Ronco's Top 14 Tips for Personal Protection and HACCP Compliance

Concord, Ontario – In response to increased consumer demands for food safety, Canada’s governments – both federal and some provincial – have developed food safety programs incorporating internationally recognized HACCP – Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points – principles to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. With the high level of use of chemical solutions, proper body protection is critical.

DOs

1. Protect your hands with the appropriate glove material and thickness when using chemical solutions. Each material has a different resistance level to chemicals. Test the material against the concentration and solution being handled before putting your hand in the solution wearing the glove.

2. Carefully review the glove cuff styles offered. Slip-on and basic knitwrist cuffs do not offer a significant level of protection against chemicals. Safety and gauntlet cuffs, 2.5 and 4 inches respectively, will allow the employee to reach deeper into the solution while protecting him/herself. When raising one’s arms after working with liquids, a rolled cuff will gather small amounts of the solution instead of letting it drip down onto the arm.

3. Determine the duration of exposure to the chemicals, concentration of the solution, and nature of the material being handled, as selecting the proper glove thickness is crucial. The longer the exposure and/or the higher the concentration, the thicker the glove should be. Please note, however, that regardless of glove thickness, gloves will have to be changed eventually as no glove will be able to withstand the chemical indefinitely.

4. Supply gloves with the appropriate length for the application. If hands will only be touching the chemical solution but will not be immersed in the liquid, the glove length can be shorter as it does not have to offer protection to a large portion of the arm. If the arm will be immersed in the liquid for any period of time, however, a longer glove should be used to avoid having the chemical come into direct contact with skin.

5. Change gloves when entering another department in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

6. Provide employees gloves in various sizes so that each individual can select the most comfortable size, providing employees with a stronger grip on the item being handled and increasing the likelihood that the product will be used.

7. Offer latex free products if there are employees with a suspected or confirmed case of latex allergies. Reactions can range from mild rashes to potentially fatal anaphylactic shocks.

8. Ensure that gloves are cleaned and stored thoroughly and hygienically between uses or that they are used only once in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

9. Wear safety glasses when mixing chemical solutions where there is a chance of splashing.

10. Use chemical resistant aprons and sleeves to protect your body and clothing during handling of chemical solutions and other abrasive liquids.

DON’Ts

1. DON’T put on a pair of gloves without first washing your hands thoroughly.

2. DON’T wear the same glove when working in different departments in order to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

3. DON’T enter food processing areas when you are ill even if you will not be coming into direct contact with food.

4. DON’T use a “one glove fits all people and applications” approach. Each glove and item of protective apparel may be ideal for certain purposes while virtually disintegrating when brought into contact with another chemical or substance. No single glove available in the market is appropriate for each and every application and chemical.

Ronco features a full line of disposable and reusable gloves, as well as protective gear for increased safety and HACCP compliance.