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• 14. Personal Hygiene

14. Personal Hygiene

Staff Awareness

• Every staff member must be aware to their contribution to food safety. Attendance at a suitable food hygiene training course is recommended for all staff.
• Staff members with upset stomachs, skin infections, boils or sores should not work in a critical hygiene area. This requirement must be fully understood by all staff and supported by all managers.
• Staff amenities, including toilets and tea rooms, must be maintained in a clean and tidy condition.

Protective Clothing

• All workers, visitors, maintenance and management personnel must wear appropriate, well maintained and clean protective clothing in the process area.

• Aprons and boots must be washed and stored in a hygienic manner before leaving for breaks. Any product residue on aprons and boots can allow contaminating bacteria to grow.
• Soiled overalls and other protective clothing that can be laundered must be stored, and laundered in such a way that they cannot cross-contaminate any clean protective clothing or clean area.
• Cleaned overalls and other protective clothing must be stored in such a way that it cannot become contaminated prior to use.

Gloves

• Gloves may be worn to protect your hands and to prevent bacteria on your skin from contaminating the product.
• Gloved hands must also be washed and sanitised during the course of normal work.
• Gloves should be cleaned and sanitised, inside and out, daily.
• Gloves must be washed and stored in a hygienic manner when not in use.

Handwashing

• Every staff member must know when it is appropriate to wash their hands, e.g.:

Note: This is not an exhaustive list

• Handwashing facilities should be provided in each work area:

Hand Sanitising

• Hand disinfection facilities may also be provided. These can provide some additional protection but only if appropriate hand washing has been carried out first. Examples of hand disinfection available include:

Eating, Drinking and Smoking

• There are some activities that should not be carried out in the processing environment. These include:

This is largely common sense. The reason for these requirements is to protect the processing environment from the bacteria that live inside our mouths and on our faces. They also protect the staff from contaminants in the processing environment.

Watches, Rings, and other Jewellery

• Watches, rings and other jewellery should not be worn in processing areas. They cannot be adequately cleaned and so are potential sources of contamination.