Basic hand washing

Talking about the "cutting edge" in hand washing sounds almost comical. True, there is an increasing number and variety of devices that can assist in the process, and newer, better gloves that can bolster those efforts. But for the most part, the experts agree, issues of personal hygiene ultimately come down to a foodservice employee's personal relationship with soap.

Steve Renz, vice pres. of operations for Creative Dining Services, Inc. in Zeeland, MI, recalls that "a couple of years ago a system was developed where after you washed your hands, you placed them under a blue light to show residue. We didn't use it in any of our units that I'm aware of." Rather, he says, hand washing in a foodservice environment consists largely of reminding and convincing people to do what most of them have been doing since they were toddlers.

Proper hand-washing technique, most industry food safety and sanitation specialists agree, consists of following six basic steps:

Employees are also urged to wash their hands after touching anything that might contaminate them, such as when working with raw food; touching their face, hair, or body; sneezing or coughing; eating or drinking; cleaning; taking out garbage; or smoking.

Change agent: Devices have been designed with everything from a self-contained, recessed and molded hand-washer/dryer and computerized, touch-free soap dispensing system, to infrared technology which tells management whether employees actually use the soap dispenser and how long they remain at the sink.

Linda Gilardi, dir. of quality assurance for Compass Group, recently saw "an interesting hand-washing monitoring system" at a Chartwell's operation at Worcester (MA) Polytechnic Institute. The system uses badges worn by employees that remind them to wash their hands thoroughly. The system also helps generate reports, which allow for better management, and reinforce and reward positive behavior.

Gilardi admits, "If you can afford the technology, this really forces the cultural change that we keep trying and trying to make. This pushes it a giant step ahead. I'm not always inclined to new technology, but I found this very appealing."

Does the system mean training and education can be put on the back burner? "Absolutely not," she insists. "You still have to train employees on when their hands might be contaminated, other than when the badge reminds them to wash their hands. They still have to know the proper hand-washing methods."

Common-sense steps, for example, include:

Thinking, understanding: Rather than dependence on machines, says Renz, "What I really see is a continuous educational process for employees regarding hand washing—making sure hands are clean, having brushes available at the sinks, as well as using an anti-bacterial-type cleansing agent for after hands are washed."

No one is suggesting that systems that measure and/or control the flow of soap and hot water, or keep track of how long employees wash aren't extremely useful tools. However, says Renz, "I think there's more to it than that. It still continues to be training, follow through, communication and awareness among supervisors and employees. These systems are good, but they're only as good as the follow-through and training."

The goal of training programs, like the NRA's ServeSafe, is to ultimately give employees "a better understanding of why a manager might be continually reinforcing the need for them to wash their hands. If employees don't have an understanding of an end result then it just becomes, "I'm tired of hearing someone tell me that."

That end result could, in some cases, mean sharing information about the harm done by food-borne illness. "I don't know about scare tactics," says Renz, "but I think that if something happens and there's an article in a magazine or a newspaper about it, it's a good thing (to make it known). We have safety committee meetings where we could tell employees, 'Here's a good example of what could result if we don't follow the right procedures.'"

The arrival of new lines of soap and hand-wear products also go "hand-in-hand" with proper hand-washing procedures.

Hand-wear: Gloves should be used in concert with proper hand-washing procedures, never instead of them. The standard recommendation is that gloves be changed no less frequently than every four hours, or as needed (moving from raw to finished product, touching objects like refrigerator doors and equipment). Hands should be washed before putting on a new pair. Be alert to the danger of latex allergies.

Not all gloves are created equal. Well-designed and well-made disposable gloves perform better, last longer, fit more comfortably and cost less over the long haul.

When it comes to fit, so-called "handed" gloves (those designed with an offset thumb that accommodates only the right or left hand) are not only comfortable but impart maneuverability for the wearer. Poly gloves for foodservice are typically two-dimensional, i.e., flat, making them wearable on either hand.

Some thought should be given to the length and diameter of the cuff so that the glove will neither allow unwanted substances to touch skin nor impair blood circulation.

The key to top-flight personal hygiene overall—especially concerning the hands—is knowledge. "If an employee goes out and smokes and then comes back to the kitchen, I don't care what kind of equipment you have," Renz concludes. "If he doesn't go to the sink knowing, 'Well, I need to wash my hands,' I'm not sure how many types of hand-washing systems are going to work."