What should you wear, and what comes off?
Everyone in a food-handling area must keep a high degree of personal cleanliness and wear suitable, clean clothing, protective where needed. Hair goes back, under a hat or hair net.
Watches and jewellery come off, apart from a plain wedding band. They trap dirt and can end up in the food.
Remember
- Clean, suitable clothes, protective where needed.
- Hair tied back and covered.
- No watches or jewellery except a plain wedding band.
Facts and sources for this part
- Everyone working in a food-handling area must keep a high degree of personal cleanliness and wear suitable, clean and, where necessary, protective clothing. [S2]
- When handling food, staff should keep hair tied back under a suitable head covering and not wear watches or jewellery, except a plain wedding band. [S1]
Which habits are out?
While you handle food, keep your hands off your face and hair. No smoking, spitting, sneezing over food, eating or chewing gum.
Each of these moves bacteria from you to the food. Step away from the food first if you need to do any of them, then wash your hands.
Remember
- Hands off face and hair.
- No smoking, eating or gum while handling food.
- Step away, then wash your hands.
Facts and sources for this part
- When handling food, staff should not touch their face or hair, and should not smoke, spit, sneeze, eat or chew gum. [S1]
When must you wash your hands?
Before preparing food. After touching raw food, handling waste or emptying a bin, cleaning, touching phones, switches, handles or tills, and after going to the toilet.
Cold water still cleans hands, but warm water is better because soap lathers more. That is why a hand basin at work must have hot and cold running water, something to wash with and a hygienic way to dry.
Remember
- Wash before food and after anything dirty.
- Warm water and soap work best.
- Hand basins need hot and cold water, soap and hygienic drying.
Facts and sources for this part
- Anyone who works with food must wash their hands before preparing food, after touching raw food, after handling waste or bins, after cleaning, after touching phones, switches, handles or tills, and after going to the toilet. [S1]
- Cold water still cleans hands, but warm water is better because soap lathers more and removes bacteria more effectively. [S14]
- Washbasins for cleaning hands must have hot and cold running water, something to clean hands with and a hygienic way to dry them. [S2]
Which symptoms must you report?
Tell your manager straight away about diarrhoea or vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, fever or jaundice, and infected skin, nose or throat. Also tell them if someone you live with has diarrhoea or vomiting.
The law is blunt. Nobody with an illness that can pass through food, or with infected wounds, skin infections or sores, may handle food if there is any chance of contaminating it.
Remember
- Report symptoms before your shift, not after.
- Illness at home counts too.
- Infected cuts and sores keep you off open food.
Facts and sources for this part
- Staff must report illness to their manager at once, including diarrhoea or vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, fever or jaundice, infected skin, nose or throat, and anyone they live with who has diarrhoea or vomiting. [S4]
- Nobody with a disease that can pass through food, or with infected wounds, skin infections, sores or diarrhoea, may handle food or enter a food-handling area if there is any likelihood of contamination. [S2]
How long do you stay away after sickness or diarrhoea?
Normally 48 hours from when the symptoms stop on their own. Not 48 hours from when you start to feel better, and not from when you took medicine to stop them.
During that time you stay away from working with or around open food. Your manager may use a fitness to work questionnaire before you return.
Remember
- The clock starts when the symptoms stop naturally.
- Stay away from open food for that time.
- Expect a return-to-work check.
Why does a good sick policy protect customers?
If staff lose pay for being ill, some will come in ill anyway. The FSA says penalising staff in that way could lead to food safety problems.
In care homes the handwashing list grows: care staff also wash after helping residents use the toilet, emptying bed pans, touching dirty linen or handling pets.
Remember
- People who fear losing pay work while ill.
- Reporting early protects everyone.
- Care settings add extra handwashing moments.
Facts and sources for this part
- Penalising staff for being ill, for example by not paying them while they are excluded, could lead them to work while ill and cause food safety problems. [S4]
- In care homes, people with care duties should also wash their hands after helping residents use the toilet, emptying bed pans, touching dirty linen or handling pets. [S45]
Check what you have learned
Three questions from the test, each explained. Tap an answer.
Question 1 of 3
When must you wash your hands at work?
Show the answer
Right answer: D, Before preparing food, and after raw food, bins, cleaning, phones and the toilet. Hands are washed before preparing food and after touching raw food, handling waste, cleaning, touching phones, switches, handles or tills, and going to the toilet. [S1]
Question 2 of 3
Why is warm water better than cold for washing hands?
Show the answer
Right answer: C, Soap lathers more, so it removes bacteria better. Cold water still cleans hands, but warm water is better because soap lathers more and removes bacteria more effectively. [S14]
Question 3 of 3
You have an infected cut on your hand. What does the law say?
Show the answer
Right answer: B, You may not handle food if there is any likelihood of contaminating it. Nobody with infected wounds, skin infections, sores or diarrhoea may handle food if there is any likelihood of contamination. Tell your manager. [S2]