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caps should be discouraged as they not
only do not properly contain a worker’s
hair, but they are often filthy. Workers who have beards and/or mustaches
should ensure that they are fully covered.
Some operations waive this requirement
for workers with neat mustaches and go
on to define what constitutes a “neat
moustache.” It is much easier to define
a requirement than to create a system
where something must be interpreted.
Management should also consider the
type and color of hair restraints that they
buy. Workers often feel that hairnets
with wider mesh are more comfortable.
Many operations also purchase hairnets
that are white in color, which allows
them to easily see whether workers are
not only wearing their hairnets but also
wearing them properly.
The garments that food plant workers
wear vary widely. Some plants allow their
workers to wear street clothes, whereas
others provide complete uniforms. Street
clothes are not a good idea, as one can
never tell where employees were before
coming to work. A description of the
garments to be worn in a food plant
might be as follows: Uniforms shall be tight
fitting and be equipped with snaps or Velcro
closures. There shall be no pockets located
above the waist. Sleeves shall be manufactured
with elastic bands at the wrist to protect the
arms. When purchasing uniforms, plant
management should seriously consider
the materials from which they are manufactured. Ideally, the uniforms should
not “shed,” and they should be manufactured from breathable materials, especially if a plant is located where there
are high temperatures or where workers
must work in a hot area.
Many operations color-code uniforms, especially if the plant produces
sensitive products. In plants producing
ready-to-eat foods, workers on the raw
side might wear white uniforms, whereas
those on the cooked or finished product
side will wear blue. In operations such as
these, when moving between these areas,
workers must not only change their uniforms but also their shoes or boots.
Shoes are an area that management
needs to address. For safety purposes,
shoes must be close toed and preferably
have steel toes and shank. However,
since food plant workers are on their feet
for a large part of each day, it behooves
management to make a commitment
to identifying a supplier that produces
a comfortable safety shoe. Many plants
bring the manufacturer of safety shoes
into the plant several times a year to
allow their crews to select a shoe with
which they are comfortable. When de-
veloping a policy for shoes, management
must consider what they are manufac-
turing, their workforce and where they
live. For example, many food processing
plants are located in a country with a
workforce that lives on farms or raises
livestock or poultry. The last thing an
operation needs is to have them tracking
chicken or turkey manure into a facility
that produces a ready-to-eat product.
This is why some facilities are designed
in such a way to oblige workers to
change shoes immediately before going
into the processing area or to utilize foot
baths or boot washers.
Jewelry and Other Objects
Anyone entering a food processing
area must remove all jewelry, including rings, brooches, watches, pins, earrings, necklaces and visible piercings.
In addition, false nails, nail polish, false
eyelashes and any other object that
may possibly contaminate food should
not be allowed in the plant. Piercings
have become an issue in recent years,
which is why operators utilize the term
“visible,” which, for most operations,
includes tongue piercings. Another issue that processors must look for if they
do not supply uniforms is clothing that
has spangles or rhinestones sewn into it.
This can be an issue in Islamic countries
where women often wear decorative
head scarves.
Only two types of jewelry are allowed
in some plants. These are plain wedding
bands and medical emergency bracelets
or necklaces. The plain wedding bands
are allowed for two reasons; some simply cannot be removed and have no
stone that can come loose. Notice that
the term “some plants” was used. Some
