Handwashing in practice

Hands carry bacteria from raw food, rubbish, noses and toilets to the food people eat. Handwashing is one of the most important things you do at work.

Wash your hands before you start work and before you handle food, especially ready-to-eat food. Wash them after handling raw food, after using the toilet, after a break, after touching bins or waste and after cleaning. Wash them again after you touch your face, hair, nose or phone, and after you cough or sneeze.

Use a basin kept for handwashing, not a food sink or a pot sink. Use warm running water and soap. Rub all parts of your hands for at least 20 seconds, including your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, your thumbs and your fingertips. Rinse, then dry your hands with a disposable towel. Damp hands spread bacteria more easily.

Handwashing is easy to rush. A quick rinse under the tap is not enough, and thumbs and fingertips are often missed. Think about what your hands have just done. If you stop plating a salad to answer the phone, your hands are no longer clean. Wash them before you go back to the salad.

Hand gel must not replace handwashing. It can be used after washing, as extra protection.

Gloves are not a substitute for handwashing either. Wash your hands before you put gloves on. Change gloves between tasks, and always between raw and ready-to-eat food. Gloves that stay on all shift spread bacteria just as dirty hands do.

If a basin has no soap or towels, tell your supervisor straight away. Keep basins clear. A basin blocked by trays cannot be used.