Read the text

Match the personal hygiene symbols you see in a kitchen with expression below

Read the text

As kitchen staff you have a vital role to play in hygiene in a food outlet, because you can contaminate foods in many different ways: for example, through your skin, in particular your hands, or through your eyes, nose, ears and throat. So, what can you do to avoid contamination of food?

• Carefully wash and dry your hands before handling food and wash and dry them again frequently during work. Dry your hands with clean towels, disposable paper rowels or under a hand dryer.

• Never transit from dirty clean areas to avoid cross contamination.

• Wear clean protective clothing, such as an apron, overalls or jacket. Visitors should do the same. Keep your personal clothes and other personal items away from where food is stored and prepared.

• Never smoke, chew gum, eat or bring children or animals into a food handling or food storage area.

• Never cough or sneeze over food or where food is prepared or stored.

• If you have long hair, tie it back or cover it and securely tie glasses around your neck.

• Keep your nails short so they are easy to clean and do not wear nail varnish as it can fall off into the food.

• Do not wear jewellery and do not carry any objects such as pens in your pockets, or avoid pockets altogether and use Velcro rather than buttons.

• If you have cuts, make sure they are completely covered by a waterproof plaster or a bandage. Use brightly coloured ones you can see easily if they fall off. Wear disposable gloves over the top of plasters if you have cuts on your hands or when you are hand ling delicate foods and change them regularly.

• Tell your supervisor and do not handle food if you feel unwell.

• Carefully disinfect your work station after each session.

VI. Work in pairs. Choose the five most important personal hygiene rules

Store knives properly. Exposed blades are dangerous in a busy kitchen. Remember to keep blades sharp. It’s easy to apply too much pressure on a dull blade and hurt yourself.

Only use equipment that you are trained to use. Do not move any equipment or boxes that are too heavy. You might strain yourself.

Learn about safe grease disposal to avoid a fire hazard. Use extra care around ovens and open flames so you don't burn yourself.

Clean up spills immediately. Slippery floors cause serious accidents

Type of hazard How to avoid injury

Knives 1

Fires 2

Spills 3

Choose the sentence that uses the underlined part correctly.

1 A. I cannot slice this bread with a dull knife.

B The chef burned himself on a slippery floor.

2 A. Trained employees are more likely to make mistakes.

B Leaving the oven on overnight presents a fire hazard.

3 A The kitchen staff should avoid the disposal of waste.

B That knife is very sharp, so be careful not to cut yourself.

4 A Store your utensils properly so they don’t get in anyone's way.

B Use a spill to clean the floor after an accident.