Food Safety Objectives: Participant will be able to: 1. Name three symptoms associated with foodborne illness. 2. Name three groups of people most at risk for foodborne illness. 3. Name three components of a potentially hazardous food and identify one example. 4. Name three common ways that food becomes unsafe. 5. Name the four Fight BAC! principles and identify ways to use each one. 6. Demonstrate how to calibrate a food thermometer and how to properly take temperatures of food. 7. Name three ways to practice food safety at the grocery store. 8. Name four ways to properly store food at home. 9. Optional: Name three conditions that help or allow bacteria to grow. Required Materials: Ingredients for the Taco Salad recipe (see pg.13) or other approved recipe/s of choice. Plates, napkins, and utensils for serving sample recipe. Paperwork required by program. Handouts. Germ detective lotion and black light (see Preparation Required below, welcoming activity on pg. 3). Thermometers, ice, cups, wrench to calibrate thermometers (see objective 6 pg. 7). Optional Supplemental Materials: Fight BAC! website: http://www.fightbac.org. Food Safety Food $ense video by Marie Stosich. Hand Washing Handout from Darlene Christensen (see pgs. 14-15). Preparation Required: Review and become comfortable with the lesson and related handouts. Gather ingredients and equipment needed for the Taco Salad recipe. Gather utensils needed to serve samples of the taco salad. Make enough copies of handouts and other required forms for all participants. Obtain germ detective lotion and a black light. (Glo Germ is a product that is only seen under fluorescent light but is not visible in regular light. It is used to teach proper hand washing 1
techniques. Your local county office may have some or you can get it at www.glowgerm.com. Contact the state office if you need to purchase it.) Bring thermometer for you and the class, a clear glass cup, crushed ice, water, and a small wrench or calibrator for thermometer for thermometer calibration demonstration. Teaching tips and ideas: Ask questions! Remember that not everyone hears the question the first time and hears the answers. Ask the question twice. It may be appropriate to repeat things that are said. Some questions may need to be rephrased so that your particular audience will understand what you are asking. Give time for participants to think after you ask a question. Just because they don t answer immediately after you have asked the question doesn t mean that they don t know they may just need time to think about how to respond. This entire lesson does not need to be taught to every audience. You may go through the lesson plan and select portions that are most appropriate or interesting for your audience and adapt the information to your own personal teaching style. 2
LESSON PLAN Introduction Time: 5 minutes Pre-Class: After putting glow germ powder on your hands, shake the hands of all participants as they enter the room (have someone help if needed). Don t let participants know what you are doing and try to shake everyone s hand. You may need to put on more powder to ensure it transfers to everyone. Introduction: Welcome everyone to the class and thank them for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate. Take a moment to introduce yourself and the Food $ense program. Ask the class: Who knows what a Foodborne illness is? o Foodborne illness is defined as a disease carried or transmitted to people by food. Common examples of these diseases are salmonella, E.coli, or botulism. Explain that foodborne illness is a serious problem. o It is estimated that every year about 76 million people in the United States become ill from pathogens in food; of these, about 5,000 die. o A pathogen is an agent causing disease, especially a living microorganism such as a bacteria, virus, or fungus. o The Food and Drug Administration estimates that two to three percent of all foodborne illnesses lead to secondary long-term illnesses. o For example: E.coli can cause kidney failure in young children and infants. Salmonella can lead to reactive arthritis and serious infections. Listeria can cause meningitis and stillbirths. Campylobacter may be the most common cause for Guillain-Barré (gee-on baray) syndrome. (Guillain-Barré syndrome is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. This syndrome results in tingling and weakness in the muscles and can lead to temporary paralysis. More info at: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/gbs/gbs.htm) Objective 1: Name three symptoms associated with foodborne illness. Time: 3 minutes People often mistake foodborne illness for the 24-hour stomach flu. Ask the class: What are common symptoms of foodborne illness? o Nausea o Vomiting o Diarrhea o Fever o Abdominal Cramps o Headache As you can see, symptoms of foodborne illness are similar to symptoms of the flu but are caused by bacteria in food rather than the flu virus. It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between