Personal Hygiene Standards

Sodexo

Personal Hygiene Standards

Unit Name:

Persons Name:

Date:

Personal Hygiene

This section contains information regarding the standards of personal hygiene required for all Sodexo staff. It is important that all staff comply with the guidance in order to comply with legal and Company requirements, prevent food poisoning, and ensure that high standards are maintained.

What You Need to Do

The unit manager must:

1.  Issue and explain the ‘Personal Hygiene Notes’ (see Forms Index) to all staff.

2.  Ensure that all staff complies with the guidance in the Personal Hygiene Notes at all times.

3.  Retrain staff if guidance is not routinely followed.

4.  Ensure that hand wash basins are always supplied with hand-hot water, liquid bactericidal soap and disposable paper towels.

5.  Ensure all staff complete ‘Pre Employment’ and ‘Agreement to Report Infection’ (see Forms Index) forms on their first day at work, and ‘Return from Sickness/Holiday’ questionnaires as necessary.

6.  Ensure that they, and all staff, are familiar with the procedures to be followed in the event of an employee: suffering from infections, wounds, or sores; been in close contact with people suffering from infections; or who has suffered illness whilst on holiday.

PERSONAL HYGIENE NOTES

The following notes provide guidance to legal requirements and Company policy on standards of personal hygiene: Particular attention must be paid to the following points:

CLOTHING

Appropriate protective clothing must be worn by all food handlers – chef’s whites or coveralls. Protective clothing should be light coloured and no external pockets. It is recommended that aprons be worn over chef's whites/coveralls that can be changed as necessary throughout the working day.

Protective clothing should not be worn outside the food preparation area, e.g. worn to and from work, as it will be contaminated.

Protective clothing should be laundered on a regular basis.

Food handler’s personal clothing and possessions, e.g. bags, must be kept in designated lockers or changing rooms, not food handling or storage rooms.

Spare sets of protective clothing should be kept available for visitors, e.g. maintenance staff, or new members of staff to wear.

HAIR

All staff working in areas where open food is being prepared must wear a head covering that reduces the risk of hairs falling into food. Hairnets and beard snoods may be a standard part of the uniform in some units. Long hair must be properly tied back, without any trailing ends, and fully contained in an approved hair covering. Hair clips, slides, combs and bands may be necessary, but they should be of a simple design. Purely decorative clips, slides, combs and bands should not be worn. Waiters and waitresses, whilst not required to wear a head covering, must either have their hair short or neatly tied back whilst on duty.

HANDS

Food can easily be contaminated with food poisoning bacteria on hands, even those that ‘look’ clean. It is therefore essential that:

·  Hands and exposed parts of arms are kept scrupulously clean at all times,

·  Fingernails are kept short and clean

·  Nail varnish and false nails are not worn.

·  Cuts or grazes are covered with a blue waterproof dressing. A waterproof finger stall or glove may help prevent the plaster coming unstuck

·  Only a plain wedding band is worn – no jewelled or ridged rings, bracelets, bangles or watches.

Regular hand washing using the designated wash hand basins - NOT food preparation sinks – warm water, liquid bactericidal soap, and disposable paper towels will ensure that hands are free from dirt and bacteria. Nail-brushes are no longer required by law, but it is a good idea to have a clean nail-brush, in good condition, easily available.

All food handlers must wash their hands:

Before:

·  starting work and frequently thereafter

·  handling cooked or ready to eat food e.g. salads

After:

·  Breaks

·  Eating or drinking

·  Smoking

·  Visiting the toilet

·  Coughing, sneezing or using a handkerchief

·  Touching their hair or face

·  Cleaning tasks

·  Handling chemicals

·  Handling rubbish and waste

·  Wearing rubber or plastic gloves

Between:

·  Handling different foods

Before and after:

·  Handling raw meat, poultry and fish

·  Handling raw eggs

There are 9 steps to effective hand washing, which should take between 10 and 20 seconds:

·  Roll up long sleeves and wet hands with warm water and apply soap

·  Rub palm to palm with fingers closed

·  Rub the back of both hands

·  Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced

·  Rub the back of one hand with the palm of the other with fingers interlocked. Swap the hands over and do the same again

·  Rub round both thumbs and the sides of both hands

·  Rub both palms with the fingertips of the opposite hand

·  Rinse under running water

·  Dry hands thoroughly preferably with a disposable paper towel.

