Chapter 7 PERSONAL HYGIENE PRACTICES

INTRODUCTION

Why is maintaining cleanliness in the workplace important?

Maintaining cleanliness in the workplace promotes a healthier environment for the
employees. It also helps establishments to become more productive and efficient. All workplace
environment needs to be safe and clean both for guest and employees. This applies to all operations
like handling food and beverage, housekeeping operations and many others. Having hygiene policy
in place ensures the maintenance of a clean workplace.
Topics of this module include definition of personal hygiene, personal contamination of food
products, hand washing, and methods of disease transmission. The importance of employee hygienic
practices will be explained in this module.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the module, the students are expected to:

1. Perform proper hand washing;
2. Explain the types of transmission;
3. Identify personal hygiene practices;
4. Identify the roles of employees and employers in implementing sanitary food handling.

Motivation

"Food safety involves everybody in the food chain." ~ Mike

Johanns
"Many countries have food safety systems from farm to
table. Everybody involved in the food supply is required to
follow standard food safety procedures. You would think
that everyone involved with food would not want people to
get sick from it." ~ Marion Nestle
"Not responding is a response - we are equally responsible
for what we don't do." ~ Jonathan Safran Foer

Source: https://images.app.goo.gl/wteBR5Jqg4JPNRS68

DISCUSSION

Handwashing

 The first line of defense against disease is frequent and effective handwashing by those
who work with food (Taylor 2000). A large percentage of foodborne disease outbreaks
are spread by contaminated hands. Appropriate handwashing practices can reduce the
risk of foodborne illness, and studies have shown that handwashing can reduce the risk
of respiratory infections by 16% (Rabie and Curtis 2006).
 The most effective method to ensure effective handwashing is through proper education
and training, as well as motivation, reinforcement, incentives, and modeling by
supervisors and managers who practice a proper handwashing technique.
 Handwashing is conducted to break the transmission route of the microorganisms from
the hands to another source and to reduce transient bacteria. It has been shown that
microorganisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Serratia
marcescens, E. coli, and S. aureus can survive for up to 90 min when artificially inoculated
on the fingertips (Filho et al. 1985).
 The proper procedure for handwashing is detailed below and illustrated in Fig. 2.1.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers used after handwashing provide an additional 10- 100- fold
reduction (Anon 2002). Instant hand sanitizers should be considered when washing is not
possible, but they do not have a lasting effect (Taylor 2000). The key elements of improved
handwashing are motivation, effective training techniques, proper equipment that is fully
stocked with soap and disposable towels, and positive reinforcement. Although a certain
amount of education is essential, a multidisciplinary framework should target institutional or
organizational change so a culture of food safety and sanitation is achieved. Training should
be risk based with the consequences of improper handwashing clearly expressed and
positive reinforcement provided when food workers consistently perform this task properly
and regularly.

Fig. 2.1 Proper Hand Washing

Foodborne Outbreaks Caused by Poor Personal Hygiene

The following examples provide evidence of how poor handwashing and poor personal
hygiene have caused major foodborne illness outbreaks.

 On a 4-day Caribbean cruise, 72 passengers and 12 crew members had

diarrhea, and 13 people had to be hospitalized. Stool samples of 19 of the
passengers and two of the crew contained Shigella flexneri bacteria. The
illness was traced to German potato salad prepared by a crew member that
carried these bacteria. The disease spread easily because the toilet facilities
for the galley crew were limited (Lew et al. 1991).
 Over 3,000 women who attended a 5-day outdoor music festival in Michigan
became ill with gastroenteritis caused by Shigella sonnei.The illness began 2
days after the festival ended, and patients were spread all over the United
States before the outbreak was recognized. An uncooked tofu salad served
on the last day caused the outbreak. Over 2,000 volunteer food handlers
prepared the communal meals served during the festival. Before the festival,
the staff had a smaller outbreak of shigellosis. Sanitation at the festival was
mostly acceptable, but access to soap and running water for handwashing
was limited. Good handwashing facilities could have prevented this explosive
outbreak of foodborne illness (Lee et al. 1991).
  Shigella sonnei caused an outbreak of foodborne illness in 240 airline
passengers on 219 flights to 24 states, the District of Columbia, and four
countries. The outbreak was identified only because it involved 21 of 65
professional football team players and coaches. Football players and coaches,
airline passengers, and flight attendants with the illness all had the same
strain of S. sonnei. The illness was caused by cold sandwiches served on the
flights that had been prepared by hand at the airline flight kitchen. The flight
kitchen should have minimized hand contact when preparing cold foods or
eliminated them from the menu (Hedberg et al. 1992).

