Department of Food and Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
Hum Resour Health. 2009 Jul 24;7:63. doi: 10.1186/1478-4491-7-63.
Food handlers have a very important role in preventing food contamination during its preparation and distribution. This responsibility is even greater in hospitals, since a large number of patients have low immunity and consequently food contamination by pathogenic bacteria could be particularly harmful. Therefore, a good working environment and periodic training should be provided to food handlers by upper management.
This study is qualitative research by means of focus group and thematic content analysis methodologies to examine, in detail, the statements by food handlers working in the milk and specific-diet kitchens in a hospital to understand the problems they face in the workplace.
We found that food handlers are aware of the role they play in restoring patients' health; they consider it important to offer a good-quality diet. However, according to their perceptions, a number of difficulties prevent them from reaching this aim. These include: upper management not prioritizing human and material resources to the dietetic services when making resource allocation decisions; a perception that upper management considers their work to be of lesser importance; delayed overtime payments; lack of periodic training; managers lacking administrative skills; insufficient dietitian staff assistants, leading to overwork, at the same time as there is an excess of dietitians; unhealthy environmental working conditions--high temperature, high humidity, loud and constant noise level, poor ventilation; lack of food, and kitchen utensils and equipment; and relationship conflicts with chief dieticians and co-workers.
From these findings, improvement in staff motivation could be achieved by considering non-financial incentives, such as improvement in working conditions and showing appreciation and respect through supervision, training and performance appraisal. Management action, such as investments in intermediary management so that managers have the capacity to provide supportive supervision, as well as better use of performance appraisal and access to training, may help overcome the identified problems.
食品处理人员在准备和分发食物的过程中具有非常重要的作用，可以防止食物受到污染。在医院中，这一责任更加重大，因为大量患者的免疫力较低，因此食物受到致病菌污染可能会特别有害。因此，高层管理人员应为食品处理人员提供良好的工作环境和定期培训。
本研究采用焦点小组和主题内容分析方法进行定性研究，详细检查在医院的牛奶和特殊饮食厨房工作的食品处理人员的陈述，以了解他们在工作场所面临的问题。
我们发现，食品处理人员意识到他们在恢复患者健康方面所扮演的角色；他们认为提供高质量的饮食很重要。但是，根据他们的看法，一些困难阻碍了他们实现这一目标。这些困难包括：高层管理人员在做出资源分配决策时，没有将人力和物力资源优先用于饮食服务；他们认为管理层认为他们的工作不重要；加班工资延迟发放；缺乏定期培训；管理人员缺乏行政技能；营养师助理人员不足，导致工作量过大，同时营养师过剩；不健康的工作环境——高温、高湿度、嘈杂且持续的噪音水平、通风不良；缺乏食物、厨房用具和设备；与首席营养师和同事之间存在关系冲突。
从这些发现中，可以通过考虑非财务激励措施来提高员工的积极性，例如改善工作条件，并通过监督、培训和绩效评估来表示赞赏和尊重。管理行动，例如投资于中级管理层，使管理人员有能力提供支持性监督，以及更好地利用绩效评估和获得培训，可能有助于克服已确定的问题。
