8 replies to this topic

[rpardee]

Briefly, can a toilet stall within a room be counted as an "adjoining room" to meet the snippet of code below? If not, does the "adjoining room" need to have a door or is a division/wall acceptable?

 

13.3.5.3 Toilet rooms shall be: 

 

ii. Accessed from operations via an airlock vented to the exterior or through an adjoining room;

 

Thank you!

Edited by Charles.C, 11 July 2022 - 04:04 PM.
moved to sqf packaging

[Brothbro]

My interpretation is that the bathroom needs to be separated from operations by at least one non-operations room. I would not consider a partition in front of the bathroom door acceptable, it needs to be separated from operations by a sealed room with a door.

[SQFconsultant]

Never liked the way that was written.

 

The bathroom would have a door and positive airflow to the exterior.

[PQAManager]

I interpret it as you need two doors to go through to get to your bathroom.

[Scotty_SQF]

Been dinged on this before and challenged and won the challenge.  The bathroom can not be open directly into production.  You need to have a door and airflow that exhausts out of the building (not into production).  If you do not have exhaust in the bathroom, then you need a second barrier, so another door.  If the bathroom is in a room outside of production, then you have no worries.  For instance ours is another room outside of production, in the break room.  Having said that, we still have doors and exhaust on them.  It would depend what function your adjoining room has in my opinion.

[Merchantb]

I'm needing some guidance on how they determine the number of bathrooms that are required for the number of employee and where can I find that information?

[SoupsNStuff]

I'm needing some guidance on how they determine the number of bathrooms that are required for the number of employee and where can I find that information?

 

Check with your country's work place laws, but in the US this is OSHA's regulation. 

 

1910.120(n)(3)(i)

Toilets shall be provided for employees according to Table H-120.2.

 

TABLE H-120.2. -- TOILET FACILITIES

Number of employees ------------Minimum number of facilities

20 or fewer ------------------------- One

More than 20, fewer than 200 --One toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 employees

More than 200 ----------------------One toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 employees

Edited by SoupsNStuff, 13 October 2023 - 06:44 PM.

[Merchantb]

Check with your country's work place laws, but in the US this is OSHA's regulation. 

 

1910.120(n)(3)(i)

Toilets shall be provided for employees according to Table H-120.2.

 

TABLE H-120.2. -- TOILET FACILITIES

Number of employees ------------Minimum number of facilities

20 or fewer ------------------------- One

More than 20, fewer than 200 --One toilet seat and 1 urinal per 40 employees

More than 200 ----------------------One toilet seat and 1 urinal per 50 employees

 

This I understand but the SQF code doesn't give a number per say. Do they simply follow the OSHA standards and if so where can I find the documentation to back that up when i go to the upper management and request funds to build more facilities?

[SoupsNStuff]

As long as you don't have people crowding to go to the bathroom or not washing their hands because there is no room during the audit, I think it will appear that you have enough. But if you want some reasoning for more facilities, SQF 2.1.1.1 iv. Comply with customer and regulatory requirements to supply safe food. OSHA is personnel safety, but personnel safety usually directly impacts food safety. And OSHA is a regulatory requirement (assuming you are US). 

 

And forget what I said earlier, that was for temporary facilities. This is for permanent ones:

1910.141©(1)(i)

 

Except as otherwise indicated in this paragraph ©(1)(i), toilet facilities, in toilet rooms separate for each sex, shall be provided in all places of employment in accordance with table J-1 of this section. The number of facilities to be provided for each sex shall be based on the number of employees of that sex for whom the facilities are furnished. Where toilet rooms will be occupied by no more than one person at a time, can be locked from the inside, and contain at least one water closet, separate toilet rooms for each sex need not be provided. Where such single-occupancy rooms have more than one toilet facility, only one such facility in each toilet room shall be counted for the purpose of table J-1.

Number of employees Minimum number of water closets1 1 to 15 1 16 to 35 2 36 to 55 3 56 to 80 4 81 to 110 5 111 to 150 6 Over 150 (2)
1Where toilet facilities will not be used by women, urinals may be provided instead of water closets, except that the number of water closets in such cases shall not be reduced to less than 2/3 of the minimum specified.

21 additional fixture for each additional 40 employees.

The whole code can be found here:

https:/​/​www.ecfr.gov/​current/​title-29/​part-1910/​section-1910.141#p-1910.141©