Hand washing must only be carried out at designated hand wash basins. Do not use food preparation sinks as there is a risk of food being contaminated.

Bars of soap can be easily contaminated with bacteria. Liquid soap or food grade alcohol gels should be used instead. Taps that have to be turned on manually should be turned off using a paper towel to prevent the risk of cross contamination. Consideration should be given to providing photosensitive taps and soap dispensers

Nailbrushes are no longer required by law and can be sources of contamination but clean, plastic brushes may be used.

Hands should be dried with a ‘one-use’ paper towel, as this is the most hygienic method available. Hot air blowers and fabric roller towel systems are not recommended.

GLOVES

Wearing gloves for food preparation purposes is not recommended as they can become contaminated in the same way that hands do and people wearing gloves do not wash their hands as much as if they were not wearing them. However, gloves may need to be worn to protect first aid dressings, or if it is a specific client request. In such cases the gloves should be the close fitting “surgical” type. Generally vinyl gloves should be used as some people are allergic to latex. The gloves must be changed at the end of each specific task, if they become damaged, and at the end of each shift.

White cotton gloves may be used as a safety precaution in service areas for handling hot plates, utensils, etc. The gloves should be changed daily, and more frequently if they become soiled.

Gloves may also need to be worn to protect the skin, e.g. when using cleaning chemicals, working in cold environments, e.g. stock checks in freezers, or for physical work such as transporting deliveries.

JEWELLERY

The only jewellery that food handlers (including waiters and waitresses) are allowed to wear is a plain wedding ring, and a single pair of small (1cm diameter) plain sleeper earrings. Rings or studs in other parts of the body, e.g. nose, lip, eyebrow, tongue are prohibited. Name badges should not have any loose parts, and decorative pins or brooches are prohibited. However, the client may have their own jewellery policy on site of which Sodexo employees will adhere to.

PERFUME/AFTER SHAVE

Strong smelling deodorants, perfumes and after-shaves should not be worn as they can taint food.

UNHYGIENIC HABITS

The following habits and practices must be avoided in food storage, preparation and service areas as the hands could be contaminated with bacteria that could be transmitted to food:

·  nose picking,

·  coughing and sneezing,

·  scratching and touching other parts of your body, e.g. head, face, hair or ears,

·  nail biting,

·  finger licking,

·  spitting,

·  smoking

·  chewing gum

·  tasting food with fingers,

·  eating or drinking in food preparation and service areas.

WOUNDS

Report any cut, burn or abrasion to your manager as these areas can harbour food poisoning bacteria. If the wound occurs at work first aid must be sought and the accident book and Sodexo Accident Report (QAF33) form completed. The wound will need to be covered with a waterproof dressing.

SMOKING

Smoking whilst handling food, or in any food preparation, storage or service area is illegal and a dismissible offence. Smokers may only smoke in designated smoking areas and must wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.

ILLNESS and INFECTIONS

It is a legal requirement that any food handler who is suffering from, or who is a carrier of a disease that can be transmitted through food, e.g. Typhoid, Dysentery or Hepatitis A, or who is suffering from diarrhoea, vomiting, an infected wound, skin infection or sores, must report this fact to their manager. Any employee who knowingly conceals the fact that they are suffering, or have been in close contact with a person suffering from these symptoms, e.g. a family member, will be subject to disciplinary action which may result in dismissal without notice.

INFECTIONS THAT CAN BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH FOOD

·  Typhoid or Paratyphoid

·  Dysentery

·  Hepatitis A

·  Parasitic diseases (worms, lice, etc).

