Hand Washing and Glove Use for
FOOD
WORKERS
questions and answers
What is the main reason
for washing hands
and not touching
ready-to-eat food
with bare hands?
4HEMAINREASONFORNOTTOUCHING
READYTOEATFOODSWITHBAREHANDSISTOPREVENT
VIRUSESANDBACTERIAWHICHAREPRESENTINYOURBODY
FROMCONTAMINATINGTHEFOOD6IRUSESANDBACTERIAARE
INVISIBLETOTHENAKEDEYEBUTMAYBEPRESENTONYOUR
HANDSIFYOUDONOTWASHTHEMTHOROUGHLYPARTICULARLY
AFTERUSINGTHEBATHROOM4HELAWPROHIBITSBAREHAND
CONTACTWITHREADYTOEATFOODSANDREQUIRESGOODHAND
WASHINGBYFOODSERVICEWORKERS
When am I required to
wash my hands?
sBEFORESTARTINGWORK
sBEFOREPUTTINGONSINGLE
SERVICEGLOVES
sAFTERTOUCHINGRAWFRESHOR
FROZENBEEFPOULTRYlSHORMEAT
sAFTERMOPPINGSWEEPINGREMOVINGGARBAGE
ORUSINGTHETELEPHONE
sAFTERUSINGTHEBATHROOM
sAFTERSMOKINGEATINGSNEEZINGORDRINKING
sAFTERTOUCHINGANYTHINGTHATMIGHTRESULTIN
CONTAMINATIONOFHANDS
2
What is good hand washing?
!LLEMPLOYEESINVOLVEDWITHFOODPREPARATIONMUSTWASH
THEIRHANDSANDEXPOSEDPORTIONSOFTHEIRARMSWITHSOAP
ANDWATER4HOROUGHHANDWASHINGISDONE
BYVIGOROUSLYRUBBINGTOGETHERTHE
SURFACESOFLATHEREDHANDSANDARMS
FORATLEASTSECONDSFOLLOWED
BYATHOROUGHRINSEWITHCLEAN
WATER5SEASINGLESERVICETOWEL
ORHOTAIRDRYERTODRYHANDS.O
SPECIALSOAPSARENEEDED
Am I required to wear disposable
sanitary gloves?
3TATELAWDOESNOTREQUIREGLOVES
TOBEWORNBUTDOESREQUIRE
THATREADYTOEATFOODBE
PREPAREDANDSERVEDWITHOUT
BAREHANDCONTACT7EARING
DISPOSABLESANITARYGLOVESIS
ONEOFSEVERALACCEPTABLEWAYS
TOCOMPLYWITHTHISLAW
3
How can I prepare or serve ready-to-eat
food to avoid contact with my bare hands?
9OUMAYUSEANYOFTHEFOLLOWINGTOPREPAREOR
SERVEFOODSWITHOUTBAREHANDCONTACT
sTONGS
sFORKSSPOONS
sDELIPAPER
sDISPOSABLEGLOVES
sWAXEDPAPER
sNAPKINS
sSPATULAS
What kinds of foods may not
be touched with bare hands?
sPREPAREDFRESHFRUITSANDVEGETABLES
SERVEDRAW
sSALADSANDSALADINGREDIENTS
sCOLDMEATSANDSANDWICHES
sBREADTOASTROLLSANDBAKEDGOODS
sGARNISHESSUCHASLETTUCEPARSLEY
LEMONWEDGESPOTATOCHIPSORPICKLESONPLATES
sFRUITORVEGETABLESFORMIXEDDRINKS
sICESERVEDTOTHECUSTOMER
sANYFOODTHATWILLNOTBETHOROUGHLYCOOKED
ORREHEATEDAFTERITISPREPARED
4
What can I do with
a ready-to-eat food
item if it was
touched with bare
hands?
9OUCANEITHERHEATTHEFOOD
THOROUGHLYTOTHETEMPERATURE
REQUIREDFORCOOKINGORREHEATING
ORDISCARDTHEFOODIFITWASTOUCHEDWITH
BAREHANDS
Must I change
my gloves after
touching money
with gloves on?
.O&OODOUTBREAK
INVESTIGATIONSHAVENOT
IDENTIlEDTHEHANDLINGOFMONEY
ASACAUSEOFILLNESS"UTITISAGOODIDEA
TOCHANGEYOURGLOVESANDWASHYOURHANDS
BETWEENTOUCHINGMONEYANDPREPARINGFOOD
-ANYPATRONSCOMPLAINTOTHELOCALHEALTH
DEPARTMENTIFTHEYSEEFOODWORKERSUSINGTHE
SAMEGLOVESTOPREPAREFOODANDHANDLEMONEY
5
Is a short order cook required
to wear gloves?
4HESHORTORDERCOOKMAYNOTTOUCH
READYTOEATFOODSWITHBAREHANDS
$ISPOSABLEGLOVESAREONEPOSSIBLE
WAYTOPREVENTBAREHANDCONTACTWITH
READYTOEATFOODS!NOTHERWAYISTO
USEFORKSTONGSORSPATULAS
When do I have to replace or change gloves?
!LWAYSCHANGEGLOVESIFTHEGLOVESGETRIPPEDTORNOR
CONTAMINATED#ONTAMINATIONCANOCCURAFTERUSINGTHEBATHROOM
SMOKINGCOUGHINGSNEEZINGANDINBETWEEN
PREPARINGRAWANDCOOKEDFOODS&OODWORKER
HANDSMUSTBEWASHEDTHOROUGHLYANDBE
CLEANEDBEFOREWEARINGNEWGLOVES
Where can I learn more about hand washing
and glove use?
9OURLOCALHEALTHDEPARTMENTCANANSWERYOURQUESTIONSORGIVE
YOUMOREINFORMATIONABOUTHANDWASHINGANDGLOVEUSEAND
ABOUTTHEIMPORTANCEOFGLOVEUSEINPREVENTINGILLNESSES
6
7
State of New York
Department of Health
1334
7/08