Handwashing sink regulations for almost every industry in Indiana are subject to Title 410 of the Indiana Administrative Code. The Indiana State Department of Health oversees the rules, describes which businesses must have handwashing sinks, and outlines what each handwashing sink must provide.

Retail Food Establishments

The Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) defines a retail food establishment as any operation that “stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food for human consumption.” That’s a broad definition that includes restaurants and food trucks but can also cover wholesale food companies.

All retail establishments are subject to the handwashing sink regulations in Title 410 IAC 7-24, the Retail Food Code, which outlines the minimum sanitation requirements an establishment must meet.

All handwashing sinks must:

• Be used only to wash hands
• Provide hot water through a mixing valve or combination faucet that’s at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Have liquids, powder, or bar soap at each sink or a group of two sinks
• Provide paper towels, a heated air hand dryer, or a continuous towel system for drying hands
• A waste basket if using disposable towels

The 2024 Interim Food Code

In 2024, Indiana introduced an interim Retail Food Code based on the FDA Model Food Code 2022 and Indiana’s Codes. Upcoming changes to hand washing sink regulations include:

• The minimum hot water temperature is lowered to 85 degrees Fahrenheit
• Outdoor establishments can use approved portable sinks
• All sinks must have a sign reminding employees to wash their hands

Wholesale Food Establishments

Wholesale food establishments “manufacture, package, repackage, store, or transport human food products for distribution to other entities for resale or distribution,” according to Title 410 IAC 7-21. The Title also states that wholesale establishments are not:

• Residential kitchens in private homes
• Bed and breakfasts
• Meat, poultry, or dairy processing plants

While most wholesale establishments are independent businesses, Indiana allows them to be inside a retail food establishment if it complies with the Retail Food Establishment Code and the Wholesale Food Code.

Handwashing sinks in wholesale food establishments must:

• Have hot and cold running water that reaches at least 85 degrees Fahrenheit within 60 seconds
• Provide a sanitary towel device, paper towels, or an air dryer
• Signs that remind employees how to wash their hands
• Includes devices that protect employees from recontaminating their hands after cleaning them

Bed and Breakfasts

Though bed and breakfasts aren’t wholesale establishments, they are still subject to the hand washing sink regulations of Title 410. Those regulations state that in bed and breakfasts hand washing sinks must be:

• Conveniently located
• Accessible to staff at all times
• Provide hot and cold water using a mixing valve or combination faucet
• Provide an adequate supply of soap and either disposable towels or a heated air dryer
• Common towels are not allowed
• Waste baskets must be provided if there are single-use paper towels.

Food Trucks

Food trucks are subject to guidelines outlined in 410 IAC 7-24, section 113 of the Retail Food Code, and IAC 7-22, Food Handlers. However, there are only a few guidelines for handwashing sinks for food trucks.

Food trucks must have hot and cold pressurized water that’s “sufficient enough” for handwashing. The sink waste tank must be 15% larger than the potable water tank.

Because there are so few state regulations, many Indiana counties have additional handwashing sink regulations for food trucks.

Tattoo and Body Art Shops

While tattoo and body art shops in Indiana are subject to 410 IAC hand washing sink regulations, the state doesn’t license artists or businesses. As a result, counties can set their own standards above these minimums:

• Hand washing sinks have to be easily accessible
• Artists must use soap and running water before and after using disposable gloves
• Hand drying is only done with paper towels

Youth Camps

Youth camps also have handwashing sink regulations to follow under IAC 410. Those include:

• On-site kitchens must have handwashing sinks that provide pressurized hot and cold water from a combination faucet
• All handwashing sinks must provide towels or air dryers to dry hands 
• Common towels are prohibited
• Camps must have at least two sinks for every 10 people
• Handwashing sinks must be within 25 feet of the toilets

Daycare Centers

Daycare centers are one of the few industries not subject to the handwashing sink regulations of 410 IAC. Instead, they are subject to 470 IAC and overseen by the Department of Child Services, Division of Family Resources.

Handwashing sinks at daycare facilities must:

• Post signs at adult sinks about proper hand washing procedures
• Provide a hand washing sink within 10 feet of a changing table
• Have one sink for every 15 children, even if the facility has fewer than 15 enrolled children
• Provide mild soap at the children’s sink that’s within their arm’s reach
• Have disposable towels or electric hand dryers.
• Electric hand dryers can be no hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and there must be one for every sink
• Sinks that are not child-height must provide an easy and safe way to access them
• All hand washing sinks must have hot and cold running water
• Hot water must be between 100 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit

Portable Sinks for Compliance

While Indiana’s hand washing sink regulations are broad, at the county level, you’ll find far more detailed regulations your business has to comply with. The interim Food Code allows businesses to use portable sinks in some circumstances, making it easy for you to meet or even exceed the guidelines without having to remodel and install plumbing.

Ozark River Manufacturing’s sinks are NSF-certified, ensuring they meet the most stringent health and safety standards and are perfect for:

• Bars
• Beauty, Day Spas, & Wellness
• Commercial
• Construction & Job Sites
• Daycare
• Classrooms
• Events, Concerts, & Weddings
• Farms & Barns
• Restaurants & Food Service
• Garages & Workshops
• Healthcare & Clinics
• Patio & Home Use
• Retail Stores
• Science Labs
• Tattoo Shops

Contact us today to learn more about our portable sinks and discover the right solution for your business.