Personal Hygiene and Handwashing
What this domain covers
Personal hygiene and handwashing tests whether you prevent food contamination from people. The exam focuses on when and how to wash hands, clean clothing, fingernails, gloves and exclusion of ill staff.
Core rules and concepts
- Wash hands with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds: wet hands, apply soap, scrub palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs and under nails, rinse, then dry with a single-use towel or air dryer.
- Wash before handling food, after using the toilet, after handling raw meat or waste, after coughing or sneezing, after touching a phone or money, and after cleaning.
- Keep nails short and clean; avoid nail polish and jewellery that can trap dirt.
- Wear clean, light-coloured outer clothing; restrain hair; do not eat, drink, smoke or chew in food areas.
- Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing. Change gloves between tasks and wash hands before putting them on.
Worked example
A cook leaves the kitchen to use the toilet, rinses hands quickly under a tap without soap, then returns to arrange salad. The rinse does not remove faecal bacteria or viruses effectively. Correct practice is to wash with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds, dry with a single-use towel, and only then touch ready-to-eat food. If the cook has diarrhoea, they should report it and be excluded.
Traps that cost marks
- Hand sanitiser does not replace soap and water when hands are visibly dirty or after toilet use.
- Gloves do not make dirty hands safe.
- A quick rinse is not a handwash.
- Long or decorated nails are a contamination risk.