Personal Hygiene
Food handlers can carry pathogens on their hands, in their hair, and in their bodies, so personal hygiene is one of your most powerful defenses against foodborne illness. This chapter covers handwashing, glove use, employee health policies, and proper attire.
Handwashing Done Right
Handwashing is the single most important personal-hygiene practice, and there is a correct method. Workers should wet their hands and arms with running water as hot as they can comfortably stand (at least 100°F), apply soap, and scrub vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds, reaching between fingers and under fingernails. The entire process should take about 20 seconds. Then rinse thoroughly and dry with a single-use paper towel or hand dryer. Staff must wash before starting work, before handling food, after using the restroom, after touching the body or hair, after eating or smoking, after handling raw meat, and after taking out garbage or touching anything that could contaminate the hands. Handwashing sinks must be used only for handwashing — never for food prep or dumping mop water — and stocked with soap and towels at all times.
Gloves and Bare-Hand Contact
Ready-to-eat food is food that will not be cooked again before serving, so touching it with bare hands can transfer pathogens directly to the guest. The Food Code says food handlers should not touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands; instead they use single-use gloves, tongs, deli tissue, or spatulas. Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing — workers must wash their hands before putting gloves on. Gloves must be changed when they tear, when switching tasks, after handling raw meat, and at least every four hours during continuous use. Never wash and reuse disposable gloves. Also remember gloves do not protect the food if the hands underneath are dirty, so the wash-then-glove sequence matters.
Employee Health: Exclude and Restrict
A sick worker can contaminate food and start an outbreak, so managers must know when to send someone home. A worker must be excluded — kept entirely out of the operation — if they have been diagnosed with a Big Six pathogen, or if they have vomiting or diarrhea (in operations serving high-risk populations, even a sore throat with fever triggers exclusion). A worker must be restricted — kept away from food and clean equipment but allowed limited duties — if they have a sore throat with fever in a general operation. Workers with jaundice must be reported and excluded. Employees who have vomiting or diarrhea can return only after being symptom-free for at least 24 hours or with written medical release. Managers should have a written health policy and require staff to report symptoms.
Attire and Personal Habits
What a worker wears and does around food matters. Food handlers should wear a clean hat or hair restraint, keep facial hair covered, and use a clean apron that is removed before leaving the prep area or using the restroom. Fingernails must be short, clean, and unpolished, and false nails are not allowed unless gloves are worn. Jewelry is a physical and biological hazard, so workers should remove rings (except a plain band), bracelets, and watches from hands and arms. Eating, drinking, smoking, and chewing gum are prohibited in prep and dishwashing areas because they can transfer saliva to food or hands. Workers who are sick should not report to work, and everyone should come to work clean and bathed. These small habits add up to a big reduction in contamination risk.
Last updated: July 2026