Chapter 3- The Safe Food Handler Serve Safe

Scenario: Hepatitis A Scare Hepatitis A vaccinations were offered to thousands of guests who had visited a local casual-dining restaurant in the Gulf Coast region of the U.S. The vaccinations were made available by the local regulatory authority after a food handler at the restaurant tested positive for hepatitis A, exposing the guests to the virus. The identified food handler was responsible for preparing and setting up items on the restaurant salad bar. The food handler was excluded from work until approved to return by a physician and the regulatory authority. The local regulatory authority also worked with the restaurant to ensure it had all of the correct processes in place to protect the guests and the teams.

You Can Prevent This…

Situations that can lead to contamination When food handlers fail to report their illness When wounds contain pathogens Sneezing/ coughing Contact with a person who is ill Touch anything that may contaminate their hands and don’t wash them Symptoms such as- diarrhea, vomiting, or jaundice

Common Actions of Contamination Scratching the scalp Running fingers through hair Wiping or touching nose rubbing or touching ears Touching a pimple/ infected wound Wearing a dirty uniform Spitting in the operation Coughing / sneezing

Personal Hygiene Hand Practices- hand washing, hand care, glove use, prevent bare-hand contact with ready to eat foods Personal cleanliness Clothing, hair restraints, jewelry

Managing Personal Hygiene Program Create personal hygiene policies Train food handlers on the policies and retrain them often Model correct behavior at all times Supervise food safety practices Revise personal Hygiene policies when laws or science change

Steps in Proper Hand Washing Wet hands and arms Apply soap Scrub hands and arms vigorously Rinse thoroughly Dry hands and arms

When to Wash Hands? Using the restroom Handling raw meat, poultry, & seafood (before/after) Touching hair, face, body Sneezing, coughing, or using tissue Eating or drinking, smoking, gum chewing Taking out garbage Handling money Touching aprons Handling chemicals

Hand Sanitizers Use after hands are washed and dry…NEVER in place of using soap and water

Hand Care Short fingernails NO false nails NO Nail polish Infected wounds or cuts must be cleaned, bandaged, and covered with a glove

Single Use Gloves Only used approved food service gloves Never reuse disposable gloves or wash to reuse Provide multiple sizes for worker safety Include latex alternatives in the work place for allergies Wash/ dry hands before putting on gloves Check gloves for rips or tears Never BLOW into gloves Never ROLL gloves onto your hands

Work Attire Guidelines Hair Restraints: wear clean hats or other hair restraints when in food prep area Clean clothing and aprons (do not wear aprons into the restroom) Remove all jewelry (except watches and single band rings)

Policies for Reporting Health Issues Staff MUST tell you when they are sick Present signed statements in which staff agree to tell you when they are ill Provide documentation showing staff have completed training on reporting illnesses Post signs or provide information that remind staff to notify managers when ill

Excluding Staff Members from Work Jaundice, vomiting, and diarrhea symptoms automatically exclude a worker from the workplace Sore throat & Fever- restrict them from working around food and only exclude them if they are around a population prone to illness Exclude if they had the following: Hepatitis A, Salmonella typhi, E. Coli, Norovirus, Shigella spp.