Hand hygiene contributes significantly to keeping food safe.
It is a simple, low-cost strategy to prevent the spread of many of the microbes that cause associated infections. While hand hygiene is not the only measure it can dramatically enhance food safety.
Our hands may look clean, but many germs may be still present which could transmit disease.
Appropriate facilities for hand washing may include:
warm running water
soap from a soap dispenser
single use towels
designated hand washing sink.
It is also a great idea to have a laminated poster with hand washing instructions in a prominent position near your hand basin facilities. While your staff may know how to wash their hands properly, it also serves to let your local health inspector know that you take this issue seriously.
You can download a hand washing instruction poster
Hand washing facilities must be provided to enable workers to maintain good standards of personal hygiene. Workers may need to wash their hands at different times (for example, after visiting the toilet, before and after eating meals, after preparing different meat products, fish etc).
Design of hand washing facilities should:
be accessible at all times to work areas, eating areas and the toilets
be separate from troughs or sinks used in connection with the work process
contain both hot and cold water taps or temperature mixers
be protected from the weather
be supplied with non-irritating soap (preferably from a soap dispenser)
contain hygienic hand drying facilities, for example automatic air dryers or paper towels.
Where a business engages in activities such as food preparation, there are also duties under health legislation in relation to hand washing facilities.
Hand washing facilities
Exerpt from Standard 3.2.2 (Food Safety Practices and General Requirements).
(1) Subject to subclause (4), food premises must have hand washing facilities that are located where they can be easily accessed by food handlers:
(a) within areas where food handlers work if their hands are likely to be a source of contamination of food; and
(b) if there are toilets on the food premises — immediately adjacent to the toilets or toilet cubicles.
(2) Subject to the following subclauses, hand washing facilities must be:
(a) permanent fixtures;
(b) connected to, or otherwise provided with, a supply of warm running potable water;
(c) of a size that allows easy and effective hand washing; and
(d) clearly designated for the sole purpose of washing hands, arms and face.
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