Health & Hygiene Requirements for Food Handlers (Show all)

Standard 3.2.3 cl 14 of the Code requires food premises to have hand washing facilities that are located where they can be easily accessed by food handlers:

• within areas where food handlers work if their hands are likely to be a source of contamination of food; and
• if there are toilets on the food premises — immediately adjacent to the toilet or toilet cubicles (see Standard 3.2.3 cl 14(1) of the Code).

Accessible hand washing facilities enable and encourage food handlers to use them. The requirement ensures that there are facilities in areas where unprotected food is handled, for example in food preparation areas. In the kitchen of a food premises a food handler should not have to travel more than 5 metres to the nearest hand washing basin.

For example, if a takeaway has two food handling areas, one in the main kitchen and another in a front service area, a designated hand wash basin would be required in both areas

In large food production factories or where there are special circumstances longer distances may be appropriate.

Hand washing facilities are only required in areas where food handlers handle food and their hands are likely to be a source of contamination. For example a forklift driver involved in moving packaged food in a warehouse is classified as a food handler under the Code. However, the driver’s hands are not a source of contamination of food and no hand washing facilities are necessary in the warehouse.