the flu or a foodborne illness unless it is diagnosed by a doctor or the food that was eaten has been tested and results indicate that the food is contaminated. Generally, foodborne illness can happen 30 minutes to 3 weeks after eating the contaminated food but most often occurs within 48 hours and the symptoms usually pass within 24 to 48 hours. Foodborne illness most often causes diarrhea or vomiting or any or all of the symptoms listed above. In contrast, the flu is actually an illness that spreads from person to person through the air or contact with germs and primarily affects the nose, throat, and lungs. The symptoms appear within 1-7 days and mainly are fever, headache, tiredness, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, 3
and diarrhea and vomiting. The whole body symptoms last for the first 2-4 days and the cough and tiredness can last for weeks after that. Severe cases can lead to harmful complications such as pneumonia. Foodborne illness usually does not result in the respiratory symptoms caused by the flu virus. Objective 2: Name three groups of people most at risk for foodborne illness. Time: 3 5 minutes Certain groups of people are at increased risk of getting a foodborne illness. These populations include: o Infants and preschool-age children. o Pregnant women. o Elderly people. o People taking certain medications, such as antibiotics and immunosuppressants (drugs that weaken or inhibit activity of the immune system). o People who are ill (recently had major surgery, organ-transplant recipients, or who have pre-existing or chronic illness). Ask the class: Why do you think that these groups of people are at increased risk of developing a foodborne illness? o Infants and children: have not built up adequate immune systems. o Pregnant, elderly, people taking medications: Weakened immune systems. It is especially important that these populations follow food safety principles to ensure the safety of their food. Objective 3: Name three components of a potentially hazardous food and identify one example. Time: 5 minutes Ask the class: What is a potentially hazardous food? A potentially hazardous food is a food where bacteria, fungus, and viruses (microorganisms) can grow rapidly. These foods have a characteristic that allow microorganisms to thrive, making them at risk of being contaminated. Potentially hazardous foods usually contain one or more of these characteristics: o High in moisture. o High in protein. o Have a neutral or slightly acidic ph. Ask the class: Which of the these foods are potentially hazardous and why? Use chart on page 11 for this question. o Milk and milk products: Yes (have all three characteristics). o Crackers: No (dry and neutral). o Cooked rice or beans: Yes (have all 3 characteristics). o Raw eggs: Yes (all 3). o Lemons: No (acidic ph). o Meat, beef, pork, lamb: Yes (moisture, protein). o Poultry: Yes (moisture, protein, Salmonella contamination). o Baked or boiled potatoes: Yes (moisture). o Dry, ready-to-eat cereal: No (neutral and dry). o o Fish: Yes (protein, make sure fish is from a reliable source and from safe waters). Sliced melons: Yes (grown in dirt that may contain E. coli and watered with water that may contain E.coli. If you do not wash it before you cut it and the E.coli gets on the melon then this is a great moist place for bacteria to grow. Especially if it is left at room temperature for a long period of time). 4
This list does not include all of the potentially hazardous foods but can give you an idea of what kinds of foods can be hazardous. Objective 4: Name three common ways that food becomes unsafe. Time: 15-20 minutes Ask the class: True or False? Any food can become unsafe if correct food safety practices are not used while preparing food. Answer: True. When food is handled improperly it can become contaminated even if it was not a potentially hazardous food in the first place. There are three common ways that food becomes unsafe including: o Time-temperature abuse. o Cross-contamination. o Poor personal hygiene. Time-Temperature Abuse Ask the Class: True or False: After you have cooked the food for Thanksgiving dinner, it is safe to leave it out for the rest of the day for your family to snack on because the food is already cooked. o Answer False. Explain that leaving the food out is a form of time-temperature abuse. When you buy food at the grocery store it may already have bacteria on it. Not all foods are sterile when you buy them. (Foods such as poultry, seafood, eggs, and fruits and vegetables can contain bacteria.) Leaving foods out after grocery shopping is also a form of timetemperature abuse. When food has been time-temperature abused it has been allowed to stay too long in temperatures that support the growth of bacteria allowing the small harmless amounts to grow to large harmful amounts. When food is not cooked, cooled, or stored using proper food safety techniques food can become harmful to