Methods of Disease Transmission

Direct Transmission
Many diseases are transmitted through direct transfer of the microorganisms to another
person through close contact. Examples are diphtheria, scarlet fever, influenza, pneumonia,
smallpox, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, dysentery, norovirus, and venereal diseases.
Respiratory diseases may be transferred via atomized particles expelled from the nose and
mouth when a person talks, sneezes, or coughs. When these particles become attached to
dust, they may remain suspended in the air for an indefinite length of time. Other people may
then become infected upon inhaling these particles.

Indirect Transmission
The host of an infectious disease may transfer organisms to vehicles such as water, food, and
soil. Lifeless objects (fomites), other than food, capable of transmitting infections are
doorknobs, handles, switches, elevator buttons, telephones, pencils, books, washroom
fittings, clothing, money, knives, and many other commonly handled or touched objects.
Intestinal and respiratory diseases such as salmonellosis, norovirus, dysentery, and diphtheria
may be spread by indirect transmission. To reduce the transfer of microorganisms by indirect
transmission, sinks should have foot-operated controls instead of hand- operated faucets,
and doors should be self-closing.

Requirements for Hygienic Practices

Management must establish a protocol to ensure hygienic practices by employees.

Supervisors and managers should set an example for employees by their own high levels of
hygiene and good health while conveying the importance of these practices to the
employees. When applicable, they should provide proper laundry facilities or services for
maintenance of cleanliness of uniforms through clean dressing rooms, services, and welfare
facilities. All employees who work with food should regularly report signs of illness, infection,
and other unhealthy conditions.

These practices should be conducted to ensure personal hygiene:

1. Physical health should be maintained and protected through practice of proper

nutrition and physical cleanliness.
2. Illness should be reported to the employer before working with food so that work
adjustments can be made to protect food from the employee’s illness or disease.
3. Hygienic work habits should be developed to eliminate potential food contamination.
4. During the work shift, the hands should be washed after using the toilet; handling
garbage or other soiled materials; handling uncooked muscle foods, egg products, or
dairy products; handling money; and smoking, coughing, or sneezing.
5. Personal cleanliness should be maintained by daily bathing and use of deodorants,
washing hair frequently, trimming and cleaning fingernails regularly, using a hat or
hair restraint while working with food, and wearing clean underclothing and
uniforms.
 6. Employee hands should not touch ready-to- eat foods, service equipment, and
utensils with bare hands. Clean intact, and frequently changed disposable gloves
should be used when contact is necessary.
7. Rules such as “no smoking” should be followed, and other precautions related to
potential contamination should be taken.

Employers should emphasize hygienic practices of employees as follows:

1. Employees should be adequately trained in personal hygiene and the principles of
safe food preparation.
2. A regular inspection and observation of employees and their work habits should be
conducted. Deficiencies should be immediately corrected.
3. Incentives for superior hygiene and sanitary practices should be provided.
4. Food workers should be responsible for their own health and personal cleanliness.
Employers should be responsible for making certain that the public is protected from
unsanitary practices that could cause public illness. Personal hygiene is a basic step
that should be taken to ensure the production of wholesome food.

Sanitary Food Handling

Role of Employees
Food processing and foodservice firms should protect their employees and
consumers from workers with diseases or other microorganisms of public health concern
that can affect the wholesomeness or sanitary quality of food. This precaution is important to
maintain a good image and sound operating practices consistent with regulatory
organizations. In most communities, local health codes prohibit employees having
communicable diseases or those who are carriers of such diseases from handling foods or
participating in activities that may result in the contamination of food or food contact
surfaces. Responsible employers should exercise caution in selecting employees by screening
unhealthy individuals. Selection of employees should be predicated upon these facts:

1. Absence of reportable illnesses.

2. Applicants should not exhibit evidence of a sanitary hazard, such as open sores or
presence of excessive skin infections or acne.
3. Applicants who display evidence of respiratory problems should not be hired to
handle food or to work in food processing or food preparation areas.
4. Applicants should be clean and neatly groomed and should wear clothing free of
unpleasant odor.
5. Applicants should successfully complete a sanitation course such as those provided
by a number of local regulatory agencies and organizations.

