You can carry bacteria and viruses on your hands, skin, hair and clothing without feeling sick at all. Good personal hygiene stops those germs reaching food. It is the single most important set of habits a food handler has.
Reporting illness
If you are unwell, you can pass illness straight to customers through the food you touch. You must tell your supervisor and stay away from food handling if you have symptoms of a foodborne illness.
- Do not handle food if you have vomiting or diarrhoea
- Report fever, jaundice, or a sore throat with fever
- Report infected skin sores, cuts or discharges from the eyes, ears or nose
- After gastro symptoms, stay away from food handling until at least 48 hours symptom-free, or as your workplace directs
Clean clothing and grooming
Wear clean clothing or a clean apron, and change it if it becomes soiled. Tie back and cover long hair so it cannot fall into food, and keep beards covered where required.
Keep fingernails short, clean and free of nail polish or false nails, which can chip into food and hide bacteria. Remove watches and most jewellery — a plain band is usually the only ring allowed.
Habits that contaminate food
Many everyday actions move germs onto your hands and then onto food. Break these habits while working:
- Touching your face, hair, nose or mouth
- Coughing or sneezing over food (turn away and into your elbow, then wash hands)
- Tasting food with your fingers or a used spoon
- Eating, drinking or chewing gum in food-prep areas
- Handling money and then food without washing hands in between
Cuts, wounds and gloves
Cover any cut or wound with a brightly coloured, waterproof bandage (blue is standard so it is easy to spot if it falls off), and cover a hand wound with a glove as well.
Gloves are useful but they are not a substitute for clean hands. Wash your hands before putting gloves on, change them between tasks and whenever they tear, and never reuse single-use gloves.
Practical examples
- A chef with a cut finger wears a blue waterproof bandage under a glove.
- A waiter sneezes, turns away into their elbow, then washes hands before returning to service.
- Staff taste-test using a clean spoon each time, never their fingers.
Key points to remember
- Report illness and stay away from food when you have gastro symptoms.
- Wear clean clothing; tie back hair; keep nails short and unpolished.
- Avoid touching your face and never taste food with your fingers.
- Cover cuts with coloured waterproof bandages; gloves don't replace handwashing.