Norovirus outbreaks are caused by infected hands of food workers in Restaurants
| On Jul21,2021
Infected hands of food workers in the biggest reason for norovirus outbreaks. Mostly norovirus found in feces.
This virus gets into the food when infected people touch the food.
These infected people are the ones that stool or vomit on their hands. Food also gets infected when it is placed in the infected areas where people vomit.
To control the norovirus it is important to stay hygienic.
This is only possible when people have the habit to clean their hands and place frequently.
In this article, we will tell some ways through which food workers stop the norovirus spread by cleaning their infected hands. So let’s start the discussion.
How Food Workers Can Control The Norovirus Spread?
Here are some tips that food workers should follow to stop norovirus outbreaks. These tips will surely help you to stay hygienic so have a look at them.
- Keep Hands Clean At Work
To reduce the norovirus outbreak, food worker should wash their hands frequently until they complete their workday. Following are the tips that food workers should follow to stop norovirus outbreaks.
Use Soap And Water
Before touching the food clean the hands properly with soap and water. Rub soap on hands and make a form.
Spread this form all over the hands and rub gently for 20 seconds. Rinse with clean water and dry with a clean piece of cloth.
Use Hand Cleaner
If in some cases soap is not available use a hand cleaner like Dupas Hawain Lemon. Apply it on the dry hands. Rub both hands together vigorously for 20 seconds at least.
Make sure to apply a cleanser on all the surfaces.
Do not forget to spread it on the wrists, backs of hands, under the fingernails, and between the fingers. After rubbing hands, rinse with clean water and dry with a disposable towel.
To reduce the risk of infection make sure restaurants have clean towels. Otherwise, you will make your hands dirty again and norovirus will spread easily.
Select The Accessible Place For Cleanser
Choose the appropriate place to place the sanitizer so that you can access it easily when need. Do not keep them with food.
Because there is a possibility that you drop some cleanser on the surface and the chemicals go into the food.
Use Gloves
Gloves are used to avoid germs interaction with hands. Most chefs and food workers use gloves to serve clean food. But they are optional if you clean your hands frequently during work.
- Selecting The Right Cleanser
After learning about the prevention techniques it’s time to select the right cleanser to wash the hands. Use most effective soaps and liquid handwashes in the washroom.
Because many people use the washroom and they need to clean their hands. To make sure they do not pass germs to the people they meet.
These cleansers should contain the maximum amount of germ-killing chemicals.
So that you can ensure maximum safety. Instead of liquid soaps, you can also use antibacterial foam cleansers.
They also protect hands by killing germs. Moreover, they can remove grime, vegetable oil, dirt, and animal fats from their hands.
In restaurants, foam cleansers work best as chefs and food workers have more oily and greasy hands.
Hand cleansers should be available in every restroom and especially at the entrance. So that guests also clean their hands before having food.
- Use Hand Sanitizers
In a busy work routine, the food workers can’t leave their work and search for soap and water to clean their hands. In such a situation, they should have a hand sanitizer with them.
The hand sanitizer must contain 60% amount of alcohol. Because alcohol is the best chemical to kill germs by damaging their structures.
Other chemicals can only slow down their growth instead of killing them.
The more amount of alcohol makes sure that the hand sanitizer has a high germ-killing capacity.
There are also gel-based sanitizers in the market. But for food workers, this is not a suitable option.
Because food particles can stick with the hands and it can make the person uncomfortable.
There is also the facility of foam-based sensitizers. For better cleaning results and fragrance you should use them.
Always, remember hand sanitizers do not kill all norovirus. Do not rely on hand sanitizers for complete protection.
Because there is a chance that germs can interact with the hand in a short time.
That’s why wash your hands with Dupas ECO Berrymore liquid soap when you get free from work.
After washing the hands use a clean cloth or disposable tissue wipes instead of using the dirty hanging towel.
- Proper Employee Training
Hand cleaning should be added in the employee training so that they stay hygienic and serve clean food. Some restaurants focus only on the presentation.
They give guide about serving and give a visit of the whole restaurant instead of restrooms.
This training should be updated and old employees should tell the newcomers about the different sanitizing stations that the restaurant has.
They should also guide them to wash their hands frequently during work.
To tell the importance of hygiene, employers can use put different stickers and posters on the walls and doors.
It will motivate both food workers and customers to wash their hands before touching and eating the food.
- Rinse Vegetables And Fruits
With washing hands, it is also considered good to wash the vegetable and fruits that you used in cooking. To wash the food items, take a bowl and fill it with clean water.
Put fruits and vegetables in the water and leave for 5 to 10 minutes. So that all the dirt particles get removed. Now you can use them to cook healthy food.
Wrapping It All Up!!!
To protect your health you must stay hygienic and guide other people to wash their hands frequently. Especially after using the restroom and before eating the food.
If they wash their hands they can stay healthy and protect other people from getting germs.
