kelolalaut.com - Training for hand washing is an essential part of the sanitation program. Seafood processing plants must manage a large workforce that directly handles finished products and food contact surfaces. The importance of hand washing is not fully appreciated by most employees. The primary purpose of hand washing is to remove unwanted microbiological and other contaminants.  Reason for hand washing program: many employees do not routinely wash their hands, hand washing is not conducted properly, and many employees do not understand the importance of hand washing. There are about 250 different types of algae, bacteria, molds, parasites, and viruses that can be classified as foodborne pathogens and transmitted to humans by way of the food they eat, such as Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Salmonella. These are the ones that cause the largest outbreaks and are the most deadly, with Listeria and Salmonella topping that list.

How to wash hands: remove jewelry, wet hands with warm water, lather and rub using warm water, rinse, dry with disposable paper towels, and avoid recontamination. When to wash arms and hands:

• After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean exposed portions of arms
• After using the toilet room
• After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating, or drinking
• After handling soiled equipment or utensils
• During food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross-contamination when changing tasks.

Management’s role:

• Set policies that outline personal hygiene expectation
• Set policies for employees with an illness
• Training
• Monitoring and enforcement
• Provide adequate employee facilities

Is hand washing necessary if gloves are used when handling food? Proper hand washing is extremely important, whether using gloves or not. If using gloves, hands should be washed before putting gloves on, between glove changes, and after gloves are removed. When wearing gloves for a prolonged period of time, without frequent changing and hand washing, bacteria on the skin rapidly multiply due to the warm, moist environment created by the gloves. If the gloves tear, or are removed and food is handled without hand washing, a high number of bacteria can be transferred to the food.