3.2 Personal Hygiene Program

A comprehensive personal hygiene program is the foundation of food safety. As a manager, you must establish clear policies, train staff thoroughly, and enforce standards consistently. This section is heavily tested on the ServSafe exam—especially handwashing procedures.

Proper Handwashing: The Most Critical Skill

Handwashing is the single most important practice in preventing foodborne illness. Yet studies show that food handlers frequently skip steps, rush through the process, or skip handwashing entirely.

The 5-Step Handwashing Procedure

The FDA Food Code specifies a precise handwashing procedure that must be followed every time:

Step 1: Wet hands and arms

• Use running water as hot as you can comfortably stand (at least 100°F/38°C)
• Wet hands up to and including the forearms

Step 2: Apply soap

• Use enough soap to build a good lather
• Liquid or bar soap is acceptable (pump dispensers preferred for sanitation)

Step 3: Scrub hands and arms vigorously

• Minimum 10-15 seconds of vigorous scrubbing
• Focus on these high-contamination areas:
  • Between fingers
  • Under fingernails (use a nail brush)
  • Back of hands
  • Wrists and forearms (if exposed)
  • Thumbs (often forgotten!)

Step 4: Rinse thoroughly

• Rinse under clean, running warm water
• Rinse from fingertips toward elbows (let water run DOWN your arms)
• Make sure all soap is removed

Step 5: Dry hands

• Use a single-use paper towel or hand dryer
• Never use cloth towels—they harbor bacteria
• If using paper towels, use towel to turn off faucet (avoid recontamination)

For the Exam: The TOTAL handwashing time is 20 SECONDS—10-15 seconds for scrubbing, plus time for wetting, soaping, rinsing, and drying. This is one of the most tested facts.

Hand Antiseptics (Hand Sanitizers)

Critical Rule: Hand sanitizer does NOT replace handwashing.

Hand antiseptics (alcohol-based hand sanitizers) can be used as a supplement AFTER proper handwashing, but never as a substitute.

Why sanitizers aren't enough:

• Don't remove dirt and debris
• Less effective on visibly soiled hands
• Don't remove all types of pathogens (some viruses, spores, parasites)
• Require 20+ seconds of drying time to be effective

Correct use:

1. Wash hands properly (5-step procedure)
2. Dry hands completely
3. Apply hand sanitizer as an extra precaution (optional)
4. Rub hands together until dry

Never use hand sanitizer instead of washing when:

• Hands are visibly soiled
• After using the restroom
• Before starting work
• After handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood
• After touching hair, face, or body

When to Wash Hands

Food handlers must wash their hands at specific times to prevent contamination. This is heavily tested on the exam.

Always Wash Hands BEFORE:

Always Wash Hands AFTER:

For the Exam: Memorize the timing for handwashing. Expect multiple scenario-based questions asking "When must the food handler wash their hands?"

Handwashing Stations: Requirements

Every food establishment must have designated handwashing stations that meet FDA Food Code requirements:

Required components:

• Hot and cold running water (at least 100°F/38°C capable)
• Soap (liquid or bar, in a dispenser)
• Paper towels or hand dryer (single-use method)
• Waste receptacle (garbage can for used towels)
• Signage reminding employees to wash hands

Location requirements:

• Must be in or immediately adjacent to restrooms
• Must be in food prep areas (accessible without leaving the area)
• Cannot be blocked by supplies or equipment
• Must be used ONLY for handwashing (not for food prep or dishwashing)

Common violations:

• Using the handwashing sink for food prep
• Storing items in or around the handwashing sink
• No soap or paper towels available
• Water temperature too low (below 100°F)

Work Attire and Hygiene Requirements

Clean Clothing

Requirements:

• Wear clean clothing daily
• Change aprons when switching tasks (raw to RTE foods)
• Remove apron when leaving food prep areas (restroom, break, outdoors)
• Store street clothes separately from uniforms
• Store dirty aprons/uniforms away from clean ones

Why it matters: Clothing carries pathogens from previous shifts, raw food splatters, and environmental contamination.

Hair Restraints

FDA Food Code requirement: Food handlers must wear effective hair restraints to prevent hair from contacting exposed food, clean equipment, and utensils.

