Level 2 Food Hygiene - Personal Hygiene
RSPH Food hygiene
SWhat is Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene?
The RSPH Level 2 Award in Food Safety and Hygiene covers the fundamental principles of food safety and hygiene. It includes the procedures required to maintain high standards of food safety, from storage and preparation to cooking and serving.
This accredited qualification is designed to help you make your food handling practices safe for consumers through awareness and understanding of the roles, responsibilities, risks, and hazards associated with food hygiene.
This qualification is regulated by Ofqual/CCEA and Qualification Wales.lide text
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RSPH Food hygiene
SWhat is Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene?
The RSPH Level 2 Award in Food Safety and Hygiene covers the fundamental principles of food safety and hygiene. It includes the procedures required to maintain high standards of food safety, from storage and preparation to cooking and serving.
This accredited qualification is designed to help you make your food handling practices safe for consumers through awareness and understanding of the roles, responsibilities, risks, and hazards associated with food hygiene.
This qualification is regulated by Ofqual/CCEA and Qualification Wales.lide text
QR code for the Food safety site - please see your login
Slide text
Food Hygiene
Key skills
By completing this qualification, you will gain practical, actionable understanding of food safety, including:
Roles and responsibilities for food hygiene and safety
The importance of food safety management systems
How to identify and control common food safety hazards
Procedures for maintaining high standards of cleanliness and hygiene
Personal Hygiene & Contamination
Essential Practices for Professional Food Handlers
Why do we need good personal hygiene when handling food?
Microbiological Protection
Human skin, nose, mouth, and hands naturally carry millions of micro-organisms, including harmful pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus.
Physical Contamination
Prevents stray hair, outdoor dirt, buttons, lost jewelry, or skin flakes from falling directly into ready-to-eat foods during preparation.
Legal Compliance
Under UK & EU Food Safety Law (Regulation EC 852/2004), food business operators must ensure all food handlers maintain strict personal cleanliness.
Why Personal Hygiene Matters
1. Personal Cleanliness
Wash daily. Keep fingernails short, clean, and unpolished. Acrylic or fake nails are strictly prohibited.
2. Hair Discipline
Keep hair neat and tied back securely.
3. Protective Clothing
Wear clean, dedicated work clothes daily.
4. Hand Awareness
Avoid touching face, nose, mouth, or hair. Never cough or sneeze over open food; sanitize hands immediately after touching any surface.
Required Standards of Personal Hygiene
Protective Clothing Standards
Primary Purpose: Protects food from bacteria, hair, and dust present on everyday outdoor clothing.
Light-Coloured Design: Chef whites must be light-coloured so dirt, grease, and stains are easily visible for laundering.
Washable & Hygienic: Made of smooth, durable materials suitable for high-temperature washing to destroy bacteria.
No Outdoor Wear: Never wear work uniforms outside the food premises; never wear outdoor clothes inside the kitchen.
Natural Shedding Risk
Humans naturally shed around 50–100 hairs daily. Hair falling into food causes severe customer dissatisfaction and transfers scalp bacteria.
Tie Back Long Hair
Any hair reaching shoulder length or below must be tied back securely using plain, clean hairbands before putting on hair coverings.
Head Coverings or Hair up
Clean hairnets, chef hats or having hair up at all times in preparation zones
Hair Contamination Prevention
Prohibited Items & Hazards
Standard Rule & Exceptions
Earrings & Necklaces: Risk of physical detachment into food; stones or backs create chocking hazards.
Rings: Risk of physical detachment into food; hold food debris and bacteria in micro-crevices that soap cannot reach.
Brooches & Badges: Sharp pins can loosen and drop into open food containers.
Medical Alert Badges: Must be reported to supervisors and worn securely under protective sleeves.
Jewellery & Accessory Controls
Strict Policy: Zero jewellery in food preparation zones is the safest practice.
Sole Exception: A single, plain, smooth wedding band is permitted as it has no crevices.
Nasal & Skin Carriers
Over 33% (1 in 3) of people naturally harbor Staphylococcus aureus in their nose, mouth, skin lesions, or hair follicles without knowing it.
Healthy Carriers
Individuals who harbor pathogenic bacteria (like Salmonella) but show zero symptoms. They shed bacteria into food via unwashed hands.
Convalescent Carriers
Food handlers recovering from foodborne sickness who feel well but continue shedding pathogens in their stool for weeks after symptoms stop.
