Guidelines for Personal Cleanliness and Hygiene in Food Handling Areas
Reporting Illness and Maintaining Cleanliness
Responsibilities for food handlers regarding illness and personal hygiene:
Report immediately to the manager if you have an illness likely to be passed on through food or are using skin creams that could contaminate food.
Exclude yourself from food handling duties if symptoms develop at work.
Maintain high personal cleanliness and wear suitable, clean, and protective clothing.
Handwashing Best Practices
Key actions for effective handwashing to prevent contamination:
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before handling food, especially after using the toilet.
Wash hands after handling raw food, changing dressings, touching open wounds, or contact with faeces, vomit, animals, waste, bins, cleaning, and after breaks.
Regularly wash hands throughout the day, especially after touching face, nose, mouth, ears, or hair.
Dry hands thoroughly to prevent bacteria spread, especially focusing on the back of hands and tops of fingertips around nails.
Keep nails short to facilitate effective handwashing; use liquid soap to clean under long nails.
Use of Gloves
Understanding the role of gloves in hygiene and their limitations:
Gloves can cover damaged skin and protect against dermatitis from prolonged food handling and wet work.
Gloves are not a substitute for proper hand hygiene; hands and gloves can both harbour bacteria.
Change gloves regularly and wash hands before wearing new gloves.
