The Importance of the Personal Hygiene in Ensuring Safe Food Practices
An integral part of the Food Safety Certification Online Course
Let’s turn our attention to one of the most critical aspects of food safety: your staff. Your team is the frontline defense in protecting food safety. As a manager or Person in Charge (PIC), while you may not be directly involved in the day-to-day activities like prepping, cooking, or cleaning, your role in training, monitoring, and managing your staff is crucial.
Why Your Team Matters
Your staff members are the ones who interact with the food, equipment, and environment daily. Their actions can either prevent or contribute to foodborne illnesses. Therefore, the training you provide and the ongoing supervision you maintain are vital for a safe food operation.
Managing Personal Hygiene: The Silent Threat
Let’s face it: humans are the worst contaminators in the kitchen! It’s not a pleasant thought, but it’s true. Cross-contamination often occurs because food handlers don’t wash their hands as frequently or correctly as they should. The most common source of food contamination is improperly washed hands, particularly the fingertips, which can harbor harmful bacteria from feces.
In a busy kitchen, it’s understandable that handwashing might take a backseat. With the pressure to serve dozens or even hundreds of meals quickly, the importance of hygiene can be overlooked. But as the PIC, it’s your responsibility to recognize these danger points and implement controls to minimize risks.
Why Is Personal Hygiene So Important?
Personal hygiene isn’t just about looking clean; it’s about ensuring the safety of the food you serve to the public. Here’s why it’s crucial:
- Legal Compliance: Proper hygiene helps you meet legal requirements and build confidence during health inspections.
- Reducing Risks: Good hygiene practices significantly reduce the hazards associated with cross-contamination and bacterial growth.
Handwashing: Your Best Defense
It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent cross-contamination. You might be surprised at how many times your staff’s hands come into contact with contamination points during an average day. From handling raw food to touching utensils and door handles, each action can transfer harmful bacteria.
How to Wash Your Hands Properly
Let’s break down the steps to effective handwashing, which is your best line of defense against contamination:
- Rinse Hands: Start by rinsing your hands with clean, hot water (ideally above 100°F).
- Apply Soap: Rub in liquid soap thoroughly to remove dirt and germs. If possible, use antibacterial soap.
- Scrub Hands and Arms: Work the soap into your palms, wrists, lower forearms, and the back of your hands for at least 10 to 15 seconds.
- Rinse: Rinse your hands under clean, running hot water.
- Dry: Dry your hands with a disposable towel or a hand dryer. Use the towel to turn off the faucet.
Optional but recommended: If your local authority permits, use a hand sanitizing solution as an added layer of protection.
A good rule of thumb? Sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing your hands to ensure you’re spending enough time on each step. Also, if your nails are dirty, use a nail brush, but make sure it’s included in your cleaning schedule to avoid it becoming a source of contamination.
When Should Food Handlers Wash Their Hands?
Frequent handwashing is key to reducing cross-contamination. Here are some critical times when handwashing must occur:
- Before entering food prep or service areas
- Before putting on single-use gloves
- Before and after handling raw food
- Before handling high-risk foods like ready-to-eat and TCS (time/temperature control for safety) foods
- After taking a break, eating, drinking, or smoking
- After using electronic devices, restrooms, or handling trash
- After touching your face, hair, or any part of your skin
- After dealing with waste, cleaning chemicals, or pest control tasks
- After interacting with customers or handling money
It’s a good idea to post this list in visible areas around the kitchen and go over it regularly with your staff to reinforce its importance.
Fingernails and Infected Wounds: Small Details, Big Impact
Even seemingly minor things like fingernails and cuts can pose a significant risk to food safety. Ensure that your staff keeps their nails short, clean, and unpolished. False nails and nail polish can hide dirt and even chip off into food, creating physical hazards.
If a staff member has an infected wound, cut, or boil, it must be covered with a waterproof bandage, ideally brightly colored (usually blue), so it can be easily spotted if it falls into food. If the wound is on their hand, a single-use glove should cover the bandage for extra protection.
Staff should always report any cuts, spots, or infections to you before starting work. Depending on the risk level, you might need to assign them to a lower-risk task or even send them home.
Single-Use Gloves: An Extra Layer of Protection
Single-use gloves, when used correctly, can add an extra layer of protection against cross-contamination. But it’s essential to remember that gloves are only effective if used properly. Staff must wash their hands before putting on gloves and after changing to a new pair.
When to Change Gloves
Gloves should be changed:
- If they rip or become dirty
- Before starting a different task
- After handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood
- At least every four hours during continuous use
Gloves are especially crucial when handling ready-to-eat food, which won’t undergo further cooking. While some authorities might allow bare-hand contact with strict procedures, it’s safer to enforce a no bare-hand contact policy to minimize risks.
Key Takeaways
As a manager, it’s your responsibility to monitor and encourage good hygiene practices. Regularly review handwashing and glove use with your staff and emphasize their importance in preventing foodborne illnesses. Remember, the more your staff adheres to these practices, the safer your operation will be.
So, take these lessons to heart, share them with your team, and make hygiene a top priority in your kitchen. The safety of your customers—and the success of your business—depends on it.
Personal Hygiene Controls
At the start of this chapter, we discussed how staff members are often the biggest culprits in contaminating food. As we continue, it’s important to recognize that managing your staff’s personal hygiene is a vital part of maintaining food safety in your operation. Let’s dive into some common habits that, while unconscious, can lead to cross-contamination issues if not addressed.
