When a 2004 FDA study found that food establishments were often out of compliance with the Food Code requirements for proper and adequate handwashing, the agency developed the Employee Health and Personal Hygiene Handbook.
Designed to encourage practices and behaviors that can help prevent food employees from spreading viruses and bacteria to food, the handbook was updated in 2017. Even 13 years later, it includes some lesser known, or followed, handwashing requirements.
For example, do you know …
Although recent research has shown that there is statistically little difference between the cleanliness of hands washed in hot or cold water (QA, October 2017, https://bit.ly/2sHVSt2), the FDA Food Code specifies a minimum handwashing water temperature of 100°F. As the agency explains in the handbook, not only is this generally more comfortable than cold water, thus encouraging handwashing for the recommended duration, water temperature also can affect the solubility or emulsification of some soils. Warm water also is more effective than cold in removing fatty soils, and an adequate flow of warm water will cause soap to lather and aid in flushing soil quickly from the hands.
It is fairly common knowledge that workers should wash their hands before entering the processing area and after using the toilet; using tobacco, eating, or drinking; and switching between raw and RTE food handling. But do you also instruct employees to wash their hands after touching any bare human body part (other than just-washed hands and lower arms), coughing, sneezing, or blowing the nose, and before putting on single-use gloves and between glove changes?
Managers are responsible for ensuring that food employees wash their hands, as required. To enable this, they are to:
According to statistics from the World Health Organization, it is estimated that the consistent washing of hands with soap and water could reduce diarrheal disease-associated deaths by up to 50%. According to Handwashingforlife, “The chain of cleanliness risk factors is led by poor handwashing. It is the #1 cited element in outbreak investigations.” Thus, appropriate handwashing practices and the wearing of gloves can greatly reduce the risk of foodborne illness and other infections.
But it’s not always easy to ensure workers are washing their hands thoroughly or donning clean gloves when needed — even when handwashing and glove stations are set at every entrance. So, QA asked a number of industry authorities for tips on what they do or see done in the plant, not only to require, but to motivate, employees in their handwashing and glove-donning efforts.
Inspire hand hygiene by applauding and rewarding employees for a job well done.
©zest_marina - stock.adobe.com
Following are their responses:
Teach the staff to put three to five gloves on each hand after washing hands. When the hand touches a non-food, non-food contact surface, different allergen or food product, cart, refuse container, etc. or the employee returns to the immediate work area, they are taught to peel off a glove. (A supervisor also should be trained to identify when one touches these non-food contact surfaces and alert staff to remove the glove). When a glove rips, tears, or is wearing thin, alert the staff to remove the glove. When one or both hands are without a glove; remove the other hand’s glove(s) and wash both hands. More experienced food handlers only need three gloves on each hand; novices or new hires should have five gloves on each hand. Four is generally a good number and not too bulky, though gloves should fit snug, not tight. (Bobby Love, Director, Global Food Safety, Technical and Regulatory Affairs, Phillips Foods)
At MZB, we recognized the need to make handwashing, at the very least, more convenient, so we installed additional stations both in our break area and in strategic locations on the production floor. (We used portable stations on the floor to avoid the high cost of additional plumbing and contract work.) We also have a program that is several years old called “Caught working safely.” As part of the program to promote safe work habits, supervisors give employees a “caught working safely” card every time they’re observed working in a safe fashion or following one of our safety measures to a T. The employee can drop the card in a box, from which we draw a winner each month, who receives a prize. We’ve expanded this program now to include times a supervisor observes an employee washing his/her hands prior to entering production or while working. Naturally, we hold monthly safety and GMP trainings, at which we drill home the importance of good hygiene, GMPs, and workplace safety to the continued success of our operation. (Nigel J. Coelho Director of Manufacturing, Moonachie Opeartions, Massimo Zanetti Beverage)
A German field study published in February 2018 was based on the idea that humans modify their behavior in a socially desirable way when being watched by others. Building on the assumption that hand hygiene behavior is socially desirable, and individuals would show stronger hand hygiene compliance when being watched, the researchers placed a placard in a women’s public restroom advising that handwashing protects against the spread of pathogens. The placard included a stylized image of human watching eyes. In another restroom, the placard with three stars in place of the eyes was used as a control condition. The analysis revealed a significantly higher percentage of hand hygiene compliance in the watching eyes restroom (83.3%) compared to the control restroom (71.9%). (https://bit.ly/2kOi7d9)
Provide enough fully equipped handwashing stations to allow the employees to wash hands in a reasonable period of time; if they have to wait too long, they may be more inclined to skip handwashing. Encourage peer-to-peer monitoring and reporting of failure to follow handwashing procedures; conduct periodic compliance checks; station monitors near sinks with stop watches to see who washes hands correctly or who skips; and/or install CCTV camera to allow random unobserved observation of handwashing. (Elis M. Owens Director of Technical Services, Birko)
In addition to implementing monthly or quarterly hand hygiene training, Best Sanitizers recommends motivational efforts include:
Savvy Food Safety President Francine Shaw details five ways to encourage handwashing by employees:
Whether you institute a buddy-up system, a caught-working-safely incentive, or multi-glove program, the key is to ensure workers — and supervisors — understand the importance of handwashing, are regularly encouraged to do so, and know the repercussions of non-compliance. The more handwashing is brought to the forefront in any way, the more it will be top of mind for all.
About the Author:
The author is Editor of QA magazine, Lisa Lupo. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.
This article was first published in Quality and Assurance Magazine, and is reproduced with permission
http://magazine.qualityassurancemag.com/article/august--2018/inspiring-handwashing-compliance.aspx
By Guest Author on 09 June 2017
Personal hygiene is (or should be) an integral part of the food quality and safety for each and every food processor. ...
By Guest Author on 25 May 2017
Good personal hygiene policies and practices are the foundation for successful food safety and quality assurance in all food manufacturing facilities....