Sec. 10.15.03.14. Personnel Health and Sanitation

The person-in-charge shall ensure that:

A. As set forth in COMAR 10.06.01.06E, a food handler does not serve or handle food intended for public consumption if the food handler:

(1) Has any of the following diseases:

(a) Diarrhea caused by Entamoeba histolytica;

(b) Cholera;

(c) Disease causing diarrhea, unless physician-certified as noninfectious;

(d) E. coli O157:H7;

(e) Hepatitis A;

(f) Diarrhea caused by Salmonella;

(g) Shigellosis;

(h) Streptococcal infection caused by group A beta-hemolytic Streptococcus; or

(i) Typhoid fever; or

(2) Is a carrier of Salmonella Typhi;

B. An employee experiencing persistent sneezing, coughing, or a runny nose that causes discharges from the eyes, nose, or mouth does not work with:

(1) Exposed food;

(2) Clean equipment, utensils, and linens; or

(3) Unwrapped single service or single use articles;

C. An employee who has a disease that may be transmissible through food reports the condition to the person-in-charge;

D. The approving authority is notified when an employee of a food service facility is known to have or is suspected of having a disease that is transmissible by food;

E. An employee washes hands and exposed arm areas thoroughly with soap and warm water:

(1) Before handling:

(a) Exposed foods; or

(b) Food-contact surfaces;

(2) Before starting work;

(3) As often as required to remove soil and contamination;

(4) After using toilet facilities; and

(5) Before and between glove use;

F. An employee washes hands, exposed portions of the arms, between the fingers, and underneath the fingernails:

(1) With a cleaning compound;

(2) At a hand washing facility that is equipped as specified in Regulation .18K and L of this chapter; and

(3) By:

(a) Vigorously rubbing together the surfaces of lathered hands and arms for at least 20 seconds;

(b) Cleaning under the nails with a brush if needed; and

(c) Thoroughly rinsing the hands and arms with clean water;

G. An employee keeps hands clean while engaged in handling food and food-contact surfaces;

H. An employee who handles exposed food and food-contact surfaces:

(1) Keeps fingernails clean and neatly trimmed;

(2) Unless wearing gloves that are in good repair, does not wear fingernail polish or artificial fingernails;

(3) Except for a plain, smooth ring such as a wedding band, does not wear jewelry;

(4) Wears outer garments that are clean;

(5) Uses hairnets, caps, or other effective hair restraints in order to keep hair from contacting food and food-contact surfaces;

(6) Maintains personal cleanliness; and

(7) Except as provided in §L of this regulation, does not eat, drink, or use tobacco in any form while working;

I. An employee does not use bare hands for handling ready-to-eat foods, as set forth in Regulation .09E of this chapter;

J. An employee using gloves to protect exposed food:

(1) Uses gloves only for one task;

(2) Does not use the same gloves while working with ready-to-eat food and raw food; and

(3) Discards used gloves when:

(a) The gloves are damaged or soiled;

(b) An interruption occurs in the operation; or

(c) After 2 hours of continuous use;

K. An employee receives training in proper food handling and sanitation as it relates to assigned duties; and

L. When in a food preparation or utensil washing area, an employee:

(1) Drinks only from a covered beverage container; and

(2) Handles the container in a way that prevents contamination of:

(a) The employee's hands;

(b) Exposed food;

(c) Clean equipment;

(d) Utensils;

(e) Linens; and

(f) Unwrapped single service and single use articles.