Acceptable hair restraints:

• Baseball caps or chef hats (for short hair)
• Hairnets (for longer hair)
• Beard nets or beard covers (for facial hair)
• Combination (hat + hairnet for very long hair)

Not acceptable:

• Headbands or clips alone
• Hair tied back without covering
• Bandanas that don't cover all hair

Facial hair policy:

• Beards and mustaches must be restrained with beard nets
• Applies to all facial hair longer than 1/2 inch

Jewelry Policy

General rule: Remove ALL jewelry before working with food or in food prep areas.

Prohibited Jewelry (Must Remove):

• Rings (except plain wedding band—see exception below)
• Bracelets and watches
• Dangling earrings
• Facial piercings (nose rings, lip rings)
• Necklaces that could fall into food

Why jewelry is dangerous:

• Physical hazard: Jewelry can fall into food
• Biological hazard: Jewelry traps bacteria and pathogens in crevices
• Cannot be properly cleaned: Handwashing doesn't reach under rings and bracelets

The Plain Wedding Band Exception

Allowed: ONE plain ring (smooth wedding band, no stones or engravings)

Not allowed:

• Rings with stones (diamonds, gems)
• Rings with engravings or crevices
• Multiple rings
• Any other jewelry

For the Exam: Know that food handlers can wear ONE plain wedding band, but all other jewelry must be removed.

Nail Polish and Artificial Nails

Strict Rule: No nail polish or artificial nails when working with exposed food.

Why This Policy Exists:

Nail polish:

• Chips and flakes fall into food (physical hazard)
• Hides dirt under nails where pathogens grow
• Prevents proper cleaning during handwashing
• Chipped nail polish fragments are highly visible contamination (customer complaints)

Artificial nails (acrylics, gels, extensions, wraps):

• Fall off easily and contaminate food
• Harbor pathogens in the gap between natural and artificial nail
• Prevent thorough handwashing under nails
• FDA studies show artificial nails carry more bacteria than natural nails

The Rule:

• Bare, clean, trimmed nails only when handling exposed food
• Nails must be trimmed, filed, and maintained
• No nail polish, gel polish, or artificial nails
• Exception: Single-use gloves allow polish, but gloves must be changed frequently

For the Exam: This is heavily tested. No nail polish or artificial nails allowed when working with exposed food, even with gloves (gloves can tear).

Single-Use Gloves

Gloves are NOT a substitute for handwashing—they're a barrier to supplement clean hands.

When to Use Gloves:

• When handling ready-to-eat foods (to prevent bare-hand contact)
• When you have a cut or wound (in addition to waterproof bandage)
• When handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood (to prevent contamination)

When to Change Gloves:

Food handlers must change gloves:

Critical reminder: Wash hands BEFORE putting on gloves and AFTER removing them.

Glove Safety:

• Never wash and reuse gloves (they're single-use only)
• Check for tears before use
• Don't blow into gloves to open them (contaminates interior)
• Remove jewelry before gloving (can tear gloves)
• Choose appropriate size (too small = tears; too large = clumsy handling)

Personal Hygiene Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure food handlers meet personal hygiene standards:

Personal Cleanliness:

• ✓ Bathe daily
• ✓ Wash hair regularly
• ✓ Keep fingernails trimmed, filed, and clean
• ✓ Maintain good oral hygiene (brush teeth, use mouthwash)

Work Attire:

• ✓ Wear clean uniform or work clothes daily
• ✓ Wear effective hair restraint (hat, hairnet, beard net)
• ✓ Remove all jewelry except plain wedding band
• ✓ Change apron when switching tasks (raw to RTE)
• ✓ Remove apron when leaving food prep areas

Hand Hygiene:

• ✓ Wash hands using proper 5-step, 20-second procedure
• ✓ Wash hands at all required times (before/after triggers)
• ✓ Keep nails bare and trimmed (no polish or artificial nails)
• ✓ Cover all wounds with waterproof bandage + glove

Work Practices:

• ✓ Never touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands
• ✓ Use single-use gloves, utensils, or deli tissue
• ✓ Change gloves as required (every 4 hours minimum)
• ✓ Don't eat, drink, or chew gum in food prep areas
• ✓ Avoid touching face, hair, or body while working

For the Exam: This section is HEAVILY TESTED. Expect 4-5 questions on handwashing procedures (steps, timing, when to wash), glove usage, jewelry policies, and work attire requirements.