Health & Saf. Code, § 113953.3 · Article 4. Handwashing
Health & Saf. Code, § 113953.3
Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
(a) Except as specified in subdivisions (b) and (c), all employees shall thoroughly wash their hands and that portion, if any, of their arms exposed to direct food contact with cleanser and warm water by vigorously rubbing together the surfaces of their lathered hands and arms for at least 10 to 15 seconds and thoroughly rinsing with clean running water followed by drying of cleaned hands and that portion, if any, of their arms exposed. Employees shall pay particular attention to the areas underneath the fingernails and between the fingers. Employees shall wash their hands in all of the following instances:
(1) Immediately before engaging in food preparation, including working with nonprepackaged food, clean equipment and utensils, and unwrapped single-use food containers and utensils.
(2) After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean, exposed portions of arms.
(3) After using the toilet room.
(4) After caring for or handling any animal allowed in a food facility pursuant to this part.
(5) After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating, or drinking.
(6) After handling soiled equipment or utensils.
(7) During food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross-contamination when changing tasks.
(8) When switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food.
(9) Before initially donning gloves for working with food.
(10) Before dispensing or serving food or handling clean tableware and serving utensils in the food service area.
(11) After engaging in other activities that contaminate the hands.
(b) If approved and capable of removing the types of soils encountered in the food operations involved, an automatic handwashing facility may be used by food employees to clean their hands.
(c) A food facility may incorporate an alternate glove use procedure in which double gloves are worn to handle raw animal proteins. The loose-fitting outer glove shall be removed in a manner to prevent cross-contamination of the tight-fitting inner glove before the inner glove is used as a barrier to bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 155, Sec. 5. (AB 831) Effective January 1, 2022.
Source of truth
- Edition
- As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
- Official file
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=113953.3.
- Text hash
- sha256 62ba1201f564a123b24ea5522b7d9757e4d19ff82d3228f3f7163c58ef0c5ff9
- Composed by
- compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
Cited by 7 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Health & Saf. Code, § 113953.3. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Health and Safety Code
- Health & Saf. Code, § 113936Printed as Sections 113953.3 and 113953.4
- Health & Saf. Code, § 113953.4Printed as Section 113953.3
- Health & Saf. Code, § 113961Printed as Section 113953.3
- Health & Saf. Code, § 114259.5Printed as Section 113953.3
- Health & Saf. Code, § 114276Printed as Sections 113953 and 113953.3
- Health & Saf. Code, § 114333Printed as Sections 113952, 113953.1, 113953.2, 113953.3, 113980, 113982, 113984, 113988, 113990, 113992, 113996, 113998, 114000, 114002, 114002.1, 114014, 114016, 114018, 114020, 114021, 114023, 114024, 114025,
- Health & Saf. Code, § 114365.2Printed as Sections 113953.3, 114259.5, 114285, and 114286
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.