Personal hygiene and safety
All of our catering staff believe that good personal hygiene and appearance are key factors in the maintenance of our high standards of hygiene and safety. To ensure our high standards of personal appearance are maintained, the following points are observed by all catering staff who deal with food:
- Catering staff must wear the uniform at all times when working in the kitchen, i.e. hat, overall/coat and tabard
- Jewellery and watches must not be worn because of the danger of glass, stones or beads etc. falling into food. The settings of rings harbour bacteria. Plain wedding bands are acceptable
- Suitable underclothes must be worn under the uniform provided. Outdoor clothing should not be worn under the uniform
- Shoes must be kept clean and in good repair and should cover the foot adequately. Canvas, trainer-type shoes and suede shoes are totally unsuitable for kitchen work as they are porous. Therefore, any spills could soak through the shoe causing a safety hazard
- Stockings, tights or white socks must always be worn
- Uniforms provided must on no account be worn to and from work, although it is the responsibility of the staff to carry the uniform home for the purposes of laundering
- Catering staff must observe good personal hygiene at all times. Hands must be washed regularly throughout the day and whenever there is a risk of cross-contamination
- Nails must be kept short and no nail varnish or false nails must be worn
- No food is to be eaten while preparing or cooking food. Cover wounds/cuts/spots on exposed parts of the body with suitable waterproof dressings or blue coloured plasters