Personal Hygiene and Hand Hygiene
This domain tests the personal hygiene standards expected of every food handler and the handwashing sequence that prevents food from becoming contaminated. It also tests fitness-to-work rules and the correct use of protective clothing and gloves.
Hand hygiene
Wet hands, apply soap, lather for at least 20 seconds including backs of hands, between fingers, thumbs, fingertips and nails, rinse under running water, dry thoroughly with a disposable towel, and use the towel to turn off the tap. Wash before starting work, after using the toilet, after handling raw food, after waste, after cleaning, after breaks, after touching your face, phone or door handles, and whenever hands may be contaminated. Alcohol sanitiser is not a substitute for washing visibly dirty or greasy hands.
Fitness to work and clothing
Food handlers must report diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, sore throat, infected wounds or skin lesions to their manager. As a common industry standard, stay away from food handling for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. Cover cuts with a waterproof, detectable plaster. Wear clean protective clothing, keep hair restrained, remove jewellery and watches, and keep nails short, clean and free of polish or artificial nails.
Worked example
A cook leaves the toilet, adjusts their apron, and returns to shaping burgers. Reasoning: toilet use can contaminate hands with faecal bacteria such as E. coli; the apron may also be contaminated. The cook must wash hands thoroughly before returning, and change the apron if it is soiled. Gloves would not fix this: gloves are not a substitute for handwashing and must be changed between tasks.
Traps
- Wearing gloves does not remove the need to wash hands.
- A quick rinse is not handwashing; soap, friction and drying time matter.
- Hand sanitiser does not work well on wet, greasy or dirty hands.