Serving King, Pierce Kitsap, & Mason Counties in Washington State

At Harris Family Companies, food safety is everyone’s responsibility. All Employees who work at a location that prepares food or drinks of any kind are REQUIRED to have provide a copy of their Food Worker Permit that will be kept on file for any visiting Health Inspectors to see on visits.

 

All employees must actively monitor and maintain proper food safety procedures at all times. If you see a violation or potential risk, you must correct it immediately or escalate it to your manager, Operations Leader,

 

Person in Charge (PIC) & Active Managerial Control (AMC)

Every food establishment is legally required to have a Person in Charge (PIC) present at all times during business hours. At Harris Family Companies, every employee on shift is responsible for food safety, not just managers. This means that anyone working is considered the PIC and must ensure Active Managerial Control (AMC) is in place.

 

What is Active Managerial Control (AMC)?

AMC means taking a proactive and preventative approach to food safety rather than reacting to problems after they happen. This includes:

• Ensuring proper food handling & hygiene procedures

• Monitoring food temperatures & storage conditions

• Correcting food safety violations immediately

• Training and supervising new employees to follow food safety policies

• Reporting any food safety concerns to management right away

   

Your Responsibilities as a PIC

If you are on shift, YOU are a PIC and responsible for ensuring food safety compliance. This includes:

• Food Temperatures – Monitor hot & cold holding temps, cooking temps, and cooling processes

• Handwashing & Glove Use – Ensure employees wash hands & change gloves appropriately

• Proper Food Storage & FIFO – Check that all foods are labeled and rotated correctly

• Sanitization & Cleanliness – Verify that workstations, dishes, and utensils are sanitized properly

• Employee Illness Reporting – If a coworker is sick, ensure they report it and do not work

   

If You See a Food Safety Issue

You must act immediately:

1. First, politely remind your coworker of the proper procedure.

2. If the issue continues, immediately report it to your manager, Operations Leader.

    

Accountability as a PIC

• Employees cannot ignore food safety violations.

• Failure to act on food safety violations as a PIC can result in disciplinary action.

• If an employee feels uncomfortable addressing an issue directly, they must report it to your Operations Leader immediately.

   

1. Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Foods

Certain foods require strict temperature control to prevent bacterial growth. These foods must be kept at 41°F or below when cold and 135°F or above when hot.

 

TCS Foods Relevant to our Businesses Include:

• Meats

• Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc.)

• Cut tomatoes, leafy greens

   

🛑 Danger Zone Alert: 41°F - 135°F is the "Danger Zone" where bacteria multiply rapidly. Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold!

 

2. Proper Food Cooling Procedures

All hot foods must be rapidly cooled using the 2-stage cooling method:

• Step 1: Cool from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours

• Step 2: Continue cooling to 41°F or below within 4 more hours (total cooling time = 6 hours max)

   

How to Cool Food Properly:

Use shallow, uncovered pans (max 2-inch depth)

Refrigerate immediately (never leave food sitting out)

Place cooling foods on the top shelf to allow airflow

If a food doesn’t reach 70°F in 2 hours, reheat to 165°F and start over

 

Hot Holding:

• Reheat previously cooled foods to 165°F for at least 15 seconds before holding at 135°F or above

• Soup, chili, and other hot foods must be monitored frequently to ensure they stay above 135°F

   

4. Date Marking & FIFO (First In, First Out)

All opened or prepped foods must be labeled with their discard date (7 days from opening or preparation).

 

Date Marking Requirements:

• Day 1 = day food was prepped or opened

• Day 7 = discard date (food can still be used ON day 7, but must be discarded before day 8)

• Freezing stops the 7-day countdown, but does NOT reset it

• Reheating fully resets the 7-day countdown

• Employees must record discard dates clearly using sharpies on packaging or masking tape on prepped food containers

   

FIFO (First In, First Out) Rotation:

• Older food & drink items go in front (all businesses), newer items go behind

• Check expiration dates daily at all, but a minimum of monthly at Harborside Markets, VMFH Gift shops, and The Bremerton Mercantile, and discard anything past the discard date (Cups /Scoops), or Mark it down in the bargain bin.

