Question

Describe a customer experience you have had seeing a food handler with poor personal hygiene. Please address the managerial role in maintaining a hygienic environment.

Answer 1

environmental hygiene is important for the prevention of transmission of infectious diseases within healthcare settings.

Different sectors we want to maintain hygiene,

Environmental surface cleaning
The role of environmental cleaning is to reduce the number of infectious agents that may be present on surfaces and minimise the risk of transfer of micro-organisms from one person/object to another, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection.

Cleaning is a process which intends to physically remove foreign material (for example dust, soil, blood, secretions, excretions and micro-organisms) from a surface or an object through the use of water, detergent and mechanical action (friction).

Safe handling of laundry and linen
All used linen should be handled with care to avoid dispersal of microorganisms into the environment and to avoid contact with staff clothing. The following principles apply for linen used by all patients regardless of their infectious status:

all used linen is considered contaminated therefore minimal handling is recommended
appropriate PPE must be worn during the handling of soiled linen to prevent skin and mucous membrane exposure to blood and body fluids
dispose of all linen into an appropriate linen container at the point of care
linen which is heavily contaminated with blood and/or other body fluids which could leak must be contained by a leak-proof bag and secured prior to transport
hand hygiene must be performed following the handling of all used linen.

Management of the environment during construction and renovation
Environmental disturbances which occur during construction or renovation projects pose both airborne and waterborne risks particularly to persons with poorly functioning immune systems. It is essential that all key stakeholders are included in all stages of the project to minimise the risk of vulnerable persons acquiring a potentially serious infection within the healthcare setting.

A person with poor personal hygiene, have high risk of contamination through air and water. When he eat food , there is high risk of infections, gastric problems. So everyone should maintain hygiene before handling food