POLICY TITLE:CONSTELLATIONS CAFE

PERSONAL HYGIENE POLICY AND PROCEDURES

ADMINISTERED BY: CEO & GENERAL MANAGER, HOSPITALITY

APPLICABILITY: ALL CONSTELLATIONS CAFÉ STAFF

General Statement:

Within each showroom a Constellations Cafe has been established to accommodate the degustation needs of our clientele. Generally the menu range will be standard across all locations however slight adjustments will be made to take advantage of local fresh produce of the region. At GSE we are dedicated to comply with all national and local legislative requirements when dealing with the hygiene of our staff, café and general environment.

Policy:

People are a potential source of hygiene risks, what they wear (clothing and jewellery), how they groom themselves (hair, nails, make-up, etc), their personal habits (playing with an earring, chewing gum, smoking, hand washing) and their state of health all can pose hygiene risks. Sound personal hygiene practices means that staff will reduce the risk of cross-contamination to our customers, the equipment or utensils used by our customers and from our customer to staff.

These policies and procedures assist with occupational health and safety issues and the image GSE wants to present to the public. As food handlers, GSE is required to follow the added requirement under Food Standard 3.2.2: Food Safety Practices and General Requirements:

“to take all practicable measures to ensure his or her body, anything from his or her body, and anything he or she is wearing does not contaminate food or surfaces likely to come into contact with food.”

This relates to staff’s clothing, hair, hands and fingernails, jewellery, make-up, perfumes and aftershaves and even the use of gloves and utensils. This document outlines GSE’s expectations regarding the personal hygiene compliance of café staff.

These policies and procedures comply with The Food Act 1989 and cover:

  1. Uniforms and protective clothing.
  2. Personal habits and jewellery.
  3. Hair, make-up, perfume and aftershave.
  4. Illness and medical conditions.
  5. Hands and fingernails.
  6. Glove use.

Global Star Enterprises is a fictional company created for educational and training purposes only. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © Raw Pixel 2010

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Version 01 11/09

Procedure:

  1. Uniforms and protective clothing

Uniforms, aprons and shoes can be a great source of microbial cross-contamination. How they are laundered, stored, transported and worn is important in the control of potential hygiene risks from clothing and in maintaining customers’ confidence in our café.

1.1Staff are supplied a uniform which consists of polo shirt with café logo. This must be worn at all times whilst on duty.

1.2Staff are to supply and wear black pants or skirt which are to be worn with provided polo shirt. Pants are to be waist high (not hipster style) with hems not touching the floor at any time. Skirts are to be no higher than 4cm above the knee and no longer than 4cm above the ankle.

1.3Staff are to supply and wear black fully enclosed shoes with rubber based soles. Shoes must not have a heel exceeding 4cm in height.

1.4Half aprons are supplied and must be worn when preparing food or beverages.

1.5Wear a clean uniform, clothes and apron each shift.

1.6Remove apron prior to going to the toilet, on breaks, smoking and if it becomes contaminated.

1.7Wear clean shoes.

1.8Do not leave damp and dirty clothes at work overnight.

1.9Do not dry your hands, benches or equipment like knives on your uniform or apron.

1.10Do not place items like dirty tissues or food scraps in pockets, as germs will multiply quickly. When you put your hands in your pockets these germs can transfer to your hands.

1.11Do not place additional gloves in your pockets for later use.

1.12Do not place small items in pockets above the waist, so there is no chance of these items accidentally falling into the food.

  1. Personal habits and jewellery

A staff members personal habits such as washing, grooming, smoking, food and beverage consumption, religious beliefs and hobbies plays an important role in the image of our café. These procedures address all aspects of personal habits including jewellery wearing to ensure compliance with the Act.

2.1Staff must have clean hair, face, teeth, hands and must wear a personal product which eliminates or minimises body odour.

2.2If a staff member smokes it is important to eliminate the smell of cigarette smoke on their breath and clothing prior to providing customer service.

2.3If heavily scented foods or beverages are consumed before work or during breaks, it is recommended that a suitable breath freshener is used prior to providing customer service.

2.4Jewellery may not be worn on any part of an employee’s face or hands whilst on duty within the café. Necklaces, bracelets (including a watch) and other body jewellery may be worn so long as it is not offensive, i.e. consists of inappropriate wording or breaches harassment rules, or has been the topic of complaint by customers or staff.

2.5GSE is an equal opportunity employee and encourages staff to wear jewellery pertaining to religious beliefs or cultures, so long as it is not worn on the face or hands, due to food safety requirements. Religious headwear is permissible so long as it is fastened securely and complies with food safety requirements.

  1. Hair, make-up perfume and aftershave

Cross contamination from hair in food can be a major concern when working in a food environment, whilst personal presentation such as make-up and scents can effect others.

