It is day two of a ten-day charter, you are already one stew down, and the sous chef tells you quietly that he was sick twice in the night but feels fine now and can work. Everyone in the galley is watching to see what you say. This is the decision that defines whether you are a supervisor or a title.
Fitness to work
Food handlers must report, before starting work, any of:
- Vomiting or diarrhoea (the critical one)
- Infected cuts, boils, skin lesions, or septic conditions
- Discharge from eyes, ears, nose or mouth
- Contact with a confirmed case, or a household member with symptoms
The exclusion rule and why it is not negotiable
The widely-applied catering standard is that anyone with vomiting or diarrhoea is excluded from all food handling and must remain excluded until 48 hours symptom-free without medication. Confirm the exact rule your FSMS and flag/port state specify — but understand why the number exists:
Norovirus needs only a handful of viral particles to infect. A person continues shedding virus after symptoms stop. A single vomiting episode aerosolises millions of particles across a galley. And alcohol gel does not reliably inactivate norovirus — only thorough handwashing with soap and running water, plus disinfection with an effective agent, will do it.
A sous chef who is "fine now" is, in norovirus terms, still an active source. Letting him work will not save your charter — it will end it, along with the crew's season, because he will infect the crew who would otherwise cover for him.
| Pressure you will hear | Your answer |
|---|---|
| "We are short-handed" | We will be far shorter-handed with six down |
| "He feels fine" | Shedding continues after symptoms stop |
| "The guests will notice" | They will notice an outbreak more |
| "The captain wants service" | Then the captain needs the facts — now |
Escalate to the captain, record the exclusion, arrange cover, and log it. Redeploy, do not simply send below — non-food duties, or isolation in cabin if the vessel's policy requires it.
Allergen management as a system
Allergens kill, and they are the hazard most often controlled by luck. Build it as a system, not a conversation.
| Element | What it means | Failure mode |
|---|---|---|
| Declaration | A written guest preference and allergy form before the charter; captured for crew too | "Someone mentioned a nut thing" |
| Verification | Read the label of every ingredient, every delivery — recipes change without warning | Assuming the same brand is still nut-free |
| Segregation | Dedicated boards, utensils, oil, prep area and storage; prepare the allergen-free dish first | The same wiping cloth across every surface |
| Communication | Allergen matrix per dish; the plate identified from galley to guest by name | A verbal handover across a noisy pass |
| The truthful answer | If you do not know, say "I do not know — I will check". Never guess to look competent | "I think it should be fine" |
A near-miss is free information. Treat it exactly like an incident: what failed, why, what changed.
Onboard Notes
- Write the exclusion policy down and get the captain to sign it before the season. Arguing it mid-charter is too late.
- Handwashing, not gel, is the control for norovirus. Say so every time someone reaches for the bottle.
- Nobody is ever penalised for saying "I need to check" about an allergen. Make that explicit to the crew.
Scope note: xplor is not an approved centre or an accredited training provider. This lesson is preparatory study only - no certificate and no regulated qualification is awarded here, and a Level 3 supervising food safety award must be sat and assessed with an approved centre of a regulated awarding organisation.