Free SERVSAFE Personal Hygiene Practices Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler has a sore throat and a fever. According to ServSafe guidelines, what is the correct action for the manager to take?
- Allow the employee to work in a non-food-contact position.
- Tell the employee they can work as long as they wear a mask and gloves.
- Send the employee home and require a doctor's note to return.
- Restrict the employee from working with or around food. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Restrict the employee from working with or around food.
When a food handler has a sore throat with a fever, they must be restricted from working with or around food. If the operation serves a high-risk population, the employee must be excluded from the operation altogether. They can return to work with or around food when they have a written release from a medical practitioner.
Question 2: What is the minimum time that hands and arms should be scrubbed with soap during the handwashing process?
- 5-10 seconds
- 10-15 seconds (Correct answer)
- 20-25 seconds
- The entire process should take 10 seconds.
Correct answer: 10-15 seconds
The ServSafe handwashing procedure requires scrubbing hands and arms vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. The entire handwashing process, including wetting, soaping, scrubbing, rinsing, and drying, should take a total of at least 20 seconds.
Question 3: Which piece of jewelry is a food handler permitted to wear while preparing food?
- A medical alert bracelet
- A diamond wedding ring
- A plain metal band (Correct answer)
- A small pair of stud earrings
Correct answer: A plain metal band
The only jewelry allowed on hands or wrists when preparing food is a plain metal band, such as a simple wedding ring. Other jewelry can harbor pathogens and is difficult to clean, posing a risk of contaminating food.
Question 4: A chef with a beard is preparing salads in the kitchen. What specific personal hygiene practice must he follow?
- Wash his hands every 30 minutes.
- Wear a clean apron.
- Wear a beard restraint. (Correct answer)
- Keep his beard trimmed to a length of 1/2 inch or less.
Correct answer: Wear a beard restraint.
Food handlers must wear hair restraints, such as a hat or hair covering, to keep their hair from contaminating food. In addition, food handlers with beards must wear a beard restraint.
Question 5: When must a food handler change their single-use gloves?
- After four hours of continuous use on the same task. (Correct answer)
- Only when they become visibly soiled.
- Before taking a phone call.
- At the end of their shift.
Correct answer: After four hours of continuous use on the same task.
Single-use gloves should be changed after four hours of continuous use, as soon as they become dirty or torn, before beginning a different task, and after handling raw meat, seafood, or poultry. While they must also be changed after an interruption like a phone call, the four-hour rule is a key requirement for continuous use.
Question 6: A food handler has an infected cut on their finger. Which of the following is the correct procedure for them to follow to handle food safely?
- Wash their hands and apply hand sanitizer over the cut.
- Cover the cut with a clean bandage.
- Cover the cut with a bandage and a finger cot, then wash hands.
- Cover the cut with a waterproof bandage and a single-use glove. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cover the cut with a waterproof bandage and a single-use glove.
An infected wound or cut must be covered to prevent pathogens from contaminating food. The proper procedure is to cover the wound with a clean, waterproof bandage or finger cot and then wear a single-use glove over it.