Habits to Break: A Food Safety Must
We all have personal habits that might seem harmless but can be hazardous in a foodservice environment. As a manager, it’s your job to make your staff aware of these habits, train them to avoid them, and continually monitor their actions. Here are some habits that food handlers should steer clear of:
- Picking or wiping their noses on sleeves
- Scratching their heads
- Touching their hair
- Coughing, sneezing, or spitting over food
- Testing food with their fingers or an unwashed spoon
- Blowing on glassware or cutlery to polish them
- Handling food without first washing their hands
- Failing to wash hands after using the restroom or handling trash
- Eating, drinking, or smoking in food areas
These habits might seem minor, but they can lead to significant cross-contamination risks. Consistent reminders and training are essential to keep these behaviors in check.
Personal Cleanliness: A Sensitive but Essential Food Safety Certification Topic
Discussing personal cleanliness with your staff can be a sensitive matter, but it’s crucial for food safety. A daily shower before work is considered best practice to reduce bacterial contamination. Also, strong aftershaves or perfumes aren’t the solution—they can mask issues and even cause chemical contamination.
As uncomfortable as these conversations might be, it’s your responsibility as a manager to ensure that poor hygiene practices don’t compromise food safety. Leading by example can be a powerful tool in motivating and reinforcing good habits among your team.
Work Attire: More Than Just Uniforms
Uniforms serve a critical role in protecting food from contamination. However, it’s not just about wearing a uniform; it’s about ensuring that it’s clean and appropriate for the job.
Outdoor Clothing
Outdoor clothing should never be worn in the kitchen or food prep areas. You can’t control what contaminants might be on it—from bacteria to dirt. Not only is this a food safety risk, but it’s also something that health inspectors (DOHI) will notice, potentially leading to violations.
Cleanliness of Uniforms
Uniforms must be clean. A dirty uniform or apron can be just as dangerous as outdoor clothing. Staff should have access to spare uniforms to change into if needed during the day. Incorporate this into your Food Safety Management System, ensuring there’s a process for cleaning and replacing uniforms regularly.
This applies to all work attire, including:
- Hats, caps, and hair/beard nets
- Overalls, aprons, and chef coats
- Uniforms with securely attached buttons or press studs to prevent physical contamination
- Disposable aprons and other clothing
- Slip-resistant shoes or boots
Staff Changing Facilities
To minimize cross-contamination, staff should change into their uniforms before entering food prep or service areas. Provide lockers for staff to store their outdoor clothing, jewelry, phones, pens, money, etc., safely. Encourage them to leave personal items in their lockers, and ensure that lockers are emptied at the end of each day to avoid overnight storage.
Hair & Head Coverings: Keeping Things Clean
The main reason for head, hair, and beard coverings is to prevent hair from falling into food, which can cause both biological and physical contamination. As a manager, establish and enforce a policy requiring head coverings in food prep areas.
While some jurisdictions might not require head coverings, we strongly recommend implementing this policy regardless. If you’re unsure, check with your local DOH for their specific requirements.
Best Practice
A great way to illustrate the importance of head coverings is a practical demonstration. Have a few staff members rub their head or hair over a dark piece of paper for 15 seconds. The amount of hair and skin flakes left behind is often eye-opening and emphasizes the need for proper hair restraints.
Aprons: The Unsung Heroes of Food Safety
One common rule that often gets overlooked is the proper use of aprons. Staff should never wear aprons outside the kitchen, especially when taking a break or visiting the restroom. Aprons should be removed and stored when leaving the prep areas or handling trash.
Monitor this closely and enforce a strict policy on apron use. Make sure this is included in your uniforms policy as well.
Jewelry: A Hidden Hazard
Jewelry can harbor dirt and bacteria and is also a potential source of physical contamination (think stones or gems). It can also be a safety hazard if it gets caught in machinery or equipment.
All jewelry, except for plain wedding bands and medical alert bracelets, should be removed or securely taped with food-grade, colored bandages. This is particularly important for rings and earrings. Make sure your policy reflects these practices to minimize risks.
Reporting Health Issues & Illness: Don’t Skip This Step
Every staff member must know the correct procedures for reporting illnesses. Illness can pose a serious threat to your operation, and it’s vital that staff understand the risks to food safety, as well as the legal implications if a foodborne illness is traced back to them.
As a manager, you need to take action if you suspect or know that a staff member:
- May be carrying a foodborne illness
- Has experienced vomiting or diarrhea in the last 72 hours
- Is attempting to return to work without a doctor’s clearance, particularly in severe cases
If a staff member is diagnosed with one of the “Big 6” (Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Norovirus, E. coli, Shigella, Hepatitis A), you must notify the DOH immediately. Also, remember that a food handler diagnosed with jaundice cannot return to work without approval from the regulatory authority.
The Realities of Staff Illness
We know that many food handler jobs are low-paying, often without sick leave. This can lead to staff trying to work despite being ill because they need the income. While you might be tempted to let them work, especially during busy times or when you’re short-staffed, remember that the risks to food safety far outweigh the inconvenience of slow service. Protecting your customers’ health is your top priority.
Conclusion: Your Role in Food Safety Certification Standards
As a manager, you play a crucial role in ensuring that your team follows personal hygiene standards. Regular training, monitoring, and reinforcement of these practices are essential. By staying vigilant and setting a strong example, you help safeguard your operation against the risks of cross-contamination and foodborne illness.
Keep these lessons in mind, share them with your staff, and make personal hygiene a non-negotiable standard in your kitchen. The safety of your customers—and the success of your business—depends on it.
