Poor hygiene at the workplace could destroy your company
Apr 11, 2011
RECENTLY, local television channels aired several news bulletins showing a tea estate company and a bakery that were closed due to poor hygiene.
By Paskazia Tumwesigye
RECENTLY, local television channels aired several news bulletins showing a tea estate company and a bakery that were closed due to poor hygiene.
We watched the management of the two companies pleading to the Uganda National Bureau of standards to remain in operation as they improve hygiene in vain.
It is the employers’ responsibility to demand proper hygiene from employees.
According to Dr. Fred Ntege, a public health specialist, failure to enforce hygiene could spread diseases like cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea, especially in the food industry or business where there is direct contact with clients.
Ntege explains that employee hygiene in the food industry determines the quality of products.
He adds that if proper hygiene is not kept, it could lead to infected products that threaten the consumer’s survival.
Ntege says this could also lead to litigations, reduction in sales and closure of the company.
“A company associated with poor hygiene would find it difficult to attract skilled labour,†he said.
Ntege notes that even in companies that do not deal in food stuffs, poor hygiene could lead to the spread of diseases like candidiasis, which can be contracted from dirty toilets.
He further says people with bad odour cause annoyance, nausea or vomiting to fellow workers.
“This could affect the level of concentration at the workplace.â€
Ntege says companies should provide employee hygiene policies to new workers.
“For instance, you might include when the employees must wash their hands, when they should wear gloves, when they should wear a hairnet and what clothing is acceptable at the workplace.
You might also wish to ban the use of cologne since the scent can be irritating to some clients,†Ntege says.
Employers could also design sensitization programmes to enable workers learn more on hygiene, he adds.
Ntege further explains that companies may also ensure that workers get regular medical checkups to establish whether they are fit to handle company products.
“Health inspectors or a supervision team from management could also be instated to monitor hygiene.â€
Rosette Birungi of the Human Resource School of Computing and Informatics Technology says employers should maintain and enforce periodical visits to different departments to check on hygiene. ‘Workers need to be checked and reminded to adhere to rules,†she says.
Food hygiene and the law
The legislation for companies, which prepare and sell food to the public, covers all eventualities and this article can only skim the surface of the things you have to consider.
It is important that you only view the information here as a general guide.
Basic hygiene requirements
Premises used for the preparation of food must be kept clean and well maintained.
Whether it is the layout, design, size or construction of the premises, it must be fit to allow for proper maintenance and cleaning and give staff enough working space so that they can conduct their duties in a hygienic manner.
Good hygienic practices need to be concerned with avoiding the build up of dirt, protection against contamination, adequate ventilation and pest control.
The handling and storage of food is also a key factor that food inspectors will check when they make their regular visits to your premises.
Identifying potential hazards
This requires you to carry out a thorough review of your business and identify any potential hazards and things that could go wrong.
Once they have been identified, you need to focus on these specific areas in particular and implement procedures and practices that will prevent or, at least, reduce the possibilities of things going wrong, and to decide what action you would take if things do go awry.
It is important to remember that it may not necessarily be your fault that such hazards might occur. It could possibly be a result of negligence on the part of suppliers to your business.
However, you, as the food manufacturer or catering establishment, are responsible for managing these hazards from taking delivery right up to the point of service.
www.workplacesafetyadvice. co.uk
RECENTLY, local television channels aired several news bulletins showing a tea estate company and a bakery that were closed due to poor hygiene.
We watched the management of the two companies pleading to the Uganda National Bureau of standards to remain in operation as they improve hygiene in vain.
It is the employers’ responsibility to demand proper hygiene from employees.
According to Dr. Fred Ntege, a public health specialist, failure to enforce hygiene could spread diseases like cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea, especially in the food industry or business where there is direct contact with clients.
Ntege explains that employee hygiene in the food industry determines the quality of products.
He adds that if proper hygiene is not kept, it could lead to infected products that threaten the consumer’s survival.
Ntege says this could also lead to litigations, reduction in sales and closure of the company.
“A company associated with poor hygiene would find it difficult to attract skilled labour,†he said.
Ntege notes that even in companies that do not deal in food stuffs, poor hygiene could lead to the spread of diseases like candidiasis, which can be contracted from dirty toilets.
He further says people with bad odour cause annoyance, nausea or vomiting to fellow workers.
“This could affect the level of concentration at the workplace.â€
Ntege says companies should provide employee hygiene policies to new workers.
“For instance, you might include when the employees must wash their hands, when they should wear gloves, when they should wear a hairnet and what clothing is acceptable at the workplace.
You might also wish to ban the use of cologne since the scent can be irritating to some clients,†Ntege says.
Employers could also design sensitization programmes to enable workers learn more on hygiene, he adds.
Ntege further explains that companies may also ensure that workers get regular medical checkups to establish whether they are fit to handle company products.
“Health inspectors or a supervision team from management could also be instated to monitor hygiene.â€
Rosette Birungi of the Human Resource School of Computing and Informatics Technology says employers should maintain and enforce periodical visits to different departments to check on hygiene. ‘Workers need to be checked and reminded to adhere to rules,†she says.
Food hygiene and the law
The legislation for companies, which prepare and sell food to the public, covers all eventualities and this article can only skim the surface of the things you have to consider.
It is important that you only view the information here as a general guide.
Basic hygiene requirements
Premises used for the preparation of food must be kept clean and well maintained.
Whether it is the layout, design, size or construction of the premises, it must be fit to allow for proper maintenance and cleaning and give staff enough working space so that they can conduct their duties in a hygienic manner.
Good hygienic practices need to be concerned with avoiding the build up of dirt, protection against contamination, adequate ventilation and pest control.
The handling and storage of food is also a key factor that food inspectors will check when they make their regular visits to your premises.
Identifying potential hazards
This requires you to carry out a thorough review of your business and identify any potential hazards and things that could go wrong.
Once they have been identified, you need to focus on these specific areas in particular and implement procedures and practices that will prevent or, at least, reduce the possibilities of things going wrong, and to decide what action you would take if things do go awry.
It is important to remember that it may not necessarily be your fault that such hazards might occur. It could possibly be a result of negligence on the part of suppliers to your business.
However, you, as the food manufacturer or catering establishment, are responsible for managing these hazards from taking delivery right up to the point of service.
www.workplacesafetyadvice. co.uk