3.1All kitchen staff are to wear protective head gear provided, whilst preparing food.

3.2Hair exceeding shoulder length must be tied back at all times for all café staff.

3.3Make-up which includes false eye-lashes, or any parts which can fall into food, can not be worn. Make-up is to be contemporary and complies with the GSE National Dress guidelines.

3.4Perfume or aftershave may be worn in moderation and not at a level which may disturb others. Scent allergies can be quite prevalent; therefore the ‘less is more’ theory is to be adopted.

  1. Illness and medical condition

It is illegal to work when you are sick. If a staff member is ill they are to advise the Café Manager as soon as possible prior to their start of shift. To support this policy, GSE pays casual employees up to and including five (5) sick days (a day is defined as the number of hours in the rostered shift the employee was unable to work due to illness) per annum, upon provision of a Doctor’s certificate.

4.1Report to your supervisor if you become ill during your shift.

4.2Cover all cuts with a waterproof bandage.

4.3Do not sneeze or cough over food or food contact areas.

4.4Conditions that prevent you from working with food and beverage are:

4.4.1Diarrhea

4.4.2 Vomiting

4.4.3Fever

4.4.4Sore throat and fever

4.4.5Jaundice

4.4.6Hepatitis A

4.4.7Food poisoning

4.4.8Infected cuts, sores or boils

4.4.9Discharge from the ear, nose or eye due to an infection or an allergy.

  1. Hands and fingernails

Hands need to be kept clean and should be washed when required. Fingernails must also be short (not exceeding 2mm in length past the end of each finger), clean, not artificial and free from nail polish to comply with sanitation requirements.

Below are the specific hand washing requirements for food handlers as stated in standard 3.3.3 Food Safety and General Requirement (15(2) - (4)):

5.1When to wash your hands

5.1.1You need to wash your hands before:

5.1.1.1Starting work.

5.1.1.2Handling food or packaging.

5.1.1.3Handling equipment, linen or utensils.

5.1.1.4Entering another work areas

5.1.1.5Filling straw and napkin dispensers.

5.1.2You need to wash your hands after:

5.1.2.1Going to the toilet.

5.1.2.2Meal or tea breaks.

5.1.2.3Smoking.

5.1.2.4Cleaning and handling chemicals.

5.1.2.5Handling rubbish.

5.1.2.6Coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

5.1.2.7Touching other parts of your body or jewellery, e.g. scratching your head.

5.1.2.8Touching sores, rashes, cuts or band-aids.

5.1.2.9Touching the floor or machinery parts.

5.1.2.10Handling dirty linen.

5.1.2.11Removing gloves – single use or rubber gloves.

5.2What you need to wash your hands:

5.2.1Warm running water

5.2.2Liquid soap

5.2.3A clean hand basin

5.2.4Disposable paper towel

5.2.5TIME

5.3 How to wash your hands:

5.3.1Remove jewellery and roll back sleeves

5.3.2Turn on tap

5.3.3Wet hands with warm water (45°C)

5.3.4Apply liquid soap

5.3.5Lather and rub using warm water for at least 20 seconds

5.3.6Clean each nail using your nails rather than a nailbrush

5.3.7Clean between each finger

5.3.8Clean both front and backs of hands all the way to the wrist

5.3.9Rinse off soap, using warm running water, fingers pointing downward

5.3.10Dry hands well using a disposable paper towel

5.3.11AVOID CONTAMINATION by turning off the tap without hands touching the tap, e.g. use an elbow tap or use a paper towel.

  1. Correct use of gloves

Tongs are to be used by front of house staff when handling food, however if a situation occurs where tongs are not appropriate or safe, gloves are to be used.

6.1Rules for single use gloves:

6.1.1WASH AND DRY hands before and after using gloves.

6.1.2DISCARD gloves when they become soiled.

6.1.3DISCARD gloves whenever hands would normally be washed.

6.1.4DISCARD gloves after coming into contact with money.

6.1.5DISCARD after picking anything up off the floor.

6.1.6DISCARD gloves when leaving the work area for ANY reason.

6.1.7WHEN RETURNING to the work preparation area, wash hands and use a new pair of gloves.

6.1.8DO NOT REUSE GLOVES - throw away immediately after removing gloves.

6.1.9DO NOT STORE GLOVES where they can be contaminated in the work area.

6.2Rules for washing-up gloves:

These are intended to protect you from chemicals and hot water and need to be removed between handling dirty equipment and clean equipment and cleaning different areas such as bathrooms and kitchens or when handling dirty and clean crockery at the dishwasher.

6.2.1Colour code gloves for different usage – pink gloves for bathroom, blue gloves for kitchen.

Global Star Enterprises is a fictional company created for educational and training purposes only. This document may not be reproduced or distributed, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. Copyright © Raw Pixel 2010

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