consumers. Cross-contamination Ask the class: Do you know what cross-contamination is? o Cross-contamination is a food safety problem that happens when harmful bacteria are transferred from one surface or food to another. o Cross-contamination can occur when the same knife is used to cut raw meat and lettuce for a salad (or other ready to eat food) without being sanitized between uses. o Surfaces can be sanitized using a bleach and water mixture. The general rule is to use one capful of bleach to one gallon of room temperature water. o Tip: Use separate knife and cutting board for meat and vegetables or sanitize before using for other food. Poor Personal Hygiene Poor personal hygiene can spread foodborne illness. When preparing food it is important to: o Wash hands properly (go over the steps after the hand-washing demonstration). o Wet your hands with water (as hot as you can comfortably stand -does not need to be burning). o Apply soap. o Scrub tops and bottoms of hands and between fingers for 20 seconds (as long as it takes you to sing Happy Birthday or the ABC s). o Use a nail brush to clean any dirt under fingernails or between fingers. 5
o Rinse hands thoroughly under running water. o Dry with a single use paper towel or a clean rag. Don t use soiled rags for hand drying. o Avoid touching or scratching sores, cuts, or boils and then touching food. o Avoid coughing or sneezing on food. o Keep hair pulled back and out of food. Germs spread throughout the environment in many different ways, including our hands. Tell the class that as they entered the room and you shook their hands you had fake glowing germs on your hands. Take out the black light and dim the lights. Have the participants place their hands under the black light to see the germs that spread from your hands to their hands, arms, face, etc. Because germs can spread rapidly and easily, as was demonstrated here, it is very important that we wash our hands prior to beginning a meal to eliminate all of the extra germs that we can from our hands to prevent them from getting on our food. Ask a participant in the class to volunteer to come up. Have the volunteer rub Glo Germ on their hands and wash them how they normally would (try to really encourage normally ). With a black light show how many germs are still on the hands of the participant. Proper hand washing before preparing food is important for foodborne illness prevention. Explain the steps of proper hand washing again here (see bottom of pg. 5). Ask the class: True/False: To properly wash your hands you must scrub them for 1 minute. o False. 15-20 seconds (this is equal to singing the ABC s or Happy Birthday while you wash). Put the volunteer s hands under the black light again and then show the class how many more germs were washed off when you use proper hand washing. Objective 5: Name the four Fight BAC! principles and identify ways to use each one. Time: 10 minutes Bacteria in food is the main reason why foodborne illness is a problem. When bacteria is not controlled it can grow to amounts that can make us sick when we eat it. Following 4 simple food safety principles is an easy way to control bacteria in our food and prevent foodborne illness. The 4 food safety principles, known as Fight BAC! are: o Clean o Separate o Cook o Chill Clean: Clean hands and food contact surfaces often. Ask the class: What things are important to clean to keep food safe (refer to the lesson handout clean section)? o Hands o Counter tops o Cutting boards o Dishes o Any food contact surface o Sink handles o Tip: Use paper towels or wash towels often in hot soapy water Separate: Separate ready-to-eat and raw food to prevent cross-contamination. 6
Ask the class: What are some ways to make sure food is separated to prevent crosscontamination (refer to the lesson handout separate section)? o Use separate cutting boards for raw and ready to eat foods or sanitize after each use. o Separate raw and ready-to-eat food in fridge. Place raw meat at the bottom of the fridge where juices cannot drip on other foods. o Do not use a marinade as a topping for other foods unless it has been boiled first. Cook: Cook food to proper temperatures. o Foods must be cooked to the correct temperatures to kill bacteria (refer to lesson handout cook section). Chill: Refrigerate promptly and properly (refer to the lesson handout chill section). o Package and store leftover foods in refrigerator as soon as a meal is over. o Use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure that your fridge is below 40 degrees. o Don t defrost food at room temperature. Thaw in fridge, under cold running water, or in microwave just before you eat it. Objective 6: Demonstrate how to calibrate a food thermometer and how to properly take temperatures of food. Time: 10 minutes The best way to monitor food temperatures is by using a food thermometer. Before the thermometer will read the correct temperature it must be calibrated (adjusted to proper temperature). Demonstrate how this should be done. Explain the parts of the thermometer. Bring a thermometer to demonstrate with and a few extra for the class to look at closely (refer to picture above for parts). o Head: Where the temperature is read. o Hex adjusting nut: Where you adjust (calibrate) the thermometer to proper temperature. o Stem: What you use to take the temperature of the food. Show class how to calibrate a food thermometer. Steps to calibrating food thermometer: o Make a deep glass of 50% ice, 50% water mixture. o Place in thermometer (make sure it is in far enough. Must be to the nick in the side of the thermometer if there is one or at least 2 ). 7
