Hi All,
Our food manufacturing facility is in the process of sourcing some new hand wash basins. Unfortunately, our plumbing is laid out such that installation of hard-piped basins would require several thousand dollars worth of modifications, so we're leaning towards portable units with fresh and grey water reservoirs. Although portable units with built-in heaters are an option, non-heated units cost roughly half as much, and the code (11.3.2.2, part i) specifies only that water must be "an appropriate temperature." I've reached out to SQFI directly for clarification on what constitutes "appropriate," and was told that all auditors the rep had ever worked with would simply let the water run for a few seconds to make sure it reached a comfortable temperature.
I understand and completely support the need for comfort (after all, no one wants to wash their hands with frigid water!), but I need slightly more concrete support to justify the extra expense to upper management. So I have to ask:SQF auditors, if you were inspecting a facility and a hand wash basin was only able to supply cold or even cool water, would you cite it as a non-conformance?
Thanks for your input!