Servsafe Certification - Chapter 4: The Safe Food Handler

The cornerstone of preventing foodborne illness with personal hygiene.

Washing hands.

Ways food handlers can contaminate food.

Working while having foodborne illness, having wounds or boils that contain pathogens, sneezing or coughing, having contact with a person who is ill, using the restroom without washing hands, having symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, or jaundice.

Actions that can bring pathogens onto one’s hands.

Running hands through hair, wiping one’s nose, rubbing an ear, scratching a wound, touching a pimple.

Employees that are unable to be fired because of their medical conditions.

Those with HIV and Hepatitis B.

Employees that are entitled to confidentiality around their medical conditions.

Those with HIV and Hepatitis B.

Practices to support a good personal hygiene program.

Creating and training personal hygiene policies, modeling correct behavior at all times, supervising food safety practices at all times, revising personal hygiene policies when necessary.

Where hands must be washed.

Sinks specifically designed for handwashing.

Step 1 of washing hands.

Wet hands and arms with running warm water.

Step 2 of washing hands.

Apply a good amount of soap according to manufacturer recommendations.

Step 3 of washing hands.

Scrub hands, arms, between fingers and under fingernails for 10-15 seconds.

Step 4 of washing hands.

Rinse hands and arms thoroughly with warm running water.

Step 5 of washing hands.

Dry hands and arms with a single-use paper towel or a hand dryer.

Step 6 of washing hands.

Use paper towels to turn off faucet and open doors when leaving restroom.

Food handlers must wash hands after:

Using the restroom, touching the body or clothing, coughing, sneezing, blowing nose, using tissues, eating, drinking, smoking or chewing gum or tobacco, handling soiled items, handling raw meat, poultry and seafood, taking out garbage, handling chemicals that could effect food safety, changing tasks, leaving and returning to a kitchen or prep area, handling money, using electronics, handling dirty equipment.

Actions to take after witnessing a food handler not wash their hands properly.

Dispose of the contaminated food, clean contaminated utensils, retrain and coach handlers.

When hand sanitizers can be used.

After handwashing and never in place of it.

When bare hands can make contact with RTE food.

When the food will be added to a dish that will be cooked to 145°F or to the minimum temperature of any meat.

Ways hands must be maintained to avoid spreading pathogens.

Keep fingernails short and clean, not wearing false fingernails, not wearing nail polish.

Ways to care for infected wounds and boils on or near hands.

Cover with an impermeable surface like a bandage and use single-use gloves until healed.

Ways to care for infected wounds and boils on arms.

Cover with an impermeable cover.

Ways to care for infected wounds and boils on the body.

Cover with a dry, impermeable bandage.

Guidelines to follow when choosing and purchasing gloves.

Purchase approved, latex free gloves; purchase multiple sizes of glove; purchase multiple types and colors of gloves for different tasks.

Guidelines to follow when using gloves.

Hold gloves by the edge when putting them on, check for rips and tears while they are on, avoid blowing into, rolling and washing/reusing gloves.

Times to change gloves.

When they become dirty or torn, after an interruption that requires new equipment, after handling raw food, before touching RTE food, after four hours of use.

Types of containers employees can drink from.

Clean covered containers with straws or sip lids.

Standards for the head of all food handlers in an operation.

Hair restraints must be worn, hair accessories and false eyelashes should never be worn, beard restraints should be worn when necessary.

Standards for the clothes of all food handlers in an operation.

Wear clean clothing daily and change into it at work.

Standards for soiled and street clothing.

Change soiled uniforms as needed, store soiled clothes away from prep areas in washable containers or laundry bags. Store street clothing and personal belongings in dedicated areas.

Times to remove aprons.

Any time a food handler leaves a prep or food area.

Standards for hands of food handlers in an operation.

Remove jewelery from hands and arms before beginning work.

Proof regulatory agencies can request to ensure food handlers inform operations when they are sick.

Signed statements where employees agree to report illness, documentation showing staff has completed training about reporting illness, posted signs reminding employees to notify employers when sick.

The most important symptoms for employees to notify an operation about.

Vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, infected wounds/boils.

The most important diagnosed illnesses for employees to notify an operation if they or a person they live with has.

Norovirus, Hepatitis A, Shigella spp., STEC/E Coli, Salmonella Typhi, nontyphoidal salmonella

Symptoms to watch for as a manger.

Vomiting, excessive trips to the bathroom, yellowing of skin and eyes, cold sweats or chills, persistent nasal discharge.

If, a food handler as an infected wound, cut, or boil that is improperly treated.

Then, restrict the handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment.

If, a food handler has a sore throat with fever.

Then, restrict the handler from exposed food, utensils and equipment; restrict them from the operation if they primarily work with a high-risk operation. They may only return with written release from a medical practitioner.

If, a food handler is sneezing, coughing, or has a runny nose persistently.

Then, restrict the handler from exposed food, utensils and equipment; restrict them from the operation if they primarily work with a high-risk operation. They may only return with written release from a medical practitioner.

If, a food handler has vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice from an infected condition.

Then, exclude them from the operation.

When employees who experienced diarrhea or vomit can return to the operation.

When symptoms have stopped and they have written release from a medical practitioner.

When employees who experienced jaundice can return to the operation.

Once they have been reported to a regulatory authority, have more than 7 days without symptoms, and have written release from a medical practitioner.

If, a food handler has an illness from one of the Big Six pathogens.

Then, exclude the handler from the operation and report the situation to a regulatory authority. Work with them and a medical practitioner to determine when an employee can be let back into work.