Personal Hygiene

Personal Hygiene
It is vital that good standards oI personal hygiene are maintained by Iood handlers. Contaminated
hands will spread bacteria around a kitchen very quickly.
To prevent cross contamination oI Iood it is essential to wash your hands Irequently. Examples
include:
O eIore starting work.
O eIore handling Iood.
O etween handling raw and ready to eat Ioods.
O Iter going to the toilet.
O Iter handling raw Ioods.
O Iter handling waste.
O Iter eating, drinking or smoking, coughing, sneezing or touching your Iace.
O Iter taking a break.
O Iter handling chemicals.
O Iter handling money.
How to Wash Your Hands.
&se warm water and preIerably antibacterial soap. Iter wetting hands, apply soap and use the
Iollowing procedure to clean your hands thoroughly:
Then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
In addition, it is important that staII maintain a high degree oI personal hygiene with regard their
personal habits. For example:
O o smoking in Iood areas.
O o coughing, sneezing or spitting over Iood.
O o strong smelling perIumes should be worn when handling Ioods.
O o nail varnish should be worn when handling Iood.
O o jewellery other than a plain wedding band or sleeper earrings should be worn.
ll cuts, wounds and sores should be covered with a waterprooI dressing.
Overclothing should be clean and present no risk oI contamination to Iood.
Hair should be tidy and covered where necessary to prevent it Irom Ialling into Iood.
StaII should report to their supervisor iI they have had symptoms oI diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea,
abdominal cramps or Iever. These may be indications that they have, or have had, Iood
poisoning. They should also inIorm their supervisor iI they have inIected cuts or wounds, boils
or sores that may lead to the contamination oI Ioods.
Make children aware of the importance of good personal hygiene.
- Show the areas of the body where germs are most likely to develop.
- ntroduce easy-to-apply personal hygiene rules.
- Teach effective personal hygiene practices.
Objectives


t may seem simple to apply the basic principIes of personaI hygiene but nothing is that obvious
especially on a national or even worldwide scale. n fact the perception of hygiene and the way it is
applied vary considerably between individuals. t is therefore essential to present in a uniform way
information on how to behave in order to integrate the concept of personal hygiene into a hygiene
program for life in general.

Four main themes should be considered:
and ygiene
Children should be made aware of the importance of hand washing especiaIIy after contact with an
animaI, after using a toiIet, before eating or touching a person at risk from infection.
Hand washing should become second nature.

ut washing your hands isn't about wetting them with cold water. A good routine should include:
O #emove any jewellery.
O et hands with warm water.
O ith a suitable soap wash vigorously for at least 30 seconds paying attention to creases and under
nails. t is important to work up a lather to remove any germs.
O #inse hands.
O ry hands on a clean towel.
Nails have more chance of staying clean if they are kept fairly short.
raI ygiene
Attention should be paid to eliminating food particles dental plaque and ensuring daily gum care as well
as visiting the dentist regularly. %eeth shouId be brushed after each meaI and a minimum of twice a
day in an effective manner (see "Teeth brushing"):
O Toothpaste.
O rush up and down in a light circular motion in front behind and across the top of the teeth for three
minutes.
O #inse.
The principle of not putting objects or fingers in the mouth should also be firmly adhered to. Sugar and
sweets also encourage germ proliferation.

!ersonaI ygiene
A dirty body is a hotbed for developing germs. ust sweat and other secretions and warmth are all
factors which encourage germs to multiply. A shower or bath with effective cleansing products should
therefore follow any physical activity.
Everyday secretions occur even without physical effort and are enough to encourage germs. A daiIy
shower is therefore a must for everyone.
Clean clothes should be worn and underwear changed daily yet this is still not obvious to everyone.
Consider that a fabric contains 105 germs per cm2 (Scott & loomfield) after having been carried for one
day.
Although teeth brushing and shampooing are more or less part of most people's routine head lice run rife
in schools.

Lice measure 2-3 mm; the female lays a dozen eggs (nits) a day at root of the hair. The eggs hatch after
about a week and the lice become adult in 2 weeks. They can live for 2 months and cause severe itching.
Treatment is applied locally after shampooing. Hair is then gone through with a fine comb to catch the
nits. edding hats and scarves should be washed at 60C or above if the material is suitable.
How to avoid them:
O rush and comb children's hair every day and wash it regularly (one to three times a week depending
on the child's activities).
O Monitor their hair.
O Avoid sharing hats and scarves.
O Change bedding at least once a week.

asaI ygiene
hen talking of self or airborne contamination the nose should automatically spring to mind. Nasal
secretions are highly contaminating and a runny nose or sneezing are an important source of germ
dissemination.
The solution is simple and within easy reach: disposable paper tissues. Frequent nose blowing clears the
nostrils and limits the spread of germs.
ut maybe even this simple act calls for a little education:
O !lace the tissue over the nose.
O !ress one nostril with a finger to close it and blow through the other one.
O #epeat until the nostril is clear.
O o the same with the other nostril.
O ipe nose.
O ispose of the germ-laden tissue.

Take care not to irritate the nose due to repeated blowing. Always do it delicately with a soft tissue.