Lecture 4: Effective hand washing

1
A. Food Safety and H.A.C.C.P.4. Staff Hygiene
Rules
4. Effective hand washing
2
What is effective hand washing?(part I)

• the act of cleansing hands by applying soap and
  water, rubbing them together vigorously, rinsing
  them with clean water and thoroughly drying them.
  
• this process gets rid of dirt and germs

3
What is effective hand washing?(part II)

• every hand washing stage is important and
  effectively contributes to soil removal and
  reduction of microorganisms that can cause
  illness

4
Why is hand washing important?(part I)

• It reduces the spread of pathogenic
  microorganisms that are transmitted through food
• the hands of food employees can be colonized with
  microorganisms such as Staphylococcus aureus or
  Escherichia coli  or Salmonella 

5
Why is hand washing important?(part II)

• these and other pathogenic microorganisms can get
  on the hands from a number of sources and then
  move from hands to food during preparation and
  service.

6
When should food employees wash their hands?
(part I)

• when entering a food preparation area
• before putting on clean, single-use gloves for
  working with food and between glove changes
• before engaging in food preparation
• before handling clean equipment and serving
  utensils
• when changing tasks and switching between
  handling raw foods and working with RTE foods

7
When should food employees wash their hands?
(part II)

• after handling soiled dishes, equipment, or
  utensils
• after touching bare human body parts (for
  example, parts other than clean hands and clean,
  exposed portions of arms)
• after using the toilet
• after coughing, sneezing, blowing the nose, using
  tobacco, eating, or drinking.

8
Proper hand washing procedure
Wet your hands
Rub your hands from fingertips to elbows for 20
sec
Apply soap
Use a brush to scrub your nails
Rinse both sides of hands with water
Dry your hands with a clean paper towel
9
Suitable equipment for hand washing
disinfectant
paper towels
soap
hand dryer
Push button valve for hot and cold water using
your foot
dustbin with foot pedal
10
Alcohol-based preparations

• Soap and water should be used wherever possible
  when washing hands
• Skin disinfectants formulated for use without
  water (e.g. 7080 alcohol-based solutions) can
  be used to decontaminate hands when hand washing
  facilities are not available (they do not replace
  the importance of hand washing with soap and
  water)
• Alcohol preparations are not useful if hands are
  visibly soiled with body fluids, feces or vomit

11
How important is the temperature of water used
for hand washing?

• Warm water is generally more comfortable than
  cold water and encourages hand washing for the
  recommended duration
• The water temperature used in hand washing can
  also affect the solubility or emulsification of
  some soils
• Warm water is more effective than cold water in
  removing fatty soils

12
How important is properly drying your hands after
hand washing?

• It is a vital part of the hand washing process
  because thorough hand drying can provide an added
  reduction of microorganisms on the hands.
• Effective hand drying includes drying your hands
  with an air dryer and using a single-use towel or
  a clean, unused towel.

13
Frequent hand washing is necessary
14
Summary of 4th Lecture

• What effective hand washing is
• When food employees should wash their hands