Employers reminded to invest on workers’ personal hygiene

CEBU, Philippines - Companies are reminded to invest on personal hygiene among their employees and visitors and ensure cleanliness in their work premises at all times.

Ava Mella Remonde, assistant chairperson of the hospitality management department of the University of San Carlos (USC) and member of the Cebu Food Consultancy Group (CFCG), pointed out the importance of personal hygiene among companies to prevent contamination of food with microorganisms, dirt and foreign bodies.

Remonde served as one of the speakers during the awareness seminar on basic food hygiene and good manufacturing practices that was held last August 19 at Cebu Grand Hotel.

Dubbed with the theme “Food Quality and Safety: Your Ticket to Global Market”, the event was organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology and AFOS-Foundation for Entrepreneurial Development Cooperation.

Remonde emphasized the role of the management to provide its employees the proper protective garments and gears in order to address personal hygiene issues in the company.

She said that for food companies, they should ensure that food handlers remain healthy while working and should exercise a high level of personal cleanliness and tidiness.

She added that there should be proper dress code to be observed like the use of working clothes, headcaps or hairnets, masks, gloves, and boots.

These must be worn appropriately by anyone who enters the production areas. These include employees, food handler engineers, truck driver, management personnel and other casual visitors.

“It is the responsibility of the management to ensure adequate supply of laundered protective clothing and its repair,” Remonde continued, adding that the company should provide a dressing room for changing into protective clothes.

She cited that an average number of 100 particles normally fall off from protective clothing per minute compared to the 5,000 particles that usually fall off from leisure wear every 60 seconds.

She said that headcaps and masks should be maintained as clean as possible and should be regularly washed. Disposable gloves, on the other hand, should be changed as often as hands should be washed. Boots or protective footwear must not be worn outside the factory.

Although shower rooms may be provided, she noted that companies should ensure that their restrooms need to have toilet paper, flush mechanism, handwashing station and waste receptacles.

Remonde further said that an employee with illness that can cause illness in others or food contamination should be assigned restricted duties or should be advised to stay home.

She cited that supervisors must conduct regular ocular inspection on food handlers for cleanliness, grooming and appropriate use of protective garments. Those who violate the house rules must be given proper sanctions.

Remonde then encouraged employers to regularly conduct personal hygiene trainings among newly-hired and existing employees. /JMD (FREEMAN)