8 replies to this topic

[Lynette1125]

Hello everyone!

 

I am QC here at a small food production company, this is my first QC position so I am still learning. I have been having some issues with employees not washing their hands after using the restroom. The reason I know is because sometimes either myself or a coworker are in the restroom as well and we hear people flush and simply walk out. Usually when I get out they are gone and I can't see who it is. Maybe a hand washing refresher might help, but I would like to hear what others would do.

When I witness this I go in to production area and supervise the hand washing area to ensure that people wash their hands before commencing work and they do. However, this is a very serious issue and I was hoping to get some insight on what steps I can take to fix this. 

Any help is welcome, thank you in advance.

 

 

[The Food Scientist]

A refresher would be good and also let them know that if you catch someone walking out without washing hands, they will be written up. Say theres a first, second, third warning and suspension. You could also say that you will be randomly swabbing hands (this is will scare them and have them actually comply). Trust me its very hard I get it, but they just need to know the importance of it and a little hostility would help. 

[Lynette1125]

Thank you! I will try this for sure, I can't wrap my head around people thinking it's fine to just walk out of the restroom without washing their hands 

A refresher would be good and also let them know that if you catch someone walking out without washing hands, they will be written up. Say theres a first, second, third warning and suspension. You could also say that you will be randomly swabbing hands (this is will scare them and have them actually comply). Trust me its very hard I get it, but they just need to know the importance of it and a little hostility would help. 

[The Food Scientist]

Thank you! I will try this for sure, I can't wrap my head around people thinking it's fine to just walk out of the restroom without washing their hands 

 

Oh you won't be surprised! When I first got hired in the current company I work at, they would walk in the bathrooms with their aprons! I went crazy! I installed hook hangers outside and instructed all to take them off before entrance to the bathrooms! We have a camera in front of the bathroom so I told them if I catch someone walking in with their apron I will write them up :) They are all finally complying! Takes time and patience but you'll get there! I

Edited by The Food Scientist, 10 December 2019 - 09:53 PM.

[Brendan Triplett]

Hey Lynette, we had a training on staff hygiene and had a person come in with a testing substance and had the employees wash their hands.  Then she placed a black light over their hands to show just how much dirt and grime was left behind even after they thought they had done a good job washing.  This scared a lot of people into washing their hands more often.  Especially when you start talking to the team about norovirus and oral-fecal transmissions.

 

Cheers!

[teaks]

Hi Lynette,

 

I have a couple of suggestions:

Hold specific training on hand washing.  Do it at the sink, and use a product called Glo germ https://www.glogerm.com/

Get a blacklight (as another forum member has described above).  It's a really good tool.

 

Then, as part of your environmental monitoring program, randomly swab people's hands.  Counsel anyone whose results come back high.  If you make this a regular and random practice, people get concerned and start complying.

 

I also compiled and produced a loop video of fun handwashing videos I found online.  Most of the examples are from hospitals, but they are fun and clever. I set up a monitor next to the employee entrance sink and it played for days.  I followed this with the actual small group training.

 

Hope these ideas help!

[Lynette1125]

Thank you all! All of these are great suggestion, I will start working on putting these into play! :)

[resendiz_reyna]

Hello,

I had the same issue with some employees.I did the following. I held meetings on GMPs that included "every time you leave your work area you need to wash your hands before returning to work". It may sound weird but some people may not know how to wash their hands correctly you might want to train them on "Proper technique for washing hands". Every time you have a meeting with the employees make sure you have a sign off sheet; this way if you take disciplinary actions you have proof that you had talk to them before. I also put up signs in the restroom with pictures on how to wash hands. Another thing I did was stand next to the hand washing stations after their breaks to make sure they were washing their hands. Hope this helps.

[FurFarmandFork]

What does your handwashing signage look like?

 

I like reminding people that they are handling food (e.g. showing someone eating the product in a picture) rather than just a generic "employees must wash".

 

The Food Standards Agency came up with a bunch of fun posters for GMP basics. I liked the handwashing one: https://images.app.g...qEiEuoof2QDkfJ9