ServSafe Personal Hygiene and Health 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler develops a sore throat with fever during a shift. What is the correct action?
- Continue working but avoid handling ready-to-eat foods
- Inform the manager and be excluded from working with food (Correct answer)
- Wear a mask and wash hands more frequently
- Take over-the-counter medication and continue the shift
Correct answer: Inform the manager and be excluded from working with food
A sore throat with fever is a symptom that requires exclusion from the food establishment to prevent contamination.
Question 2: Which of the following is an acceptable reason for a food handler to wear gloves instead of washing hands?
- Gloves eliminate the need for handwashing entirely
- Gloves must be worn when handling ready-to-eat foods to prevent bare-hand contact (Correct answer)
- Gloves are optional if hands look clean
- Gloves can replace handwashing when handling raw meat
Correct answer: Gloves must be worn when handling ready-to-eat foods to prevent bare-hand contact
Gloves are required for handling ready-to-eat foods but do not replace handwashing — hands must still be washed before gloving.
Question 3: How should a food handler handle a small cut on their finger before working with food?
- Cover it with a bandage only
- Wash the cut, cover with a bandage, and wear a glove over it (Correct answer)
- Apply antiseptic and continue working bare-handed
- Report it to the manager and stop working immediately
Correct answer: Wash the cut, cover with a bandage, and wear a glove over it
A cut must be cleaned, covered with a bandage, and then covered with a glove to prevent blood from contaminating food.
Question 4: A food handler who has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A must:
- Wear gloves and work only in non-food-contact areas
- Be excluded from the operation until cleared by a medical professional (Correct answer)
- Avoid handling raw proteins but may handle packaged foods
- Use extra sanitizer when washing hands and return to work
Correct answer: Be excluded from the operation until cleared by a medical professional
Hepatitis A is a highly contagious illness that requires full exclusion from the food operation until a medical professional clears the employee.
Question 5: Which practice helps prevent cross-contamination from a food handler's hair?
- Tying hair back loosely
- Wearing a hair restraint such as a hat, net, or cap (Correct answer)
- Applying hair products to keep hair in place
- Washing hair every day before work
Correct answer: Wearing a hair restraint such as a hat, net, or cap
Hair restraints such as hats, nets, or caps physically prevent hair from falling into food and causing contamination.
Question 6: After handling raw chicken, a food handler should wash their hands:
- Only if they notice visible contamination
- Before putting on gloves to handle vegetables (Correct answer)
- After completing all raw protein tasks at the end of the shift
- With cold water for 10 seconds
Correct answer: Before putting on gloves to handle vegetables
Hands must be washed before putting on new gloves, especially after handling raw proteins, to prevent cross-contamination.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT a step in the proper handwashing procedure?
- Wetting hands with warm running water
- Applying soap and scrubbing for at least 20 seconds
- Rinsing under running water
- Drying hands with a cloth dish towel (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Drying hands with a cloth dish towel
Cloth dish towels can harbor bacteria and contaminate clean hands; single-use paper towels or an air dryer must be used.
ServSafe Personal Hygiene and Health 4
A food handler develops a sore throat with fever during a shift.
What is the correct action?