ServSafe Proper Personal Hygiene Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler has a sore throat and a fever. What is the most appropriate action for the manager to take?
- Tell the employee to wear a mask while working.
- Restrict the employee from working with or around food. (Correct answer)
- Allow the employee to work in a non-food-handling position.
- Send the employee home and tell them they can return tomorrow if they feel better.
Correct answer: Restrict the employee from working with or around food.
According to ServSafe guidelines, a food handler with a sore throat and fever should be restricted from working with or around food. If the operation primarily serves a high-risk population, the employee must be excluded from the operation altogether.
Question 2: Which piece of jewelry is permissible for a food handler to wear while preparing food?
- A medical alert bracelet.
- A diamond wedding ring.
- A plain metal band. (Correct answer)
- A small pair of stud earrings.
Correct answer: A plain metal band.
The only piece of jewelry a food handler is allowed to wear on their hands or arms is a plain metal band, like a wedding ring. Other jewelry can harbor pathogens and poses a physical contamination risk if it falls into food.
Question 3: What is the minimum amount of time a food handler should scrub their hands and arms with soap during the handwashing process?
- 5-10 seconds
- 10-15 seconds (Correct answer)
- 20-25 seconds
- 30 seconds
Correct answer: 10-15 seconds
The entire handwashing process should take about 20 seconds. However, the specific step of scrubbing hands and arms vigorously with soap should last for at least 10 to 15 seconds.
Question 4: A chef is preparing ready-to-eat salads. After slicing raw chicken on a cutting board, they must perform which of the following actions before assembling the salads?
- Wipe their hands on a sanitized cloth and put on new gloves.
- Rinse their hands with hot water and put on new gloves.
- Wash their hands correctly and then put on new, clean gloves. (Correct answer)
- Put on a clean pair of gloves over the ones they are currently wearing.
Correct answer: Wash their hands correctly and then put on new, clean gloves.
Gloves must be changed after handling raw meat and before handling ready-to-eat food to prevent cross-contamination. Critically, proper handwashing must occur before putting on a new pair of gloves. Simply rinsing or wiping hands is insufficient.
Question 5: Which of the following is a required part of a proper work attire for a food handler?
- Wearing an apron at all times, including when taking out the garbage.
- Wearing nail polish as long as gloves are worn.
- Wearing a clean hat or other hair restraint. (Correct answer)
- Wearing a watch to keep track of cooking times.
Correct answer: Wearing a clean hat or other hair restraint.
Food handlers must wear a clean hat or other hair restraint, like a hairnet or beard restraint, to prevent hair from contaminating food. Aprons should be removed when leaving food-prep areas, nail polish is generally not allowed, and watches are prohibited jewelry.
Question 6: A food handler with an infected cut on their finger needs to prepare food. What steps must they take to do so safely?
- Apply a bandage and wear a single-use glove. (Correct answer)
- Wash their hands and apply an impermeable bandage.
- Apply hand sanitizer over the cut and wear a glove.
- Wash the cut with soap and water and continue working.
Correct answer: Apply a bandage and wear a single-use glove.
An infected wound or cut must be covered with an impermeable cover, such as a bandage or finger cot, and then a single-use glove must be worn over the cover. This creates a double barrier to prevent pathogens from the wound from contaminating food.
ServSafe Proper Personal Hygiene Questions and Answers 1
A food handler has a sore throat and a fever.
What is the most appropriate action for the manager to take?