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Personal Hygiene

Everyone in a food business needs to have high standards of personal hygiene, this will help to prevent food poisoning and reduce the risk of contamination.

The following basic rules should be followed by everyone:

Wash hands regularly, especially:

• When starting work
• After using the toilet
• Between handling raw and cooked foods
• After breaks
• After coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
• After handling refuse or waste
• After handling cleaning chemicals

Cover cuts, sores and burns with clean waterproof dressings (preferably of a distinctive colour).

Wear clean, washable and, where appropriate, protective clothing.

Keep finger nails short and clean, without nail polish.

Don't wear jewellery, other than a plain wedding ring.

Avoid strong smelling perfumes or aftershave, these can taint foods.

Illness

Everyone who works in food handling areas who knows or suspects that they are suffering from, or a carrier of, a disease likely to be transmitted through food, or has infected wounds, skin infection, sores or diarrhoea must inform the properietor or supervisor.

Management is then responsible for deciding whether or not the sufferer can safely continue to work.