Personal Hygiene Facilities2017-11-24T14:01:06-05:00
If an operation has chosen to use hand wipes and hand sanitizer for handwashing, is any type of wipe acceptable?2020-03-11T10:28:26-04:00

The purpose of the hand wipes is to remove any dirt, debris, lotion, food, saliva, etc., from hands and to provide a clean surface for the hand sanitizer to be effective. The operation must choose an appropriate type of hand wipe. The wipes (as per the glossary definition) should be pre-moistened by the manufacturer. The wipe must be intended for use on hands and/or skin which can usually be determined by reading the label. Therefore, a sanitizing wipe designed for cleaning food contact surfaces, countertops and similar surfaces (such as Lysol or Clorox disinfecting wipes) are not acceptable.

March 11th, 2020 at 10:28 am
Does Form J need to be filled out if employees are given individual packs of wipes and small bottles of sanitizer to carry in their pockets as their hand washing option?2017-11-03T16:25:43-04:00

Yes, the person responsible would fill out Form J by checking off the hand sanitizer/wipes column. This would be their record that the employees had been given their sanitizers/wipes (or they still had enough to use).

November 3rd, 2017 at 04:25 pm
Can hand dryers be used in personal hygiene facilities?2017-11-03T16:25:44-04:00

No, hand dryers are NOT included as one of the options for hand washing within the CanadaGAP Program.

The following food safety reasons outline why hand dryers are not an acceptable option:

  • Hand dryers may accumulate bacteria (from the environment, improperly washed hands, etc.) because of the warm air present and this has the potential to cross contaminate hands
  • Hand dryers may aerosolize bacteria into the air
  • Since hand dryers take longer to dry hands than paper towels do, employees may turn to improper drying methods (e.g., wiping hands on pants/shirt, not drying hands at all, etc.)
  • Employees using paper towels tend to do a better job of drying their hands, leaving behind no water droplets that bacteria may proliferate in
  • Paper towels add an extra form of risk reduction – the use of friction will help remove or reduce any unwanted bacteria that might remain if employees have not washed hands properly
  • It is easier and faster to restock paper towels than fix a broken hand dryer.

Acceptable options for hand washing are outlined in Section 11 (Personal Hygiene Facilities). The three options are:
1. hot and/or cold running potable water, soap and disposable paper towels OR
2. water, disposable paper towels to dry hands and hand sanitizer OR
3. hand wipes and hand sanitizer

November 3rd, 2017 at 04:25 pm
What does access to toilets through transportation mean?2017-11-03T16:25:43-04:00

Access through transportation means that if an employee needs to use the toilet, there is transportation available to take them to the facilities. It needs to be realistic that the employees can get to the toilet if needed. There should be a vehicle available and someone available who can drive the vehicle.  Auditors will be talking to the employees to find out where the washroom is and how they get there, or will ask to be taken to the washroom.

November 3rd, 2017 at 04:25 pm

November 24th, 2017 at 02:01 pm
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