ServSafe Proper Personal Hygiene 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler has a small burn on their wrist. How should they handle this?
- Ignore it since it is just a burn
- Cover it with a clean bandage under their uniform sleeve (Correct answer)
- Apply ice and continue working
- Wait until it blisters before covering
Correct answer: Cover it with a clean bandage under their uniform sleeve
All wounds including burns must be covered with clean bandages to prevent secondary infection and contamination.
Burns create openings in the skin barrier that can become infected with S. aureus. For hand burns, the double-barrier approach (bandage plus glove) is required. For wrist burns, a bandage covered by the uniform sleeve provides adequate protection.
Question 2: What is the primary reason food handlers should keep fingernails short and clean?
- Long nails make it harder to type on the POS system
- The area under fingernails harbors bacteria that are difficult to remove even with thorough handwashing (Correct answer)
- Short nails look more professional
- Long nails can scratch food contact surfaces
Correct answer: The area under fingernails harbors bacteria that are difficult to remove even with thorough handwashing
The subungual space traps bacteria that resist removal during normal handwashing.
The subungual space beneath fingernails harbors high concentrations of S. aureus, E. coli, and other pathogens. Even thorough 30-second handwashing removes only a portion. Artificial nails and nail polish are prohibited.
Question 3: Which personal behavior is MOST likely to contaminate food during service?
- Speaking quietly near food while wearing a face covering
- Adjusting a hair net with clean gloved hands
- Using a cell phone then handling ready-to-eat food without washing hands (Correct answer)
- Walking through the kitchen to the break room
Correct answer: Using a cell phone then handling ready-to-eat food without washing hands
Cell phones carry more bacteria than a toilet seat on average, and touching one without handwashing transfers pathogens to food.
Studies show phones carry 10 times more bacteria than toilet seats because they are rarely cleaned. Best practices include phone-free zones in food prep areas and requiring handwashing after any phone use.
Question 4: A food handler has been prescribed antibiotics for strep throat. What should they do?
- Return to work immediately since antibiotics prevent transmission
- Report the illness and remain excluded until on antibiotics for 24 hours with symptom improvement (Correct answer)
- Continue working with a face mask
- Wait until the full antibiotic course is complete
Correct answer: Report the illness and remain excluded until on antibiotics for 24 hours with symptom improvement
The food handler can return after being on antibiotics for at least 24 hours and showing improvement.
Strep throat spreads through respiratory droplets and hand contact. The food handler must report the diagnosis, remain excluded, and return only after 24 hours of antibiotic therapy AND symptom improvement.
Question 5: Why are food handlers prohibited from eating or drinking in preparation areas?
- It is a time management issue
- Eating introduces oral bacteria to hands and beverages can contaminate work surfaces (Correct answer)
- It is only prohibited during inspections
- It wastes company food resources
Correct answer: Eating introduces oral bacteria to hands and beverages can contaminate work surfaces
Eating and drinking introduces oral bacteria through hand-to-mouth contact and can contaminate surfaces.
The oral cavity harbors S. aureus and other organisms. Hand-to-mouth contact during eating bypasses glove protection. Food handlers must eat only in designated break areas and wash hands before returning to work.
Question 6: What type of clothing is appropriate for food handlers?
- The same clothes worn on the bus to work
- Clean uniform or clothing changed into at the workplace plus a clean apron (Correct answer)
- Any comfortable clothing regardless of cleanliness
- Streetwear covered by an apron is always sufficient
Correct answer: Clean uniform or clothing changed into at the workplace plus a clean apron
Food handlers should change into clean work clothing at the establishment to minimize outside contaminants.
Clothing worn during commuting picks up bacteria, allergens, pet hair, and contaminants from public transportation and outdoors. Aprons should be removed before leaving the kitchen, especially for restroom visits.
ServSafe Proper Personal Hygiene 2
A food handler has a small burn on their wrist.
How should they handle this?