Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Food Service Manual for Health Care Institutions
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• Understand the institution’s overall plan for handling internal and external disasters
• Train the food service staff to perform their roles in handling potential disasters
• Know the amount of nonperishable food that must be kept on hand for emergencies
according to state law
• Perform regular checks of stores of emergency food and supplies and rotate, use, or
replace them as necessary
• Reassess the effectiveness of the disaster plan at regular intervals by participating in disaster
drills
• Upgrade the department’s emergency call list whenever there is staff turnover or there
are changes in personnel addresses or telephone numbers
The director may decide to appoint a department disaster-planning committee to develop
and update the department’s plan. Whether the food service director handles disaster planning
or delegates to a committee, the plan should include provisions for the following items:
• A signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the food service department
and other health care facilities, restaurants, hotels, grocery stores, and regular suppliers saying
they can or will provide assistance in case the facility food service operation is damaged
• How to deal with the treatment of mass casualties, using preplanned procedures to meet
unforeseen situations, and covering all types of disasters
• Method of alert of impending danger: The plan should include the alarm system, coded
intercom messages, evacuation routes, emergency telephone numbers, and addresses of person
in charge with backup person. Internal procedures should include a call list of employees, vendors,
and other suppliers; a list of emergency supplies and where stored; preplanned menus;
water purification procedures; backup data on employees’ records and inventory; security
measures such as identification badges, ingress and egress doors, and how to report suspicious
activity or persons.
• Water: Procedures need to assure that some potable water is always on hand and an
agreement made with suppliers to provide needed potable water.
• Menus: Menus should be planned to use foods that will spoil first, especially when there
is no electrical power. Menus should be simple so that as few items as possible need to be
served. If there has been a refrigeration problem, the freshness of all milk and milk products
must be carefully evaluated before being served. Within the first 24 hours of a disaster, meals
probably will continue to be served. They should be as simple and nutritious as possible under
the circumstances. The type of menu and service depends on the number of people to be fed
and what equipment and personnel are available. When possible, consideration should be given
to local food preference. Preparation and service procedures for the first 24, 48, and 72 hours
after a disaster should be covered in the food service department’s disaster plan.
• Supplies: The plan should include provisions for maintaining supplies adequate for at
least 72 hours at all times. These supplies should include disposable dishes and flatware, cleaning
and disinfecting compounds, garbage bags, and sterile and potable water supplies.
• Sanitation: The plan should outline procedures for maintaining sanitation at all times
during a disaster. Careful attention should be given to checking for spoiled food, sanitizing pots
and pans, and cleaning the food production work area. Food safety for temperatures, crosscontamination,
and employee hygiene should be outlined.
• Communication: Communications should be developed to expedite information and
provide for efficiency of continuous operations.
• Security: Security measures should cover food, supply, and employee safety. Provisions
against intruders (looting) should be made. Especially during this period, employees should
wear or carry identification cards at all times.
• Use of workers from outside the food service department: The disaster plan should
describe the circumstances under which it would be appropriate to use workers from outside