PERSONAL HYGIENE ISSUES - HAIR ( ISWAN )

Our hair has bacteria, sweat glands in the scalp, and dead skin cells coming off the scalp.  When all are present together, it will make the hair greasy and look dirty. It is advisable to wash it daily with shampoo and massage your scalp well.

All food handlers should preferably keep their hair short and ladies with long hair should be tied back. In the course of handling food, hair should be covered with a clean hat or hair net. This is to minimize hair strains from dropping to the food as most consumer are particularly sensitive to food contaminated by hair. Below are the guidelines and picture for the male and female.

Hair requirements for ladies

·         Hair should not cover face. Use of gel, spray, mousse and hair cream to hold hair properly.

·         Fringes must be trimmed or maintained above the eye brown.

·         Only natural hair colour or dark browns are allowed. No blonde, red or contrasting highlights or bright unnatural colours.

·         Hair below the lower edge of collar, should be tied up in a classic bun, using hair net and must be neatly arranged and styled.

·         Use only conservative black hair accessories like hair bands, a small barrettes or pony tail holder and black pins to hold the hair neatly.

Acceptable – Hair neatly bundle with no lose strains of hair sticking out.    
             

Not – Acceptable – Hair not neatly tied up with hairnet and lose sticking out. Hair colour is not natural.

Adapted from Chloe Chaplin , flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/partywounds/

 Hair requirements for Gentlemen

·         Hair at the back should be above the collar and hair at the sides shall not fall below the top of the ears.

·         Side burns and beards are not allowed.

·         Hair should not cover face. Use of gel, spray, mousse and hair cream to hold hair properly.

·         Only natural hair colour or dark browns are allowed. No blonde, red or contrasting highlights or bright unnatural colours.

·         High standing spiky hair or pony tail are not acceptable.

·         Face must be clean shaven at all times.

·         Moustache must be short, neat and well-trimmed.

·         Trim nostril hair regularly and remove excess hair around the ears.

Acceptable – Hair is short and neat and properly well kept.

Not  Acceptable – Hair is long and unkempt.

Adapted from Jack Halford, flicker ,  https://www.flickr.com/photos/j4cksart/

Adapted from Lucas Stanley , flicker , https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucasstanley/

Personal Hygiene is a very important aspect for all industries, especially so for the food industries. Food handlers are always in contact with food and therefore has higher risk in terms of contamination. The food handlers are always in close scrutiny by the general public regardless of whether they patronise or not. . Good personal hygiene also makes good business sense. Customers like to see food handling staff who take hygiene seriously and practice safe food handling.

To prevent food from contaminated it is a practice to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene and cleanliness.