Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Regardless of the industry you work in, all food handlers will wear some kind of protective clothing and equipment, known as PPE. This commonly includes hairnets, gloves, particular boots, aprons, jackets or smocks. These are used to help prevent bacteria from ending up in food. Your PPE must always be The right size, The right type to keep you and the food safe, Clean and in good condition Light in colour so you can easily identify dirt, Easy to wash and clean And you need to follow the correct procedures before, during and at the end of your shift whilst wearing it. Before you start your shift or go into the food preparation area, you need to get changed out of the clothes you travelled to work in and put them away safely. Then you need to tie your hair back if it’s long, and put on any headwear – such as hair nets or hats – before you put on any other clothes. Once they are secured, put on your protective clothing. During your shift, you need to remember not to leave the food preparation area whilst you’re wearing your PPE. And, at the end of your shift, you must put dirty protective clothing into the laundry bins that your employer provides for you, and you must follow your organisation’s procedures to store other protective clothing and equipment. It can be easy to get complacent when you wear and use this equipment every day, so be mindful. Always use your PPE in the right way and at the right time. And remember that it must be kept clean and undamaged. It’s your responsibility to tell your supervisor if any items need to be repaired or replaced.