Farm Worker Health and Hygiene Basic Rules

Why are proper health and hygiene important?

• Workers can carry, introduce, and spread contamination to fresh produce.
• Workers can carry human pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

Sources of Human Contamination

• Feces
• Hands
• Injuries and sores
• Clothing
• Footwear
• Tools and equipment

Basic Rules

• Remove jewelry and other objects from your hands and face or cover with disposable gloves.
• Don't bring items that can fall into exposed food work areas.
• Only eat, drink, chew gum, or use tobacco in designated areas.
• All drinking water and dispensers must be safe for human consumption, clean, and available at all times.

Training to Prevent Contamination

• Each producer should train all workers (new and existing) to follow good hygienic practices.
• Worker training should be both hands-on and verbal.
• All worker trainings should be documented in the Training Log.
• Visitors must be aware of toilet and handwashing facilities and proper food safety practices.

Components of Training

• Personal cleanliness
   - Bathe daily, keep nails short, cover mouth when sneezing or coughing
   - Wash clothes regularly
   - Clean shoes regularly
   - Designated footwear for different tasks helps prevent cross-contamination
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
   - Don't wear in break areas and bathrooms
   - If PPE gets dirty, clean or replace
   - Gloves provide additional protection against pathogens and areas not cleaned by hand washing
• Handwashing with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds) must be done:
   - Before working
   - After using the toilet or break areas
   - After working with pesticides
   - After working with animals
   - Before putting on gloves
   - Any time contamination may have occurred
   - Do not dry hands on clothing: use a paper towel and properly dispose
• Injuries and illness
   - Don't work if you have these symptoms: diarrhea, fever, vomiting, jaundice, or sore throat with a fever
   - Properly cover open wounds
   - Inform your supervisor if you feel sick or if you've been in contact with sick people (keep a log of illnesses and injuries)
   - First-aid kit should be ready and well stocked at ALL times (with an updated log)
• Toilets
   - OSHA and USDA require one toilet and handwashing station for every 20 workers
   - Must be located within ¼ mile or a 5-minute walk or drive from the field or workplace
   - Should be monitored and logged daily for cleanliness, and to make sure that they are well stocked and working properly
   - Bilingual signs should be posted at facilities
   - Always place toilet paper in the toilet, never on the floor or in the trash
   - Always use proper toilet facilities (never in the field or other work areas)

Note
Failure to abide by proper health and hygiene practices must result in corrective actions.

Resources

• Penn State Extension Food Safety and Quality website
• Cornell University Produce Safety Alliance website
• The Centers for Disease Control Food Safety website

Supported by a USDA NIFA Food Safety Outreach Program grant titled "Bilingual Produce Safety Educational Programming for Hispanic/Latino Fresh Produce Growers and Farmworkers in Pennsylvania," USDA NIFA Award number 2017-70020-27236