04D — Food worker does not wash hands after contaminating them
This is a worker failing to wash their hands after doing something that dirties them, washing too quickly or without soap, or not changing contaminated gloves. Unwashed hands move germs from raw meat, the toilet, or the trash straight into food. The inspector watches handwashing technique and timing during the walkthrough. Remember gloves are an add-on, not a replacement: hands still must be washed before gloving and between dirty tasks.
What the inspector looks for
Watch hands at the handwash sink after each trigger — using the toilet, handling raw meat, coughing/sneezing, eating, smoking, or taking out trash. Workers must wash with soap and warm water and scrub at least 20 seconds, and change dirty gloves. Skipping the wash fails.
Points & grade impact
Cited at 10 points — Cited at 10 (condition IV); uncorrected PHH → 28. NYC adds every cited violation’s points into one inspection score: 0–13 = A, 14–27 = B, 28+ = C.
How to fix it
Have workers wash hands immediately and at every required moment; change contaminated gloves; correct the practice on the spot.
How to prevent it
Train and enforce the NYC 5-step handwash (wet, soap/lather to the elbow, scrub ≥20s, rinse, dry with disposable towel); wash before work, after the toilet, after eating/smoking, between tasks, and after any contamination.
- ✓Use the NYC 5 steps: wet hands, soap and lather (up the forearms), scrub at least 20 seconds, rinse, and dry with a single-use paper towel.
- ✓Wash after the toilet, after raw-protein contact, after eating or smoking, after trash, and any time hands get dirty — even when gloved.
- ✓Keep every handwash sink stocked with soap, paper towels, and warm running water so there is no excuse to skip it.
- ✓Have workers change gloves (after washing) whenever the gloves get soiled, torn, or after switching tasks.
Reference: Health Code §81.13(d)
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