What must a food worker do if they have fingernail polish or fake nails?

• A. Wear gloves when working with food
• B. Remove gloves immediately after touching nails
• C. Report to supervisor
• D. Wash hands only

Answer: (A)

When someone has fingernail polish or fake nails, the safest practice is to wear gloves when handling food. Gloves act as a barrier to prevent any contamination from hands or nails from reaching ready-to-eat foods, which is especially important because polish and artificial nails can chip or harbor bacteria. This protection is most effective when gloves are used correctly: wash hands before putting on gloves, change gloves when they become soiled or torn, and avoid touching other surfaces with gloved hands that could transfer contamination.

Other options don’t provide the same level of protection. Removing gloves immediately after touching nails would leave hands unprotected while handling food. Simply washing hands without gloves does not guarantee protection for ready-to-eat foods when the policy requires a glove barrier. Reporting to a supervisor isn’t the direct action needed to prevent contamination in the moment.