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Personal Hygiene policy

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Our Personal Hygiene Policy promotes cleanliness and health in the workplace, ensuring employees follow guidelines for hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and overall well-being.

Reading time
How long to understand and implement this policy?
10 mins
Word count
How many words in this policy?
480
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What is a Personal Hygiene policy?

The purpose of this Personal Hygiene Policy is to establish clear guidelines and expectations for employees regarding personal hygiene practices within the workplace. The policy aims to:

  1. Promote Health and Well-being: By maintaining good personal hygiene, employees can minimise the risk of spreading germs and reduce the likelihood of illness among themselves and their colleagues. This policy emphasises the importance of hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, and other hygiene practices to create a healthier and safer work environment.

  2. Prevent the Spread of Germs: Proper personal hygiene practices, such as regular handwashing and respiratory hygiene, are effective in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases, including respiratory infections and gastrointestinal illnesses. By following these practices, employees can help reduce the spread of germs and protect the health of their colleagues and visitors.

  3. Ensure Compliance with Health and Safety Regulations: Personal hygiene is an essential component of workplace health and safety. This policy ensures that employees understand and adhere to the hygiene standards required by relevant health and safety regulations and guidelines.

  4. Enhance Professionalism and Image: Maintaining good personal hygiene is an important aspect of presenting a professional and respectable image in the workplace. By following the guidelines outlined in this policy, employees contribute to a positive and professional atmosphere.

  5. Foster a Culture of Hygiene: This policy aims to establish a culture of personal hygiene within the organisation, where employees take responsibility for their own cleanliness and consider the well-being of others. By providing education, training, and reminders, the policy encourages employees to adopt and maintain good personal hygiene practices as part of their daily routine.

Overall, the purpose of this policy is to create a clean, safe, and healthy workplace environment by promoting and enforcing proper personal hygiene practices among employees.

Best practice timescale for this to be issued
When should this policy be issued?
During onboarding / after changes / planned refresher
Issued by who, to whom
Who should issue this policy, and to whom?
Internally issued to appropriate recipients in your Company
Applicable legal jurisdictions
In which jurisdictions can this policy be used?
Great Britain & NI (United Kingdom), Worldwide

What legislation and best practice guidelines have been taken into account in the development of this template?

United Kingdom
  • Health and Safety at Work Act 1974: Provides a legal framework for maintaining a safe and healthy working environment, including the implementation of policies and procedures related to personal hygiene.
  • Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002: Requires employers to assess and control the risks associated with hazardous substances, including proper hygiene practices to minimize exposure.
  • Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999: Requires employers to assess and manage risks to the health and safety of employees, including the provision of adequate facilities and information on personal hygiene.
  • Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992: Covers various aspects of workplace health and safety, including the provision of suitable sanitary facilities, clean working environments, and hygiene requirements.
  • Food Safety Act 1990 and Food Hygiene Regulations: Sets out regulations for the handling, preparation, and consumption of food in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of personal hygiene practices.
  • Equality Act 2010: Ensures that employees with disabilities or specific needs are provided with reasonable accommodations to maintain personal hygiene standards.
  • Employment Rights Act 1996: Protects employees from unfair treatment or dismissal due to health-related issues, including illness or medical conditions affecting personal hygiene.

Other territories

Consult your jurisdiction's employment legislation or labor laws to ensure compliance with the template. Review the language for local precision.

Personal Hygiene Policy

Overview

Maintaining good standards of personal hygiene is crucial to creating a healthy and productive workplace environment. This Personal Hygiene Policy outlines the expectations and guidelines for all employees to follow in order to promote cleanliness, prevent the spread of germs, and ensure the well-being of all individuals within the organisation.

Scope

This policy applies to all employees of the organisation and covers all areas of the workplace, including offices, workstations, common areas, meeting rooms, restroom facilities, and any other relevant spaces.

General Principles

Hand Hygiene

Employees must wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at the following times:

  • [Before and after using the restroom.]
  • [Before and after handling food, beverages, or utensils.]
  • After coughing, sneesing, or blowing the nose.

[Hand sanitisers containing at least 60% alcohol are provided throughout the workplace for use when handwashing facilities are not readily available.]

Respiratory Hygiene

Employees must cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or the inner elbow when coughing or sneezing.

Used tissues should be promptly discarded in designated waste receptacles.

Employees should avoid touching their face, especially the eyes, nose, and mouth, to reduce the risk of spreading germs.

[Personal Appearance

Employees are expected to maintain clean and well-groomed hair, nails, and body.

Clean and appropriate clothing and footwear should be worn in accordance with the organisation's dress code policy.]

Clothing and Uniforms

If uniforms are provided, employees must wear them in a clean and presentable condition.

Regular laundering[ and maintenance] of uniforms are the responsibility of the employees.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Employees must use and maintain any required PPE as per their job tasks or specific activities.

Proper procedures for donning and doffing PPE should be followed to prevent contamination.

Illness and Communicable Diseases

Employees should inform their supervisor or manager if they are feeling unwell or experiencing symptoms of illness.

Employees must follow the organisation's sick leave and return-to-work policies.

In case of contagious illnesses, employees should adhere to any additional protocols or procedures communicated by the organisation.

Food Handling and Consumption

Proper food hygiene practices should be followed when handling, preparing, and consuming food in the workplace.

Food should only be consumed in designated areas, and guidelines for food storage, refrigeration, and reheating should be followed.

Environmental Cleanliness

Employees are responsible for maintaining clean and organised workstations and shared spaces.

Waste should be disposed of in designated containers promptly.

Education and Training

The organisation will provide education and training to employees on proper personal hygiene practices.

Regular communication and reminders about personal hygiene guidelines will be provided to employees to ensure awareness and compliance.

By adhering to these guidelines, employees contribute to a healthier and more hygienic workplace, fostering a positive and safe atmosphere for all. Employees are expected to cooperate fully in maintaining good personal hygiene standards to promote their well-being and that of their colleagues.

This policy [does not] form[s] part of your terms and conditions of employment.

Version: [1.0]

Issue date: [date]

Author: [name, job title]

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personal hygiene policy