o Wait until the needle stops moving. It should read 32ºF. If it does not use a small wrench to adjust the thermometer to 32ºF. Test your thermometer every few months or when it has been dropped or exposed to extreme temperatures. After you have calibrated your food thermometer it is ready to use. Just as it is important that you have calibrated the food thermometer correctly, you must use it correctly to get the correct temperature reading. o When using a thermometer always make sure you insert the thermometer into the o thickest part of the food. When checking flat meat such as hamburgers or chicken breast insert the thermometer into the side of the meat. o Make sure that the thermometer is always inserted up to the tick mark on the side or 2 inches into the food. Doing this will insure that the thermometer will read the correct temperature. o Make sure food is cooked to the proper temperature (refer to the lesson handout that has the temperatures meat should be cooked to). Objective 7: Name three ways to practice food safety at the grocery store. Objective 8: Name four ways to properly store food at home. Time: 15-20 minutes Now that you have learned the basics of food safety let s look at a recipe and see what food safety practices we will have to follow to keep a meal safe from the grocery store to your mouth. Think about the main food safety principles of clean, separate, cook, and chill. Instruct students to look at the Taco Salad recipe on the lesson handout (see pg. 13). Food safety begins at the grocery store. Ask the class: What are food safety problems we may have to worry about when buying food for this meal? o Dirty cart? Clean handle of cart with provided wipes when entering the grocery store. o Keep the raw meat separate from the ready to eat foods in the cart. (Place meats at the back of the cart at the lowest point so juices don t drip on other foods.) o Make sure packaged items you buy (taco seasoning or chips) are not ripped or opened. o Make sure to check dates on packaged foods. Make sure they do not expire before you will be able to eat them. o Make sure canned items are not dented, leaking, bulging, or cracked. A bulging can could mean that the can was not processed properly and may be evidence of botulism poisoning in the can. A dent in a can may put pressure on the seals and cause them to leak. If the can leaks bacteria can enter the can and the food may spoil or become contaminated. o Be sure to use provided bags for fresh produce (such as lettuce or onions) and meat (ground beef or chicken, etc.). o Select meat and dairy foods last (ground beef and cheese) so that they will stay cold until you get home. Food safety continues when you arrive home from the grocery store. Ask the class: Once at home, what are important food safety concerns you may have while preparing the meal? o Be sure to clean hands and food contact surfaces before beginning a meal. o Separate raw foods from ready to eat foods (keep hamburger away from fresh lettuce). o Wash hands thoroughly after touching raw meat so you do not contaminate other foods (cross contamination). o Cook ground beef to proper temperature to kill any harmful bacteria that might exist. 8
o Make sure cooking equipment is clean and sanitized using hot soapy water. Demonstrate to the class how to cook the meat for the Taco Salad (make sure to use proper food safety methods and wash your hands before starting demo and after handling raw meat). While the meat is cooking have an assistant watch it and show the class how to make the salad dressing. When the meat is well browned, show the class how to take the temperature of the ground beef. Push all the ground beef over to the side of the pan and make a pile or put cooked ground beef in a cup. Test the temperature with a thermometer. It should be cooked to 160ºF. Drain the fat and then add the taco seasoning mix and kidney beans and heat through. Finally, show the class how to combine all of the remaining ingredients and finish the Taco Salad recipe. Make sure not to put too much dressing on the salad (the dressing recipe makes more than you need). Give samples of the salad to the class and let them try it. While they are eating ask them the question below. Ask the class: What food safety concerns might you have after the meal? o Package and put leftovers away as quickly