·  Infected lesions (scaling, weeping, discharging) of the skin, eyes, ears and mouth

·  Food poisoning caused by bacteria such as VTEC E. coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter

·  Viral gastro-enteritis

All employees who have been absent from work either due to illness or a holiday outside Europe should complete the 'Return From Sickness/Foreign Holiday Questionnaire' This will enable managers to determine if they are likely to be suffering from, or have been in close contact with, an infection that can be transmitted through food.

Procedure for Employees Suffering From Infections Transmitted Through Food

1.  Employees must notify their manager by telephone on the first day of illness, or on the first morning when they are due back to work. In the event of symptoms developing during the working day, the manager must be notified and the employee must leave the premises immediately.

2.  Employees must visit their doctor and inform them that they are a food handler. If the doctor does not request a faecal specimen, and does not exclude the employee from work, they can return to work providing they have written clearance from their doctor, have been symptom free for at least 48 hours, and practice strict personal hygiene, particularly hand-washing after using the toilet.

3.  If a faecal specimen is requested by the doctor, it must be provided. If the results are negative, the employee can return to work providing they have written clearance from their Doctor and practice strict personal hygiene, particularly hand-washing after using the toilet. No further specimens are necessary.

4.  If the specimen results are positive for any of the common food poisoning bacteria, the employee will only be allowed to return to work once the following conditions have been met and they have written clearance from their Doctor and Sodexo, Health & Safety Department must be contacted for further advice.

Salmonella 2 consecutive negative samples (48 hours between specimens) and symptom free for at least 48 hours

Dysentery 2 consecutive negative samples (48 hours between specimens) and symptom free for at least 48 hours

Campylobacter No further specimens – return to work when symptom free for at least 48 hours

Hepatitis A Return to work 1 week after the onset of jaundice, providing symptom free and written clearance from Doctor

Typhoid/Paratyphoid Return to work after written clearance from Doctor

VTEC E.coli Return to work after 2 consecutive negative samples (48 hours between specimens) and symptom free for at least 48 hours

Procedure for Employees in Close Contact With People Suffering From Infections

Employees who have been in close contact with anyone suffering symptoms of gastro- enteritis (vomiting and diarrhoea) including VTEC E. coli and Hepatitis A must notify their manager. They need not be excluded from work, but must be vigilant to developing symptoms themselves and pay particular attention to hand-washing, especially after using the toilet.

Employees who have been in close contact with anyone suffering from, or known to be a carrier of typhoid or paratyphoid must be excluded from food handling duties and advice sought from Sodexo, Health & Safety Department.

Procedure for Employees Suffering Illness Whilst on Holiday

Employees suffering from sickness and diarrhoea whilst on holiday, but symptom free for at least 48 hours before returning to work, should still visit their Doctor. If the Doctor does not request a faecal specimen, and does not exclude the person from work, they can return to work providing they have written clearance from their Doctor, have been symptom free for at least 48 hours, and practice strict personal hygiene, particularly hand-washing after using the toilet. They should complete the ‘Return from Holiday’ questionnaire

If a faecal specimen is requested by the Doctor, it must be provided. If the results are negative, the employee can return to work providing they have written clearance from their Doctor and practice strict personal hygiene, particularly hand-washing after using the toilet. If the sample is positive the procedure for employees suffering from infections must be implemented.

Wounds, Skin Infections and Sores

Employees suffering from:

·  Ear, nose or eye discharges, excluding common colds

·  Any septic cut, wound or lesion

·  Any skin condition which results in open wounds or broken skin

Must report it to their manager. They must not be allowed to handle food, but can carry out non-food handling duties e.g. paperwork, providing the condition is not aggravated. If non-food handling duties are not available, the employee must be excluded from work until the condition is fully healed.

Employees suffering from clean minor cuts or wounds which can be fully protected by waterproof dressings can continue with normal food handling duties.

In cases of employees suffering from skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis may continue normal food handling duties as long as there are non open wounds/sores and strict hand-washing procedures are followed. The unit manager should seek advice from Sodexo, Health & Safety Department.

Chronic Non-Infective Gastrointestinal Disorders