3.5 Personal Hygiene, Facility & Pest

Personal Hygiene: The Foodhandler

Foodhandlers are a leading source of contamination, so personal hygiene is heavily tested. Handwashing is the single most effective action a worker can take.

How to Wash Hands (about 20 seconds total)

1. Wet hands and arms with warm running water (at least 100 degrees F)
2. Apply soap and scrub for 10 to 15 seconds, including under fingernails and between fingers
3. Rinse thoroughly under running water
4. Dry with a single-use paper towel or hand dryer

When Handwashing Is Required

• Before starting work and before putting on gloves
• After using the restroom (wash again in the kitchen)
• After handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood
• After touching the face, hair, or body, sneezing, coughing, or using a tissue
• After taking out garbage, handling chemicals, or touching dirty equipment
• After eating, drinking, or smoking

Gloves and Bare-Hand Contact

Gloves are single-use: change them between tasks, when torn, and after handling raw food. Wash hands before gloving - gloves are not a substitute for handwashing. Critically, the Food Code prohibits bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat (RTE) food; use gloves, tongs, deli tissue, or other utensils. Other hygiene rules: clean uniforms, hair restraints, no jewelry except a plain band, no eating or gum in prep areas, and cover cuts with a bandage plus a glove.

Employee Health and Exclusion

The FDA Food Code requires foodhandlers to report illness to the person in charge. Workers are excluded (kept out entirely) or restricted (kept from exposed food and clean equipment) when they:

• Are diagnosed with a Big 6 pathogen (exclude, and notify the regulatory authority)
• Have vomiting or diarrhea (exclude until symptom-free for 24 hours or cleared)
• Have jaundice (yellowing - exclude)
• Have a sore throat with fever (restrict in general operations; exclude when serving highly susceptible populations)
• Have an infected, uncovered wound or boil

These rules are stricter in healthcare because residents are highly susceptible.

Preventing Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is the transfer of pathogens from one food, surface, or hand to ready-to-eat food. Prevent it by:

• Storage order by cook temperature: store foods top-to-bottom in order of minimum cook temperature. Ready-to-eat food on top; then seafood (145), whole cuts (145), ground meat (155); raw poultry (165) on the bottom shelf so its drips cannot reach anything below.
• Separate, color-coded cutting boards and utensils for raw and ready-to-eat foods
• Cleaning and sanitizing equipment between tasks
• Handling allergens separately to prevent cross-contact

Facility, Equipment, and Pest Control

The building itself must support sanitation: smooth, nonabsorbent, cleanable surfaces; adequate lighting; working hand sinks stocked with soap and towels; and proper waste handling. Equipment should be NSF-certified and on a cleaning schedule.

Pests carry disease, so the exam expects integrated pest management (IPM) - a prevention-first program built on three moves: (1) deny pests food, water, and shelter; (2) deny entry by sealing cracks, screening windows, and using air curtains and tight door sweeps; and (3) work with a licensed Pest Control Operator (PCO). Report sightings (droppings, gnaw marks, egg cases) immediately. Pesticides are a last resort, applied only by a licensed PCO.