All Hands on Deck: Handwashing Programs

Commitment vs. Compliance

Knowing that surfaces are being monitored for cleanliness underscores the value that management places on the cleaning task and is a source of professional pride: “If my restaurant cares enough to supply me with best practices solutions, the least I can do is execute as a confirmation of my professionalism.”

Clean to sight and touch is not an acceptable standard. Our eyes are our windows on the world, but unfortunately, they are poor tools for assessing the existence of pathogens or determining if a surface has been recently cleaned and is safe to touch. Microbiological swab testing is the fail-safe tool to test for pathogens, but results take days, coming too late both for training and for good decision making in a high-pressured food service operation.

Cleaning procedures are best taught with the support of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) technology, providing the worker with a visible numeric definition of clean within 25 seconds.

ATP technology dramatically reduces the risk of spreading contamination by expanding our ability to ensure that surfaces have been cleaned and are TouchReady.

Logging results extends the value of the RLU data by first reminding us of the value these surfaces represent in serving safe food and providing performance feedback for the professionals involved. Secondly, trends are easily spotted and serve as an early alert for both staff and external auditors.

Another simple and low-cost measurement technique is to mark target surfaces with an invisible UV-sensitive “ink” and track its removal with a pocket UV disclosure lamp. This system can provide a base to give the cleaning team a scorecard by reporting the percentage of targets eliminated (see Mark ’n Monitor at handwashingforlife.com).

Commitment to standards drives compliance. Documented results maintain the focus.

Celebrate Success

Success motivates more success. Once the process to control high-touch surface cleanliness is defined, agreed upon, taught, implemented, and verified, share that success with both the team of planners and the staff who carry out the tasks—the owners of the TouchReady zones. Weekly reports are posted for the staff, with periodic summaries provided to risk management, training, and the ownership.

Remember: Repeated success sustains new behaviors and surface-cleanliness standards.

Jim Mann is the founder of Handwashing For Life and the Handwashing Leadership Forum, an alliance of best practice technologies for Overcoming Underwashing across the spectrum of away-from-home food preparation and service locations. Further information on implementation of a HandsOn System is available at www.handwashingforlife.com.

References

1. Green LR, Selman CA, Radke V, et al. Food worker hand washing practices: an observation study. J Food Prot. 2006;69(10):2417-2423.
2. Moe CL, Liu P. Studies of norovirus infectivity, persistence and reduction. Center for Global Safe Water. Rollins School of Public Health. Emory University. Available at: www.handwashingforlife.com/files/Norovirus_Study.pdf. Accessed Oct. 23, 2011.