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Proper Hand Washing for Food Handlers1
Amy Simonne2This publication is best viewed as in PDF format. Click here to access the PDF.
Hand washing is one of the primary methods used to help prevent foodborne illness. Proper hand washing will reduce your risk of transmitting disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and other agents to people who eat the food you handle. If you need to use hand sanitizer, always wash your hands first! Dirt, foods, or anything else on your hands makes the alcohol less effective. Do not use hand sanitizer in place of hand washing!
Figure 1. Remove jewelry, except for plain wedding bands.
Figure 2. Use soap and warm running water.
Figure 3. Lather your hands and arms up to your elbows with soap for 20 seconds (sing the Happy Birthday song twice).
Figure 4. Wash the backs of your hands and wrists, between fingers, and under fingernails using a nailbrush.
Figure 5. Rinse your hands and arms under warm running water.
Figure 6. Use a paper towel to turn off the water. Dry your hands and arms with clean, disposable paper towels. If you use a hand sanitizer, apply it now. Wash your hands before:
Wash your hands after:
- Entering a food service station
- Handling ready-to-eat or raw foods
- Touching serving utensils
- Putting on new gloves
- Handling different foods
- Serving foods
- Visiting the restroom
- Touching bare human body parts (ears, nose, hair, etc.)
- Handling garbage
- Working with raw foods
- Handling cleaning chemicals
- Doing other activities that dirty your hands
Footnotes
1. This document is FCS8784-Eng, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date November 2005. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.2. Amy Simonne, Ph.D., assistant professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.
Copyright Information
This document is copyrighted by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) for the people of the State of Florida. UF/IFAS retains all rights under all conventions, but permits free reproduction by all agents and offices of the Cooperative Extension Service and the people of the State of Florida. Permission is granted to others to use these materials in part or in full for educational purposes, provided that full credit is given to the UF/IFAS, citing the publication, its source, and date of publication.