Why Handwashing is the Most Important Food Safety Step in Your Restaurant

And why? Because the all-too-pleasing thing about germs is that we can’t see them, even when they’re right in front of us…

Download The PDF Guide Here:

Contamination

An article by The Guardian published just last year supposed that around a third of gastrointestinal illnesses could have been prevented, had everyone spent more time on basic hand hygiene. The even scarier reality behind this statistic is that even when someone practices perfect hand hygiene, their health may still be in the - potentially unwashed - hands of food workers.

In fact, 89% of outbreaks in which food was contaminated were accountable to food handlers. This is why we’re using Global Handwashing Day as an opportunity to highlight the importance of handwashing procedures for food handlers in all types of catering businesses.

What is Global Handwashing Day and when does it take place?

Taking place on October 15th each year, Global Handwashing Day is a campaign to motivate people around the world to observe thorough handwashing practices. This helps you to secure your own health and safety and, in this case, that of your customers who eat food prepared by you. Not to mention, it’s crucial for ensuring the good health of your co-workers too, and makes a vital contribution to reducing sickness and absence in your business.

There are key times throughout your day when you should be washing your hands. Such as:

• Immediately after using the toilet

• After handling any raw food such as chicken, meat and vegetables

• Before eating or handling ready to eat food

• After having contact with animals, even pets

How to wash your hands properly

So, how should you be washing your hands? It may seem like a basic question, but when the safety of others hinges on your hygiene, it’s an important one.

According to the NHS, you should follow these steps when washing your hands:

1. Wet your hands with warm or cold water

2. Apply enough soap to cover all over your hands. If you don’t have immediate access to soap then alcohol-based hand rub is a good alternative

3. Rub hands palm to palm

4. Rub the back of your left hand with your right palm with interlaced fingers, then swap hands and repeat

5. Rub your palms together with fingers interlaced

6. Rub the back of your fingers against your palms with fingers interlocked

7. Clasp your left thumb with your right hand and rub in rotation, then repeat with your left hand and right thumb

8. Rub the tips of your fingers in the other palm using a circular motion, going backwards and forwards. Then repeat with the other hand

9. Rinse hands with warm or cold water

10. Dry thoroughly, ideally using a disposable towel

11. Then use the towel to turn off the tap

Now you know how you should be washing your hands, you just need to ensure that you and your team have the right equipment to do the job! Your restaurant or foodservice kitchen should always be stocked with antibacterial hand wash, dedicated handwashing stations complete with a sink, handwashing signs and paper towels or electronic hand dryers. Also, you should provide disposable gloves for food handling to prevent cross-contamination, and keep them in an accessible spot.

To help to spread the message, and not germs, we recommend that you download our handwashing poster below which features a step-by-step guide on how to properly wash your hands. Print it off and display it by your hand washing station, to remind all of your staff to practice proper handwashing procedures and make a valuable contribution to your impeccable restaurant or foodservice business hygiene efforts.

So it’s fair to say that hand washing and food safety go ‘hand in hand’. So, make sure you use Global Handwashing Day as a chance to check up on your handwashing habits, and keep your restaurant hygiene ratings sparkling!

If you’d like to read more about how you can continue to uphold superior hygiene standards in your foodservice business, read our blog post ‘Are You on the C.A.S.E. to Improve Your Restaurant Kitchen Hygiene?’ or download our free Restaurant Deep Cleaning Checklist Template to help you adhere to a regular and thorough cleaning routine.