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Hand washing sink regulations in Pennsylvania ensure that food establishments maintain high food safety and hand hygiene standards. They also make it easy for employees and customers to wash their hands frequently and easily.
Handwashing sink regulations in Pennsylvania are outlined in Chapter 46 (Food Code) of the Pennsylvania Code. While the Department of Agriculture oversees all retail food facilities, including grocery stores and restaurants, businesses in six counties are under local health department oversight. Those are:
In most of these counties, the additional regulations only apply to retail food facilities, defined as “a public eating or drink place or a retail food establishment,” in Title 7, Chapter 46 of the code. However, some counties also oversee handwashing sinks in businesses that aren’t restaurants, like schools.
One interesting quirk of the Pennsylvania code is that, unlike states like Ohio or Illinois, there is no language specifically stating that handwashing signs for employees must be posted near sinks. However, the Pennsylvania Code is based on the FDA Food Code, which explicitly states that all food facilities post signs about proper hand washing, making the signs mandatory despite no language in the Pennsylvania Code.
The Department of Agriculture outlines the kind of sinks a business has to have to facilitate proper hand washing. This includes:
To avoid the possibility that employees contaminate hands, the Pennsylvania Food Code specifically states that if a business uses a three-compartment sink for washing dishes or other equipment, that sink cannot be used for washing hands.
Pennsylvania has a separate set of hand wash sink regulations for barbecue restaurants.
Handwashing sinks must be in the food prep or sales area and have appropriate signage reminding employees to wash their hands. This has to be a dedicated handwashing sink and can’t be used to wash equipment.
A barbecue restaurant cannot use chemically treated towelettes instead of handwashing unless all the food is prepackaged and there are no hand wash sinks available. However, making this switch requires approval from an inspector before swapping.
The sink must have clean, potable water that’s “warm,” defined as 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There must also be soap, single-use paper towels, and waste baskets. Hand wash stations also have to have an acceptable water supply and wastewater collection container.
This means the hand washing sink equipment provides hot and cold running for handwashing through a pipe. However, if plumbing isn’t an option, there must be a source of pressurized, clean, hot water in a covered container. Wastewater containers must have a 15% greater capacity than the freshwater supply and be stored in a container with a tight-fitting lid.
Pennsylvania also has hand wash sink regulations for wineries. Permanent wineries follow the food establishment hand washing sink regulations. However, farmer’s markets and retail satellite locations follow different rules.
If the winery offers samples of any kind, it must have a hand wash sink. This includes the wine or any food. This hand wash sink cannot be in a bathroom. Vendors who only sell products and don’t offer samples can use chemically treated towelettes instead of a sink.
Vendors can share a portable sink for proper hand washing if the local inspector approves the request.
Whether the mobile food facility has a temporary or permanent license, they must comply with hand washing sink regulations. Hand sanitizer and gloves are not an acceptable substitute for handwashing. However, food trucks and food carts do not have to supply a hand wash sink if they only sell and serve prepackaged foods.
Mobile food vendors must have a hand wash sink or basin with employee signage and an adequate supply of clean, potable water for employee handwashing that’s at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The station must also have soap, single-use paper towels, and a waste basket, along with an acceptable water supply and wastewater collection container.
Though all establishments in Pennsylvania are required to follow the above hand wash sink regulations, some countries impose additional guidelines.
Food facilities in Chester County must have:
All food establishments, such as restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, must meet the minimum handwashing sink requirements for Allegheny County:
In Philadelphia County, food establishments are required to:
Food establishments in Bucks County are subject to these hand washing sink regulations:
An additional regulation for Bucks County applies to kindergarten and elementary schools:
Erie County follows the Pennsylvania Code for food service establishments. However, the County has separate hand washing sink guidelines for body art facilities. The facility must:
Restaurants in Montgomery County must comply with the Pennsylvania Code for hand washing sinks. However, the county has additional guidelines for farmer’s markets.
Ozark River Manufacturing has a wide variety of portable sinks that can help you comply with Pennsylvania hand washing sink regulations. Many provide hot and cold running water, have a dedicated soap dispenser, and include a wastewater disposal container that meets code standards.
Our sinks are perfect for:
Contact us today to see how we can help.
Ozark River Manufacturing designs and delivers top-quality, NSF-certified portable sinks. Since 2006, our inventive and bold team has ensured health compliance with quick-connect tanks and instant hot water. With over 55 models, we provide solutions for every need, backed by exceptional customer support and timely delivery. Healthy people matter, and we make a positive impact every day.
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