A food employee finishes taking out the trash to the dumpster and returns to the kitchen to plate sandwiches. What is the minimum required action before resuming food work?
Explanation
California Retail Food Code HSC §113953.3 requires food employees to wash hands at a designated handwashing sink with soap and warm water (at least 100°F) after any activity that may contaminate the hands, including handling garbage. The scrubbing step must last at least 10-15 seconds and the full procedure (wet, soap, scrub, rinse, dry) is what removes transient pathogens. Option A is wrong because aprons are not approved hand-drying surfaces and gloves do not substitute for handwashing. Option C is wrong because sanitizer is permitted only AFTER proper handwashing, never instead of it (HSC §113953.4); sanitizers do not remove organic soil or norovirus reliably. Option D is wrong because prep sinks are not approved handwashing sinks and a plain water rinse without soap is insufficient. Gloves placed on unwashed hands trap pathogens against the skin and contaminate the glove exterior as soon as donned.
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