as possible after a meal. o Throw away any food that has been left out for more than two hours. Be sure to store foods properly before and after eating. Safe Food Storage Tips: Store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. Store potatoes and onions in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate meats, dairy products, and eggs. Freeze meats you will not be using within 3 days. Store packaged and canned foods in a cool, dry place. Store bread and baked goods at room temperature. Optional: Objective 9: Name 3 conditions that help or allow bacteria to grow. Time: 3-5 minutes Certain conditions encourage bacteria growth. If these factors are controlled, bacteria are stopped from growing or multiplying to harmful amounts. A great way to remember the factors that help bacteria grow is by using the acronym FAT TOM. o F: Bacteria needs FOOD. Just as we need food to nourish our bodies, bacteria need food to grow, specifically protein and carbohydrate. Foods that contain protein and carbohydrate are more likely to cause foodborne illness because bacteria can grow on them. Potentially hazardous foods include: meat, fish, baked or boiled potatoes, cooked rice or beans, eggs, and milk products. o A stands for ACIDITY. Bacteria grows best on foods that are slightly acidic or neutral (in the middle of the ph scale). Foods that are really acidic or basic (with a really low or high ph) do not favor bacterial growth. A basic food would be something like a cracker and an acidic food would be something like a lemon. The majority of the foods we eat are in the middle of the ph scale. o T stands for TEMPERATURE. The temperature danger zone is the important thing to remember here. The danger zone includes temperatures between 40 and 140ºF. Food should not be left in the temperature danger zone for more than 2 hours. o The second T stands for TIME. Bacteria can double every 20 minutes when left in temperature danger zones. Keep cold foods cold, and hot foods hot. o O stands for OXYGEN. Some bacteria need oxygen to grow and some do not. Sealing out oxygen can help keep food fresher longer. 9
o M stands for MOISTURE. Most bacteria need moisture to grow. This is why bacteria grow well in high moisture foods, making them potentially hazardous. Ask the class: Who can name all of the components that help bacteria to grow? (use the acronym FAT TOM). Conclusion Time: 2 minutes Now you have a better understanding of how to keep food safe from when you buy it at the grocery store to putting away your leftovers. Fight BAC! helps us to remember to properly clean, separate, cook, and chill our foods and FAT TOM helps us remember the conditions that allow bacteria to grow, such as food, acidity, temperature, time, oxygen, and moisture. Armed with this knowledge, we can help to prevent foodborne illnesses in our families. Ask the class: What new things will you try to improve the safety of the food you eat? Ask the class: How can your family help with some of the changes that you would like to incorporate? This material was funded by USDA s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572. 10
High in moisture. High in protein. Have a neutral or slightly acidic ph. 11
Food Safety Fight BAC! Make your meals and snacks as safe as possible. CLEAN: wash hands and surfaces often. Wash hands with hot, soapy water before handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets. Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensil, and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item. Use plastic or other non-porous cutting boards. Wash them in hot, soapy water after use. Consider using paper towels for kitchen clean up. If using cloth towels, launder them often in hot water. SEPARATE: don t cross-contaminate Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery cart and in refrigerator. If possible, use a separate cutting board for raw meat products. Always wash hands, cutting boards, dishes, and utensils with hot, soapy water. Consider using a sanitizing rinse (1 tablespoon bleach to 1 gallon water). Never place cooked food on a plate that previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood. COOK: to safe temperatures Use a thermometer to make sure meat, poultry, casseroles and other foods are cooked thoroughly. Do not eat ground beef that is still pink inside. Fish should be opaque and flake easily with a fork. Eggs should be firmly cooked. Do not use recipes where eggs remain raw or only partially cooked. Heat leftovers to at least 165ºF. Bring sauces, soups, and gravies to a boil when reheating. CHILL: refrigerate promptly Keep your refrigerator at 38º to 40ºF. and your freezer at 0ºF. Refrigerate or freeze perishables and leftovers within two hours. Marinate food in the refrigerator. Always defrost food in the refrigerator, under cold running water, or in the microwave. Divide large amounts of leftovers into small, shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator. Do not overload the refrigerator. This material was funded by USDA s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572. 12
