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Louisiana’s hand washing sink regulations are outlined in Title 51 of the Administrative Code and apply to every facility in the state, like daycares, prisons, and residential facilities. Oversight and enforcement of the code fall to the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), specifically the Office of Public Health (OPH), Bureau of Sanitarian Services. However, local parish health units are responsible for conducting on-site inspections.
Handwashing sink regulations apply to all Louisiana retail food establishments, which the state defines as any place that stores, preps, packs, serves, vends, or “otherwise provides food for human consumption.” Businesses that qualify as a retail food establishment include:
Title 51 specifically states it doesn’t matter if the food is consumed on or off the premises or whether or not the vendor is charging for the food. If there’s food involved, the establishment must meet the handwashing sink guidelines.
The Title also states what doesn’t count as a retail food establishment:
To meet the minimum requirements, a hand washing sink must:
Additionally, if the hand washing sink has an automatic or hands-free faucet, the faucet must run for a minimum of 15 seconds before shutting off.
Unlike other states’ hand washing sink regulations, Louisiana doesn’t specify the minimum number of handwashing sinks a retail food establishment must provide or an employee-to-sink ratio. Instead, the Title states that the business must provide a sufficient number of hand washing sinks.
Food manufacturing plants include any place where food is processed, packed, or held, and these facilities are also required to have hand washing sinks. While this part of the Title covers most manufactures, it does not apply to:
In addition to providing soap and paper towels or hand dryers, handwashing sinks in food manufacturing plants can only provide liquid or powder soap. Bar soap is not allowed. The sink basin must be large enough to allow employees to wash their forearms, and the running water must be at a “suitable” temperature, though the Title doesn’t specify a minimum or maximum temperature.
Though dairy plants are food manufacturing plants, they are subject to different hand washing sink regulations. Those include:
Louisiana defines a temporary food service operation as one that operates for no more than 14 consecutive days at a fixed location. So, a concession stand or food vendor at a two-day street fair or parade would fit this definition if they are serving or dispensing food, and even these types of vendors are required to meet handwashing sink regulations.
A handwashing station must be at each food dispensing location, meaning every booth, food truck, or food stand. Ideally, this is a hand washing sink with pressurized, potable running water, but if pressurized water is not available, the vendor can use the “two bucket” system for handwashing. One bucket has potable water to rinse visible dirt off, and the second bucket has a sanitization solution to handle germs.
Whether a vendor uses a hand washing sink or the two-bucket system, they must also provide soap and disposable paper towels.
Food trucks, also called mobile food establishments, are separate from temporary food service vendors because food trucks operate year-round. The category includes:
Because they operate year-round, they must have:
Any food truck that dispenses frozen desserts must also meet handwashing sink regulations. In addition to having a dedicated hand washing sink with hot and cold running water, soap, and paper towels, the waste water tank for the sink must be 15% larger than the fresh water tank.
Louisiana farmer’s markets may or may not have to meet hand washing sink regulations. All farmer’s markets are classified based on how each vendor operates, what they sell, and how often the vendor is at a specific farmer’s market.
Body art facilities are also subject to hand washing sink regulations and must provide one hand washing sink within the procedure area that’s for the exclusive use of the operator. The sink must have:
While daycare facilities in Louisiana are licensed by the Department of Education or Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), these entities work in conjunction with LDH and OPH to enforce the sanitation requirements outlined in Title 51, part XXI.
All staff and children must wash their hands when they arrive at the facility, before eating or preparing food, after using the toilet or a diaper change, and when hands are visibly dirty. The sink must:
Louisiana’s hand washing sink regulations cover nearly every industry imaginable and businesses of all sizes. If you need a hand washing sink but don’t have the time or budget to install plumbing, our portable sinks are the perfect solution. They arrive fully assembled, meet handwashing sink requirements, and are perfect for:
Contact us today and learn more about our portable sink solutions.
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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