Food Handler Responsibilities and Personal Hygiene

Maintaining food safety is not only the responsibility of managers and supervisors. Everyone working with or around food has an important role in keeping food safe and protecting customers from harm.

Good food hygiene depends on more than written policies and suitable equipment. It also relies on the everyday actions, behaviour and attitudes of employees.

What Are a Food Handler’s Responsibilities?

Food handlers must follow their workplace’s food safety procedures and work in a way that reduces the risk of contamination.

Individual responsibilities may include:

• Following food safety instructions and training
• Maintaining good personal hygiene
• Wearing suitable protective clothing
• Washing hands at the correct times
• Preventing cross-contamination
• Following cleaning and disinfection procedures
• Storing food at the correct temperature
• Reporting illness and symptoms
• Reporting damaged food, equipment or packaging
• Keeping work areas clean and tidy

Food handlers should never ignore a food safety problem or assume that somebody else will deal with it.

Following Workplace Food Safety Procedures

Every food business should have procedures appropriate to the food it handles and the risks involved.

Employees should understand and follow procedures relating to:

• Food storage
• Temperature control
• Cooking and reheating
• Cooling and chilling
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Cross-contamination
• Allergen management
• Waste disposal
• Pest control
• Personal hygiene
• Illness reporting
• Emergency and corrective actions

Employees must ask a manager or supervisor for advice if they do not understand a procedure or are unsure how to complete a task safely.

Wearing Protective Clothing Correctly

Food handlers should wear any protective clothing required by their workplace. Depending on the task, this may include:

• Clean aprons
• Overalls
• Chef’s clothing
• Hairnets or other head coverings
• Beard coverings
• Suitable gloves
• Protective footwear

Protective clothing helps prevent everyday clothing, hair, dirt and other contaminants from entering food or food-preparation areas.

Looking After Protective Clothing

Protective clothing should be:

• Clean when worn
• Suitable for the task
• Changed when contaminated
• Stored away from personal clothing
• Removed before leaving designated areas where required
• Laundered using an appropriate process

Damaged, dirty or unsuitable protective clothing must be reported and replaced promptly.

Personal Protective Equipment

Some food-related tasks may require personal protective equipment, commonly known as PPE. This is intended to protect the worker from hazards rather than simply protect food from contamination.

PPE may include:

• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Eye protection
• Heat-resistant gloves
• Cut-resistant gloves
• Protective footwear
• Respiratory protection for specific tasks

PPE must be worn, maintained and stored in accordance with workplace instructions. Any loss, damage, contamination or defect should be reported immediately.

Maintaining Good Personal Hygiene

High standards of personal hygiene are essential for preventing food contamination.

Food handlers should:

• Arrive at work clean
• Wear clean protective clothing
• Keep hair clean, controlled and covered where required
• Keep fingernails short and clean
• Cover suitable cuts and grazes with waterproof dressings
• Report infected wounds, sores or skin conditions
• Report vomiting, diarrhoea or other relevant illnesses
• Avoid unnecessary contact with ready-to-eat food

When Should Food Handlers Wash Their Hands?

Hands must be washed thoroughly at all appropriate times, including:

• Before starting food preparation
• Before handling ready-to-eat food
• After handling raw food
• After using the toilet
• After touching waste or emptying bins
• After cleaning
• After eating, drinking or smoking
• After blowing the nose
• After coughing or sneezing
• After touching the face or hair
• After handling phones, money or deliveries
• After removing gloves
• Whenever contamination may have occurred

Effective Handwashing

Food handlers should:

1. Wet their hands under warm running water
2. Apply liquid soap
3. Rub all parts of the hands thoroughly
4. Clean between the fingers, around the thumbs and beneath the fingernails
5. Rinse thoroughly under running water
6. Dry completely using a hygienic method

Alcohol hand gel is not a substitute for effective handwashing with soap and water.

Behaviours to Avoid Around Food

Food handlers should avoid behaviour that could contaminate food, equipment or work surfaces.

