Protective clothing is apparel worn by food handlers to protect food from contamination and, in some situations, to protect employees from workplace hazards. In a professional kitchen, it may include a clean chef jacket, apron, hair restraint, beard cover where required and suitable footwear. The clothing required depends on the task, facility and risk assessment.
Clothing should be clean, suitable for the work and changed when contaminated. Aprons and gloves can transfer contamination if staff move between raw and ready-to-eat tasks without changing or cleaning appropriately. Gloves do not replace handwashing. Hair restraints help reduce the risk of physical contamination but are only one part of personal hygiene.
Protective clothing may be intended to protect food, the worker or both. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is selected specifically to protect the employee from identified workplace hazards, such as burns, cuts, chemicals or slips. Some items serve both purposes.
Provide appropriate clothing, define laundering and storage procedures, and train employees to use task-specific protection correctly. Replace damaged or contaminated items and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for reusable PPE.
Chef’s tip: use different aprons or protective layers for tasks with different contamination risks. Keep clean clothing separate from used garments and never wear a contaminated apron into a ready-to-eat preparation area.
This term is one of hundreds covered in depth across OCS courses, learning paths, and 1-on-1 coaching with Chef Eric.
