Personal Hygiene and Employee Health
What you must know
Hand hygiene is the single most controllable behavior. Hands must be washed before starting work, after using the restroom, after touching the face/hair/body, after handling raw animal foods, after taking out garbage, after cleaning, and after any break. The full handwash is roughly 20 seconds: wet, soap, scrub (including under nails and lower arms), rinse, dry with a single-use towel, and use the towel to turn off the faucet. Hand antiseptics are a supplement, never a replacement for washing.
Employee health hinges on reporting. Food employees must report Big 5 diagnoses to the person in charge: Salmonella Typhi, Shigella, Shiga toxin–producing E. coli, Hepatitis A, and Norovirus. They must also report symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever) and exposed infected wounds on hands/arms. The person in charge excludes employees with the Big 5 and certain symptoms, and restricts others (e.g., to non-food duties).
Traps
Questions often test glove misuse: gloves do not replace handwashing and must be changed between tasks. Another trap is confusing exclusion (stay home) with restriction (work, but no food contact). Also: a cut on the hand is not automatically an exclusion-if it can be covered with an impermeable bandage and glove, the worker may continue.
Rule of thumb
When unsure, ask: Does this person have a Big 5 diagnosis, vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice? If yes → exclude. If it's a covered wound or respiratory symptom → restrict and reinforce hygiene.