When should an employee wash their hands?

The appropriate instances for handwashing in a food safety context are critical for preventing contamination and ensuring food safety. Among the provided choices, the timing when an employee should wash their hands encompasses several situations, such as after sneezing and after handling raw foods like pork, to prevent the transfer of harmful pathogens.

Handwashing after sneezing is essential to avoid contaminating food with respiratory droplets that may carry pathogens. Before putting on gloves, washing hands is important to ensure that no contaminants are transferred from the skin to the gloves, negating their purpose in maintaining hygiene. Additionally, after handling raw pork, which can harbor bacteria like Salmonella and Listeria, washing hands is crucial to prevent cross-contamination with ready-to-eat foods.

In this context, the correct answer regarding handwashing is associated with specific activities that pose a risk of contamination. Each scenario highlights the importance of maintaining good hygiene practices in food preparation areas, but the notion that an employee should wash their hands before mopping the floor does not directly relate to food safety in handling or preparing food. Hence, while mopping is an essential task, it does not carry the same immediate risk of foodborne illness as the other scenarios presented. Understanding when to wash hands is vital for anyone working in