restriction, adjusting, and reinstating employees’
work status in the establishment.
• Ensure that employees are properly trained in food safety as it relates to their duties and
use additional safeguards required for working in an HSP.
• Reinforce employee compliance to guarantee good handwashing, acknowledge onset of
symptoms, meet reporting requirements, and ensure no bare hand contact with RTE food
by educating employees.
• Ensure that employees have access to facilities that are well maintained and have the
necessary supplies available to follow proper handwashing.
What can employees do to help prevent the spread of disease in HSPs?
• Report to the manager they are experiencing vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and/or sore
throat with fever.
• Keep hands and arms clean.
• Follow proper handwashing procedures at designated handwashing sinks only.
• Maintain trimmed fingernails. Edges and surfaces should be smooth and cleanable.
• Do not wear jewelry on hands and arms except for a plain ring, like a wedding band.
• Use single-use gloves for one task. If the gloves are damaged or soiled or when
interruptions occur in the process, they must be discarded.
• Do not touch RTE foods with bare hands, and minimize bare hand contact with exposed
food that is not RTE.
• Do not use a utensil more than once to taste food that is to be served or sold.
• Wear clean clothes and hair restraints.
• Do not work with exposed food if experiencing persistent sneezing, coughing, or a runny
nose or discharge from eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Eat and drink in designated areas to avoid the contamination of exposed food, food
equipment, utensils, linen, and unwrapped single-service, and single-use items or items
that require protection.
• Drink from a closed beverage container and handle the container properly to prevent the
contamination of their hands and the container, exposed food, or other articles in the
food establishment.
