Breakroom Sink 11.3.10.2

Our employee break room has one sink and it is used by employees to wash their dishes during their break, and they do wash hands there, although there are separate men's and women's restrooms on either side of the sink.  This has been the same setup for years, but on our recent inspection we were given a minor because we had hand soap and single use towels there in addition to the dish soap.  I don't see anywhere in the code specifically addressing separate sinks for hand washing and utensils in the employee break room.  We are working on the CAR for this.  Will we be OK removing the hand soap and designating it for dishes only?  Does anyone have recommendations or experience with this?  I really don't want to have to put in a second sink.  

Hi, Scrater;

I would ask your auditor exactly what made this non-compliant specifically from the code? Nor do I see anything in the code which would warrant a non-conformance. The auditing body has to cite section of code in regards to any non-conformance, and provide verbatim auditor results of observation. Perhaps if you could provide that it would help.

As long as you can demonstrate that your hand washing stations (production prep) are separate from break areas with a 'sufficient barrier' (e.g. plant entrance door) you are fine.

Our employee break room has one sink and it is used by employees to wash their dishes during their break, and they do wash hands there, although there are separate men's and women's restrooms on either side of the sink.  This has been the same setup for years, but on our recent inspection we were given a minor because we had hand soap and single use towels there in addition to the dish soap.  I don't see anywhere in the code specifically addressing separate sinks for hand washing and utensils in the employee break room.  We are working on the CAR for this.  Will we be OK removing the hand soap and designating it for dishes only?  Does anyone have recommendations or experience with this?  I really don't want to have to put in a second sink.  

Hi scrater,

Yr business activity is unmentioned,

i note that SQF refers to this as a lunch room. Period. I see no mention of associated toilet facilities or a sink for other than washing utensils (para iii).

I'm unclear what you mean by "separate". Physically separated?  i got the impression from yr OP that the toilets are directly adjacent to the lunch area's designated handwashing sink, the latter currently used for both purposes. This IMO would be basically anti-GMP on it's own, regardless of soap-related aspects.

From SQF Guidance requirements -

•      Hand wash signage is available at the exit of the lunch facilities;
•      Hand wash signage at the exit of lunch facilities is in appropriate languages.

i deduce this indicates SQF's viewpoint although i agree the Guidance is not directly auditable.

One or 2-sink auditorial issues similar, i think, to yr comment are variously discussed here for USDA-regulated processing. Conclusions seem to favour the latter. In my personal opinion handwashing sinks should not be co-located in the first place.

The closing opinion in previous post looks logical to me although yr business is unknown which might be a caveat.

Dear Scrater,

Yes, it's a good idea to remove the hand soap. Than the sink will be for 1 purpose only, washing dishes. It's will be more clear for everybody, that there are sinks for the dishes and for hand washing. Advantages of doing so:

• More clearness and hygiene
• You will improve the behaviour of the people, doing the things automatically right
• It will have its reflection in the production area --> no more mixing of the functionality of sinks

Looking to the advantages, when there is room for a small investment, I should opt for a 2nd sink dedicated to handwashing. That allows people to wash their hands, if necessary.

I hope to have informed you sufficiently. Good luck with the solution of the CAR.

Kind regards,

Gerard Heerkens

Dear Scrater,

 

Yes, it's a good idea to remove the hand soap. Than the sink will be for 1 purpose only, washing dishes. It's will be more clear for everybody, that there are sinks for the dishes and for hand washing. Advantages of doing so:

• More clearness and hygiene
• You will improve the behaviour of the people, doing the things automatically right
• It will have its reflection in the production area --> no more mixing of the functionality of sinks

Looking to the advantages, when there is room for a small investment, I should opt for a 2nd sink dedicated to handwashing. That allows people to wash their hands, if necessary.

 

I hope to have informed you sufficiently. Good luck with the solution of the CAR.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gerard Heerkens

Hi Gerard,

Assuming you mean in the same location. this seems directly opposite to the SQF Guidance ?.

Dear Charles C.

Thanks for your comment. In that case 1 sink and for 1 purpose.

Kind regards,

Gerard H.

I have to make an assumption here, maybe I'm wrong, but you don't have any other handwashing sinks prior to entering production areas from the break room?  If not, then I can see why the auditor pointed this out.  I'm also assuming the toilets are not open to the breakroom, just adjacent to it on either side.  If open, then well that's an entirely different story.

So, if my assumption is correct best you to put in a separate sink for handwashing just prior to production/processing area.  With that, the sink in the break room is a moot point so long as the procedure is to use the sink just prior to production/processing for handwashing.

So you had some soap and hand towels as an aside to the real purpose of the sink which I assume is used to clean up dishes, employee food containers, etc. So as an Auditor you look at this and you mark it off because the sink area does not qualify as a hand-washing station under the code of SQF. That is why you were marked up.  

Hello, 

We have designated hand sinks directly inside the production rooms that upon entering employees are trained to follow our handwashing procedures before starting or returning to work.  We had a review for SQF level II project status

and our consultant advised production sinks are fine.  However, our breakroom sink should have posted to wash hands before returning to work (we only had handwashing procedure posted) but he advised although not having a sink from breakroom to warehouse is not a non-conformance for SQF, he recommended we put one in.  Since we wash dishes in the breakroom and sinks are the furthest away from the door to the warehouse, I would rather install a sink immediately outside the breakroom to address handwashing mainly for warehouse employees.  But then would have all employees wash hands upon exiting breakroom to warehouse and then production employees wash hands again upon entering production rooms.  Trying to monitor Warehouse employees wash their hands exiting breakroom and production employees don't but wash their hands entering production areas would be difficult.  We have older buildings and the setup is challenging for setting up proper flow of employees.  To say the least.

Just want to say again, how much I greatly appreciate this forum and all that share their knowledge, challenges, experiences and successes!