They should not:

• Touch their face, mouth, nose or hair while handling food
• Cough or sneeze over food
• Smoke or vape in food-handling areas
• Spit
• Chew gum
• Eat while preparing food
• Taste food using their fingers
• Use the same tasting utensil more than once
• Store personal belongings in food areas
• Use a mobile phone and then handle food without washing their hands

What to Do After Coughing or Sneezing

If a food handler coughs or sneezes accidentally, they should:

• Turn away from food and food-contact surfaces
• Use a disposable tissue where possible
• Dispose of the tissue immediately
• Wash and dry their hands thoroughly
• Change contaminated gloves or protective clothing
• Clean and disinfect affected surfaces
• Dispose of any food that may have been contaminated

Jewellery in Food-Handling Areas

Jewellery can present both physical and microbiological contamination risks. It may fall into food, become caught in equipment or trap dirt and bacteria.

Many food businesses prohibit:

• Watches
• Bracelets
• Decorative rings
• Dangling earrings
• Facial jewellery that could become loose
• Other unsecured personal items

Some workplaces permit a plain wedding band, but employees must always follow their employer’s jewellery policy.

Fingernails, Nail Varnish and False Nails

Fingernails should be kept:

• Short
• Clean
• Well maintained
• Free from dirt and contamination

Nail varnish, false nails and nail decorations are normally prohibited in food-handling roles because they can:

• Chip or break into food
• Hide dirt beneath the nails
• Make effective handwashing more difficult
• Create a physical contamination hazard

Using Disposable Gloves Safely

Disposable gloves can help control contamination during certain tasks, but they are not a replacement for handwashing.

Food handlers should:

• Wash and dry their hands before putting gloves on
• Use gloves suitable for the task
• Change gloves between different activities
• Replace torn or contaminated gloves immediately
• Never wash and reuse disposable gloves
• Wash their hands after removing gloves

Dirty gloves can spread contamination in exactly the same way as dirty hands.

Identifying Problems with Food and Packaging

Food handlers should remain alert for signs that food may be unsafe, contaminated or unsuitable for sale.

Warning signs may include:

• Damaged or torn packaging
• Broken seals
• Leaking containers
• Unusual smells
• Unexpected discolouration
• Visible mould or contamination
• Pest damage
• Food stored at an unsafe temperature
• Missing or unreadable labels
• Expired use-by dates
• Swollen, leaking, badly dented or rusted cans
• Foreign objects in food

Suspect food should be isolated and reported immediately in accordance with workplace procedures. It must not be used or supplied until an authorised person has decided what action to take.

Reporting Damaged Equipment

Damaged equipment can create physical, chemical and microbiological hazards.

Employees should report:

• Cracked chopping boards
• Chipped utensils
• Broken glass
• Loose screws or fittings
• Damaged refrigerator seals
• Faulty temperature displays
• Corroded food-contact surfaces
• Damaged electrical equipment
• Equipment that cannot be cleaned effectively

Unsafe equipment should be removed from use or clearly identified until it has been repaired or replaced.

Good Housekeeping in Food Premises

Good housekeeping supports food hygiene, workplace safety and efficient operations.

The following areas should be kept clean, tidy and free from unnecessary obstructions:

• Food-preparation areas
• Cooking areas
• Food-storage rooms
• Refrigerators and freezers
• Walkways
• Entrances and exits
• Staff facilities
• Waste-storage areas

Spills, waste and broken items should be dealt with promptly using the appropriate procedure.

Preventing Cross-Contamination

Food handlers must take practical steps to prevent harmful microorganisms, allergens and foreign objects from spreading between foods and surfaces.

This includes:

• Separating raw and ready-to-eat food
• Using designated equipment where required
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces between tasks
• Changing gloves and washing hands at appropriate times
• Storing raw food below ready-to-eat food
• Keeping food covered
• Following allergen-control procedures

Food Safety Training and Supervision

Food handlers must receive supervision, instruction or training appropriate to their role.

Employees should:

• Attend required training
• Follow the procedures they have been taught
• Ask questions when unsure
• Take part in refresher training
• Accept appropriate supervision and correction
• Report when a procedure is not working effectively

Training records should be maintained so the business can demonstrate that employees are competent for their duties.

Taking Personal Responsibility for Food Safety

Food safety depends on everyone accepting responsibility for their own actions.

By following procedures, maintaining excellent personal hygiene and reporting problems immediately, food handlers help protect customers, colleagues and the reputation of the business.