One of the best tools to prevent foodborne illnesses — effective hand washing — is frequently rendered ineffective because of poor execution. New methods of monitoring and improving employees’ hand washing are available, however, and are on the agenda for the Norovirus Summit III Workshop at the Nevada Food Safety Task Force conference later this month. The Handwashing for Life Institute is scheduled to present the workshop at the conference, set for April 26-28 at the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas. Registration for the conference is still open. Recent headlines about norovirus outbreaks connected to Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants and on cruise ships have renewed discussions of the importance of hand washing, said Jim Mann, executive director of the institute. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  has investigated outbreaks on cruise ships and developed new recommendations that will be covered in the workshop. Data from CDC and NoroCORE shows hand washing behavior can be changed by sharing information with employees and implementing process controls. NoroCORE based at North Carolina State University, is a collaborative effort of 30 scientists from 18 institutions. “This workshop addresses the new while confronting the old objections and the champions of the status quo. It will cover the learning from the CDC’s team dealing with cruise line outbreaks as well as the latest from NoroCORE,” according to a news release. “A Food Safety Board of casino executives will add their assessment to the recommendations from the floor. These include professionals representing risk management, information technology, food safety, food and beverage/operations and chefs.” (To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)