Cook to safe temperatures! Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb 160 F Turkey, Chicken 165 F Fresh Cuts Pork, Beef, Veal, Lamb Plus 3 minutes stand time for safety 145 F Poultry Chicken & Turkey, whole 165 F Poultry Parts 165 F Duck & Goose 165 F Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird) 165 F Ham, Cooked and Fresh Ham (raw) Plus 3 min. stand time 145 F Pre-cooked (to reheat) 140 F Eggs & Egg Dishes Eggs Cook until yolk & white are firm Egg Dishes 160 F Seafood Fin fish Shrimp, Lobster & Crabs Clams, Oysters & Mussels Scallops 145 F or until opaque & flakes easily with fork Flesh pearly & opaque Shells open during cooking Milky white or opaque & firm Leftovers & Casseroles 165 F Lemon Chicken Rice 1 tablespoon oil 2 chicken breasts, cut in strips 1 clove garlic, minced 1 cup uncooked instant brown rice 1/3 cup water 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel Juice of 1 lemon 2 green onions, chopped ½ teaspoon pepper TACO SALAD ½ pound lean ground beef 1 onion, chopped 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon oregano 1 can (15 oz.) kidney beans, drained and rinsed ½ of 15 oz. bag tortilla chips 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped 2 tomatoes, chopped ¾ cup cheese, grated DRESSING 3 tablespoons vinegar ¼ cup oil ½ cup catsup 3 tablespoons sugar ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder ⅛ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon salt Mix salad dressing ingredients and set aside. Brown ground beef and onion; drain fat. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and kidney beans; mix well. Crush tortilla chips. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and crushed chips. Add meat mixture and enough dressing to coat salad; toss well. Yield: 6-8 servings. In large skillet, brown chicken and garlic in oil until light brown. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Yield: 4-6 servings This material was funded by USDA s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program SNAP. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact 1-800-221-5689 or visit online at http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/. In accordance with Federal Law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, political beliefs or disability. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800)795-3572. 13
May 2009 WHY WASH? Reducing the Spread of Infection: Hand washing Darlene Christensen Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hand washing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of infection. Washing hands correctly reduces the chances of spreading germs. WHEN SHOULD I WASH? Hands should be washed whenever they become contaminated. Wash hands after: Coughing or sneezing (use a clean tissue or clothing sleeve to cough or sneeze into. Do not cough or sneeze into hands.) Touching contaminated surfaces Using the restroom Changing diapers Handling garbage Handling uncooked foods such as meat Touching animals and pets Caring for a sick person Wash hands before: Preparing or eating food Treating a wound or taking care of someone ill WHAT IS THE T ZONE? The T Zone refers to the mucus membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth. By touching these areas with a contaminated finger, disease is able to enter the body. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with fingers. 14
HOW DO I WASH MY HANDS? Wet your hands with warm, running water. Add soap and rub your hands together to make a soapy lather. Do this away from the running water so soap is not washed away. Make sure to wash the front and backs of hands, between fingers, nails, and wrists. Scrub for 15-20 seconds. Try singing the ABC song twice. Rinse hands under warm running water. Turn faucet off with a clean paper towel. (Remember the faucet was turned on with dirty hands.) Dry hands thoroughly with a clean paper towel. When leaving a bathroom with a closed door, use a paper towel to open the door. Throw away the paper towel. WHAT IF SOAP AND WATER ARE NOT AVAILABLE? If soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based product to clean hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast acting. When using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, apply product to palm of one hand and rub hands together, covering all surfaces of hands and fingers, until hands are dry. Alcohol-based hand wipes can also be used. References Washington State University Fact Sheet: Hand washing and Disinfection: Reducing the Spread of Infection. http://www.ehs.wsu.edu/factsheets/faqhandwashing.asp Henry the Hand Foundation. www.henrythehand.com. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Hand Hygiene Guidelines Fact Sheet. http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/fs021025.htm Utah State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity/institution. 15