Sources of Bacteria on Food Handlers
Today's Plan
1/ Food hygiene - Leeson up
2/ Complete book - pages 1-20 - go through the answers
3/Food hygiene online book
4/Mock test
5/Well done you have completed your first week
6/Look at Google classroom
Contamination Scenario
How bacteria are transferred by food handlers during daily routines:
Kitchen Door
Team member touches high-contact door handle.
Bacteria Pick-up
Hands pick up harmful bacteria from surface.
Direct Contact
Unwashed hands touch clean plate or ready-to-eat food.
Food Contaminated
Bacteria transferred to food; consumer falls ill.
#1 Transfer Vehicle
Hands are the main pathway for cross-contamination, constantly bridging bacteria between raw items, contact surfaces, and ready-to-eat foods.
Raw vs Ready-to-Eat
Touching raw meat, poultry, or shell eggs transfers pathogens like E. coli or Campylobacter instantly onto hands, requiring immediate washing.
Tongs & Glove Barrier
Always use clean tongs or disposable gloves when handling high-risk, ready-to-eat foods to eliminate direct skin contact entirely.
The Role of Hands in Contamination
Hand Washing Legal Standards
Dedicated Wash Basins: Law mandates dedicated hand-wash basins equipped with hot & cold running water. Never use food or dishwashing sinks!
Antibacterial Soap: Liquid soap dispensers must be provided. Bar soap is prohibited as it harbors surface bacteria.
Single-Use Paper Towels: Paper towels remove the most bacteria and dry hands effectively. Avoid shared cloth towels.
Clean Nail Brushes: If nail brushes are provided, they must be clean, sanitized, and stored dry after use.
BEFORE Doing These Tasks
AFTER Doing These Tasks
Starting any food preparation shift.
Handling ready-to-eat cooked foods.
Putting on clean disposable gloves.
Touching clean cutlery, crockery, or equipment.
Using the restroom or toilet facilities.
Handling raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs.
Touching hair, face, nose, ears, or clothing.
Coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
Handling waste, bins, or cleaning chemicals.
When Hands Must Be Washed
Licking Fingers / Tasting
Tasting food with fingers or double-dipping spoons introduces oral bacteria directly into food batches. Always use clean, dedicated tasting spoons.
Biting Fingernails
Biting nails transfers bacteria from under fingernails into the mouth, and spreads saliva onto food prep surfaces and equipment.
Eating or Chewing in Prep Areas
Eating, drinking, or chewing gum in food zones causes hand-to-mouth contact and droplet contamination. Restrict eating to staff rooms.
Unwashed Hands Post-Restroom
Failing to wash hands after toilet use transfers faecal pathogens (such as E. coli or Norovirus) straight onto customer food.
Bad Habits Introducing Bacteria
Cuts, Wounds & Plaster Rules
High Bacterial Risk: Cuts, burns, and septic wounds harbor high concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus.
Blue Waterproof Dressing: All wounds must be covered immediately with a bright blue waterproof plaster. Blue contrast makes lost plasters easy to spot in food.
Report to Manager: All injuries must be reported immediately to supervisors to assess fitness for work and log in accident books.
Mandatory Symptoms to Report
The 48-Hour Exclusion Rule
Diarrhoea or Vomiting: Highest cross-contamination risk; staff must leave food areas immediately.
Heavy Colds & Flu: Coughing and sneezing spread airborne droplets over prep areas.
Septic Cuts & Boils: Infected lesions on hands, face, or arms shedding bacteria.
Sore Throat with Fever: Potential Streptococcal infection requiring medical check.
Illness Reporting & Exclusion Rules
Legal Requirement: Food handlers with sickness or diarrhoea must remain off work until 48 hours clear of all symptoms without medication.
Notify Management: Inform your supervisor immediately before your shift starts if you or household members suffer gastrointestinal symptoms.
In a hospitality workplace, what type of plaster should be used to cover a cut on the hand?
Clear plaster
Blue plaster
Fabric plaster
White plaster
Where in the Kitchen should staff wash their hands?
Dish sink
Hand-wash basin
Food Preperation sink
Any sink
1. Protective Uniforms
Wear clean, light-coloured chef whites and hair coverings put on BEFORE aprons. Never wear uniforms outside the workplace.
2. Master Hand Hygiene
Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and liquid soap at dedicated basins before handling food and after all risks.
3. Protect Cuts & Report
Cover all cuts with blue waterproof plasters. Report sickness and observe the strict 48-hour exclusion rule.
Key Takeaways for Food Handlers
