Databank. Hand hygiene

Citation

(2002), "Databank. Hand hygiene", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 32 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2002.01732baf.008

Databank. Hand hygiene

Databank

Hand hygiene

A food plant is only as hygienic as the hands of the staff. Health scares in the food industry are becoming fairly frequent occurrences but their incidence could be reduced if all food handlers carried out a simple procedure. The first step to good hand washing is to recognise that it is necessary. A food handler should wash his or her hands after using the toilet, throwing rubbish away, smoking, shaking hands or touching any part of the body. An antibacterial soap could be used and alcoholic gels can be used between washes to reduce the level of micro-organisms on the hands. The hands should be washed for at least 30 seconds paying particular attention to the nails and the finger tips. Hands should be dried thoroughly as damp hands can transmit 500 times as many bacteria, as they need moisture to grow. Hands should be washed at least once an hour to retain a high level of cleanliness. Hot air dryers take between 50 and 60 seconds to dry hands thoroughly and disposable hand towels are the hygienic option.