Michigan Hand Washing Sink Regulations

Michigan hand washing sink regulations exist to keep the public safe and healthy. Most food establishments are subject to oversight by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and are required to comply with detailed handwashing sink guidelines. Other industries are subject to different rules and regulations, but they all have one thing in common: hand washing sinks are a must, and portable sinks are an acceptable option.

Hand Washing Sink Regulations for Michigan Restaurants

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Food & Dairy Division, oversees fixed food establishments, i.e. restaurants. The hand washing sink standards are from the updated Michigan Food Law, which adopted a modified version of the 2009 FDA Food Code.

Handwashing sinks in Michigan restaurants must:

• Have disposable towels or hand drying devices, hand cleaner, and a waste basket
• Be easy to get to and located in the food preparation, food dispensing, and ware washing areas.
• Be no more than 20 feet from workstations
• Be used only for hands.
• Provide hot and cold running water through a mixing valve or combination faucet.
• Have running water at a minimum of five gallons per hour.
• Have hot water that’s at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Include a splash guard if the handwashing sink is located next to a food preparation area, utensil storage area, equipment storage area, or food-contact surface
• Place soap and paper towel dispensers away from food, food-contact surfaces, utensils, and equipment.
• Place the faucet handles, soap, and paper towels so no one has to reach across dirty surfaces

Hand Washing Sink Regulations for Meat Processors

Michigan meat processors are subject to the Food Code Rules and overseen by the Department of Agriculture. Meat processors must supply handwashing sinks for employee use in the meat processing areas and bathrooms, though the rules don’t specify how many sinks. All sinks must have a supply of hand soap and paper towels.

Temporary Food Event Guidelines

The Division also licenses temporary food establishments and requires all food service employees working at a temporary food stand or event to wash their hands following proper handwashing procedures. Therefore, vendors are required to supply hand washing facilities for staff use. Acceptable handwashing sinks are:

• Portable sinks with holding tanks for potable warm water and wastewater.
• Portable sinks that use gravity-fed warm water.
• Plumbed hand sinks with hot and cold running pressurized water.

All handwashing facilities must also provide soap, single-use paper towels, and a waste basket.

If the vendor is only serving pre-packaged food or the food is otherwise protected (e.g. it’s covered, there are sneeze guards), chemically treated towelettes are an acceptable substitute for handwashing only if there are proper hand washing sinks in the bathroom and the local inspector approves a variance.

Handwashing Sink Guidelines for Mobile Food Units

Michigan recognizes two types of food trucks: special transitory food units (STFU) and mobile food establishments. While both establishments are permanently licensed, the designation of STFU or mobile food establishment depends on the vendor’s menu, the food operations, and how the particular unit is constructed.

No matter which designation the Department gives a vendor, STFUs and mobile food establishments must meet Michiagan’s hand washing sink regulations. Those are:

• The mobile unit must have at least one hand washing station.
• Handwashing stations must be easy to get to and used only for hands.
• Water needs to be at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If the hand washing sink is near food-contact surfaces, food prep sinks, or ware washing sinks, the handwashing sink may need a barrier to prevent cross-contamination of the handwashing sink.
• There must be soap, paper towels, and visible signs reminding employees to wash their hands.
• The hand washing station must have a way to collect and dispose of wastewater.

Famer’s Market Hand Washing Sink Guidelines

Vendors that provide product samples at Michigan farmer’s markets have to follow strict personal hygiene rules. Whoever dispenses the food must wash their hands often and follow proper handwashing procedures. To ensure this happens, vendors must have a handwashing facility in the stall or within 15 feet.

Hand washing facilities at a farmer’s market must provide:

• Potable hot and cold running water under pressure
• Hot water that’s at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Soap, paper towels, and a waste basket

Interestingly, the regulations state that paper towels are the preferred option for drying hands at farmer’s markets.

Handwashing Sink Regulations for Michigan Childcare Facilities

Child care centers in Michigan are overseen by the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, Child Care Licensing Bureau (CCLB).

All child care centers in Michigan must follow the handwashing sink guidelines:

• If the center is open for less than five continuous hours a day, there should be one sink for every 20 children
• Centers open for more than five continuous hours a day must provide one sink for every 15 children
• Hand washing sinks must be close to all diapering and toileting areas
• Facilities with a food service area or kitchen must have a dedicated hand washing sink
• Hand washing sinks must be child-height or accessible by a platform
• Sinks must have warm running water that’s no hotter than 120 degrees Fahrenheit
• There must be soap, single-use towels, or other approved hand-drying devices near all handwashing sinks

Hand Washing Sink Regulations for Body Art Shop

Michigan body art shops are overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. Artists, and anyone assisting them, are required to wash their hands:

• Before putting on gloves
• After removing gloves
• When leaving the work area
• After coming into contact with bodily fluids
• Before and after eating, drinking, smoking, applying lip cosmetics or lip balm, handling contact lenses, or using the bathroom

To ensure artists comply with these guidelines, body art shops must have at least one designated hand washing sink for every three artists, which:

• Provides pressurized, warm running water
• Is wrist- or foot-operated, if possible
• Has liquid soap and disposable paper towels
• Has a covered wastebasket
• Is separate from the handwashing sink that’s required for the bathroom

Portable Sinks Solutions

Portable sinks can help you comply with Michigan’s hand washing sink regulations — especially in places where a plumbed sink isn’t an option. Many of Ozark River Manufacturing’s portable sinks have the features you’re looking for, like hot and cold running water, waste water holding tanks, paper towel dispensers, and more.

Our portable sinks are perfect for nearly every industry, including:

• 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 and Body Art Shops

Contact us today to see how Ozark River Manufacturing’s portable sinks can help your business comply and thrive.