Required Personal Hygiene

Food organizations should establish personal hygiene rules that are clearly defined and
uniformly
and rigidly enforced. These rules should be documented, posted, and/or clearly spelled out in
all training programs. Policy should address personal cleanliness, working attire, acceptable
food-handling practices, and the use of tobacco and other prohibited practices.

Facilities

Hygienic food handling requires appropriate equipment and supplies. Food-handling

and food processing equipment should be constructed according to regulations of the
appropriate regulatory agency. Restroom and locker facilities should be clean, neat, well
lighted, and conveniently located away from production areas. Restrooms should have self-
 closing doors. It is also preferred that handwashing stations have motion sensor and foot- or
knee operated faucets that supply water at 100 °F (38 °C) (US FDA 2013). Remotely operated
liquid soap dispensers are recommended, and disposable towels are best for drying hands.
The consumption of snacks, beverages, and other foods, as well as smoking, should be
confined to specific areas, which should be clean and free of insects.

Employee Supervision
Employees who handle food should be subjected to the same health standards used
in screening prospective employees. Supervisors should observe employees daily for infected
cuts, boils, respiratory complications, and other evidence of infection. Many local health
authorities require foodservice and food processing firms to report an employee who is
suspected to have a contagious disease or to be a carrier.

Employee Responsibilities
 Although the employer is responsible for the conduct and practices of employees,
responsibilities should be assigned to employees at the time employment begins.
 Employees should maintain a healthy condition to reduce respiratory or
gastrointestinal disorders and other physical ailments.
 Injuries, including cuts, burns, boils, and skin eruptions, should be reported to the
employer.
 Abnormal conditions, such as respiratory system complications (e.g., head cold, sinus
infection, and bronchial and lung disorder), and intestinal disorders, such as diarrhea,
should be reported to the employer.
 Personal cleanliness that should be practiced includes daily bathing, regular hair
washing at least twice a week, daily changing of undergarments, and maintenance of
clean fingernails.
 Employees should tell a supervisor if items such as soap or towels in washrooms
should be replenished.
 Habits such as scratching the head or other body parts should be avoided. • The
mouth and nose should be covered during coughing or sneezing, and the hands
should be washed afterward.
 The hands should be washed after visiting the toilet, using a handkerchief, smoking,
and handling soiled articles, garbage, or money.
 The hands should be kept out of food. Food should not be tasted from the hand, nor
should it be consumed in food production areas.
 Food should be handled in utensils that are not touched with the mouth.
 Rules related to use of tobacco should be enforced.

ACTIVITIES/EXERCISES

Exercise 1

1. What are the responsibilities of the employer to ensure sanitary food handling?
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Exercise 2

Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if the statement is incorrect.
___________ 1. Most foodborne disease outbreaks are spread through dirty food and beverage
work stations.
___________ 2. The most effective method to ensure correct hand washing is through proper
education.
___________ 3. The second step in hand washing is to rub the thumbs clasped in opposite hands.
___________ 4. Hand sanitizer is as effective as with hand washing.
___________ 5. Supervisors and managers should set an example for employees by their own
levels of hygiene.

ASSESSMENT

Guide Questions

1. Perform proper hand washing by following the steps provided by the Department of
Health (DOH).

2. Differentiate direct transmission and indirect transmission of disease.

3. In terms of facilities, what are the requirements in order to have a sanitary and hygienic
working environment?

REFERENCES

Brown, A., (2018) Understanding food: principles and preparation. 2nd Edition Thomson Asian Edition
https://www.pdfdrive.com/principles-of-food-sanitation-e187529182.html

(2011) Principles of hygiene and food safety management - PIP - Coleacp

https://www.pdfdrive.com/principles-of-hygiene-and-food-safety-management-pip-coleacp-
e16834857.html

Walker, J., (2010). Introduction to hospitality management, 3rd Edition, Pearson Education Inc., New
Jersey

Basic Hygiene and Good Manufacturing Practices (Seminar Handout) By DOST Region 7; COSP