Basic 9 · Career Technology · Personal Hygiene and Food

Food Hygiene and Reporting Accidents

In this topic you will explain the importance of food hygiene and describe the procedures for reporting accidents and unsafe practices at school and in the workshop.

By the end of these notes you should be able to:

Explain food hygiene and its importance
Describe safe food practices
Describe how to report accidents and unsafe practices

What you already know

Personal hygiene

Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.

Lesson 1

Strand: Health & Safety
Sub-strand: Personal Hygiene and Food
Indicator: B9.1.1.1.2 – Observe appropriate food hygiene practices

Introduction

Food can make you strong, but contaminated food can make you very ill. Food hygiene is what keeps meals safe.

1. What Is Food Hygiene?

Food hygiene: The conditions and practices that keep food safe from contamination.

Food can be contaminated by germs, chemicals or objects such as hair and insects. Bacteria grow quickly on warm food, particularly if it is moist and rich in protein, such as meat, fish, eggs and milk. Food poisoning causes vomiting, diarrhoea and fever, and it can be very serious in children and elderly people. Cholera and typhoid can also spread through contaminated food and water. Good hygiene protects your family and any customers.

2. The Four Cs

Rules of food hygiene

Rule	Action
cleaning	wash hands, utensils and surfaces
cooking	cook food thoroughly, especially meat and eggs
chilling	keep perishable food cold
cross-contamination	keep raw and cooked food apart

Bacteria multiply fastest between about 5 °C and 60 °C, a range known as the danger zone. Keep hot food hot and cold food cold, and do not leave cooked food out for more than two hours. Reheat leftovers until they are very hot all the way through, and do so only once.

A food vendor with covered food

Figure 1: Food vendor List five food hygiene rules for a food seller.

3. Hygiene for Food Handlers

Wash your hands with soap, especially after visiting the toilet.
Keep your nails short and clean.
Cover your hair and wear a clean apron.
Cover cuts with a waterproof dressing.
Do not cook when you are sick, especially with diarrhoea.
Do not cough or sneeze over food.
Serve with tongs or a spoon, not with bare hands.

4. Storing and Buying Food

Buy food from clean places, and check the expiry dates on packets. Do not buy swollen cans or food with an unusual smell. Store dry food in sealed containers, and keep it off the floor to protect it from rodents. Use old stock first. In Ghana, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) regulates food and drink products, and the assemblies' environmental health officers check food vendors. Food vendors should have a medical certificate as proof that they are fit to handle food.

5. Waste and Pests

Flies, cockroaches and rats carry germs onto food. Empty bins regularly, and keep them covered. Do not leave dirty dishes overnight. Wash and dry utensils properly, using clean water. A clean environment is a basic requirement for safe food.

New words

contamination: Making something unclean or unsafe.
danger zone: The temperature range in which bacteria grow fast.
cross-contamination: Transfer of germs from raw to cooked food.
food poisoning: Illness caused by contaminated food.

Summary

Food hygiene prevents food poisoning and disease.
Follow the rules of cleaning, cooking, chilling and separating.
Food handlers must keep clean and follow safe practices.

Class activity: Food Stall Inspection

Observe a food stall or the school kitchen.
Use a checklist of hygiene rules.
Report your findings politely.

You need: Maize cob, Cowpea seeds, Garden egg

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. Which helps prevent food poisoning?
- A. washing hands
- B. leaving food uncovered
- C. using dirty knives
- D. sneezing on food
Show answer
Answer: washing handsHygiene.
2. Cross-contamination is…
- A. germs moving from raw to cooked food
- B. heating food
- C. freezing food
- D. cooking twice
Show answer
Answer: germs moving from raw to cooked foodDefinition.
3. Food handlers should cover cuts.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueSafety.
4. In Ghana, food products are regulated by the ______.
Show answer
Answer: FDARegulator.
5. State the four rules of food hygiene.
Show answer
Answer: Cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination.Four Cs.
6. Why should cooked food not be left out for long?
Show answer
Answer: Bacteria grow fast at warm temperatures and can cause food poisoning.Danger zone.

Lesson 2

Strand: Health & Safety
Sub-strand: Hygiene
Indicator: B9.1.2.1.1 – Describe procedures for reporting accidents and unsafe practices in school and in the laboratory/ workshop

Introduction

Hiding an accident does not make it go away. Reporting it quickly can save a life and prevent it from happening again.

1. Accidents and Unsafe Practices

Accident: An unexpected event that causes injury or damage.

An accident could be a cut, a burn, a fall, an electric shock or broken equipment. An unsafe practice is something that could cause an accident, such as using a cracked ladder or a faulty extension cord. A near miss is something that almost caused harm, such as a tool falling close to a person. Near misses are warnings, and they should also be reported.

2. Steps in Reporting

Stay calm and make the area safe.
Call for help from the nearest adult.
Give first aid if you have been trained to do so.
Inform the teacher, supervisor or nurse.
Write down what happened.
Record the incident in the accident book.
Review the cause and prevent a repeat.

Safety: Never touch a person who is in contact with electricity. Switch off the power first. Do not move someone who may have a neck or back injury.

3. What to Record

Details in an accident report

Detail	Example
who	name, class or job
when	date and time
where	wood workshop
what happened	hand cut by a chisel
witnesses	names of those who saw it
action taken	first aid, sent to the clinic
recommendation	sharpen chisels; use bench hook

A first aid kit in a workshop

Figure 2: First aid kit Write a sample accident report.

4. Why Reporting Matters

Reports get help to injured people quickly. They help school leaders to see patterns and fix problems. They protect workers, because in many jobs compensation depends on written records. Ghana's Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) requires employers to ensure safe working conditions, and it requires workers to report dangerous situations. The Factories, Offices and Shops Act, 1970 (Act 328) also deals with workplace safety. Workers must therefore know how to report.

5. Emergency Contacts

Every school and workplace should display emergency numbers. In Ghana, the national emergency numbers include 112, and the National Ambulance Service uses 193. The Ghana National Fire Service can be called on 192, and the police on 191. Learn these numbers. When you call, say what has happened, where it is and how many people are hurt. Stay on the line until you are told to hang up.

New words

accident: An unexpected event causing harm.
near miss: An event that almost caused harm.
witness: A person who saw an event.
compensation: Money paid for injury or loss.

Summary

Report accidents, unsafe practices and near misses.
Follow the steps and record all the details.
Reporting protects people and prevents repeats.

Class activity: Report Writing

Read a made-up accident story.
Complete an accident report.
Suggest how to prevent it.

You need: Printed accident-report form, Printed local workshop-hazard cards, Warning sign

Exercises

Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.

1. An event that almost caused harm is a…
- A. near miss
- B. holiday
- C. prize
- D. report
Show answer
Answer: near missWarning.
2. What should you do first if someone gets an electric shock?
- A. Switch off the power
- B. Touch them
- C. Pour water
- D. Run away
Show answer
Answer: Switch off the powerSafety.
3. Near misses should be reported.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueWarning.
4. A person who saw an event is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: witnessReport.
5. Give four details to record in a report.
Show answer
Answer: Who, when, where and what happened.Any four.
6. Why should near misses be reported?
Show answer
Answer: They show hazards that can be fixed before someone is injured.Prevention.

Homework

Write down the emergency numbers and display them at home.