   

DO NOT serve, sell, or use expired foods. Best-buy dates in packaged foods and drinks at the retail shops that do not need to be refrigerated may be marked down and moved to bargain bins as "recently past best buy" discounts.

 

5. Bare Hand Contact & Glove Use

When handling ready-to-eat food, employees must wear gloves or use utensils/tissue paper.

Gloves Must Be Changed When

• Switching between raw and cooked food

• Handling money, trash, or anything unsanitary

• After touching your hair, face, or body

• After taking an order or using a register

Failure to follow this policy results in IMMEDIATE TERMINATION.

 

6. Employee Health & Reporting Illness

Employees must NOT work if experiencing:

• Fever, vomiting, or diarrhea

• Jaundice (yellowing of skin/eyes)

• Sore throat with fever

• Open, infected wounds on hands

If diagnosed with Norovirus, Salmonella, E. coli, Hepatitis A, or Shigella, you must report it immediately to your manager and not return to work until cleared. Failure to report illness may result in up to termination.

 

7. Proper Cleaning & Sanitization

• Sanitize all food contact surfaces & equipment every 4 hours

• Sanitizer concentration in the 3-compartment sink must be 50-100 ppm for chlorine bleach or 200-400 ppm for Quat sanitizer

• Cold sanitizer water is required in the final rinse compartment

• Vomit, Diarrhea, or Blood Cleanup must be handled using the designated spill kit (report all incidents to management)

   

8.Vomit/Diarrhea/Blood Spill Clean-Up Kits*

Bodily fluid spills are biohazards and must be cleaned up properly to prevent disease transmission. *Hospital locations do not have spill kits, they are instructed to avoid the hazard and prevent other people from coming into contact with it, then immediately engage with Hospital Custodial Staff.

​

A. Required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

• Before cleaning up a biohazard spill, always wear:

• Disposable gloves.

• A face mask if needed.

• Protective eyewear (if splash risk is present).

• A disposable apron (if available).

B. Clean-Up Procedures

• Close off the area and notify nearby employees.

• Use the Vomit/Blood/Diarrhea Spill Kit (available in every store).

• Apply absorbent powder to the spill.

• Use the disposable scraper and scoop to collect the material.

• Dispose of waste in the designated biohazard disposal bag.

• Clean and disinfect the entire area with an EPA-approved sanitizer.

• Dispose of gloves and PPE in a separate sealed bag.

• Wash hands thoroughly after removing PPE.

C. Reporting

• All bodily fluid incidents must be reported immediately to an Operations Leader.

• Complete an Incident Investigation Report if the spill resulted from an injury.

• If a guest is involved, follow guest injury reporting procedures.

 

9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

🔹 Q: If I see a co-worker not following food safety rules, what should I do?💡 A: Politely remind them! If they don’t correct the issue, immediately report it to your manager or designated contact.

 

🔹 Q: Can I handle ready-to-eat food with my bare hands if I just washed them?💡 A: No. Gloves or utensils must always be used.

 

🔹 Q: Do I have to label EVERYTHING I open?💡 A: Yes! Every opened/prepped food that will be kept over 24 hours must be labeled with a discard date.

 

🔹 Q: Can I still use food on the discard date?💡 A: Yes! The discard date is the last day the food can be used. It must be thrown out at the start of Day 8.

 

🔹 Q: Does reheating reset the discard date?💡 A: Yes! If food is properly reheated to 165°F for 15 seconds, it gets a new 7-day period.

 

🔹 Q: Can I freeze food to make it last longer?💡 A: Yes, but freezing only pauses the countdown—it does NOT reset the discard date.

 

🔹 Q: Can I cool hot food on the counter before putting it in the fridge?💡 A: No! Hot food must be refrigerated immediately in a shallow, uncovered pan to cool quickly.

 

🔹 Q: What do I do if I accidentally miss a temperature check?💡 A: Immediately check the food's temperature. If it’s been in the Danger Zone for over 4 hours, throw it out.

 

🔹 Q: What do I do if I run out of gloves?💡 A: Stop handling food immediately and ask a manager for a new box of gloves.