Hand washing facilities should be available to all food preparation and serving situations.
Hand washing is the most effective way to prevent food poisoning and cutting corners when it comes to hand washing is an unacceptable risk to your customers and your business.
If your business attends markets or events, caters functions off-site or has a mobile food vehicle, make sure your set-up encourages food safety and good staff hygiene.
Inadequate hand washing facilities and not
enough water are the most common issues Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) find when inspecting businesses
at events or markets.
When EHOs attend events they have found
food handlers preparing or serving foods without the hand washing station
set-up yet. Similarly, not having enough water to properly wash hands is
another failing we see and shows the low importance placed on hand washing by
some businesses.
Poor hand washing or an inadequate hand washing station is a
food safety risk and a serious breach of the Food Standards Code.
All food businesses, including temporary
or mobile, must have warm, running
water for hand washing, plus liquid soap and paper towel. Staff need to wash
their hands frequently, including before putting on fresh gloves.