PLANT SANITATION

WHAT IS SANITATION AND ITS IMPORTANCE?

 Proper sanitation promotes health, and improves the quality of the environment and thus, the
quality of life in a community. Sanitation refers to the safe collection, transportation, treatment,
and disposal of human waste.
WHAT IS PLANT SANITATION?
 The plant sanitation process is essential to safely producing foods and beverages. This process
removes soil, microorganisms, and other contaminants from the manufacturing environment. As
such, it plays a crucial role in factory safety for manufacturers of foods and beverages.
SANITATION CONTROLS.
Sanitation controls include procedures, practices, and processes to ensure that the facility is maintained
in a sanitary condition adequate to significantly minimize or prevent hazards such as environmental pathogens,
biological hazards due to employee handling, and food allergen hazards. Sanitation controls must include, as
appropriate to the facility and the food, procedures, practices, and processes for the:
(i) Cleanliness of food-contact surfaces, including food-contact surfaces of utensils and equipment;
(ii) Prevention of allergen cross-contact and cross-contamination from insanitary objects and from personnel to
food, food packaging material, and other food-contact surfaces and from raw product to processed product.
Check out the definitions below and keep them close at hand as a reference during the following discussion of
cleaning and sanitizing.
CLEANING: The removal of soil particles from surfaces by mechanical, manual, or chemical methods.
SANITIZING: Treatment of a cleaned surface with a chemical or physical agent to destroy disease/spoilage-
causing organisms. Reduces total vegetative cell population to a safe level.
DISINFECTING: Destruction of all vegetative state organisms.
STERILIZING: The complete destruction of all organisms, including spores.
DIRTY: A surface that is not clean.
Elements of cleaning and sanitizing
There are many different ways to clean and sanitize equipment. These include the use of clean-in-place (CIP)
systems, foaming, clean-out-of-place (COP), spraying, high pressure and manual systems. Manual is the old-
fashioned route that usually involved scrubbing of some sort. But no matter which kind of cleaning and
sanitizing is selected, there are basic issues that must be considered. These are summarized using the acronym
TACT WINS.

T – Time

A – Action

C – Concentration

T – Temperature

W – Water

I – Individual

N – Nature

S – Surface
1. Know the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing
Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or
detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs,
but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces
or objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a
surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.

Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health
standards or requirements. This process works by either cleaning or disinfecting surfaces or objects to lower the
risk of spreading infection.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR

SANITATION
Waste Disposal:

Waste containers should be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition and should not leak. These containers
should be covered unless they can be kept sanitary without covers.

All solid and liquid waste, swept clutter, refuse and garbage should be removed as often as necessary and in a
way that does not create a health hazard.

Vermin Control:

All enclosed workplaces must be constructed, equipped and maintained (as much as is practicable) to prevent
the entrance or housing of rodents, insects or any other vermin. The employer is responsible for maintaining an
effective extermination program if vermin are detected.

Water Supply:

All places of employment should be supplied with potable water for drinking, cooking, and/or cleaning (people,
food, and cooking or eating utensils), and in personal service rooms. Potable water is water that meets the U.S.
Public Health Service drinking water standards, or is approved for drinking by state or local authorities. The
potable water dispensers should be kept in a sanitary condition and should be equipped with a closable tap. Any
non-potable water should be posted or marked indicating that it is not to be used for drinking, cooking or
cleaning. OSHA prohibits the use of open containers such as barrels, pails or tanks for drinking water. OSHA
also prohibits the use of common drinking cups or other utensils.

Any outlets for nonpotable water must be clearly marked that the water is unsafe and not fit for drinking,
cooking or cleaning. Any system used to carry nonpotable water must be designed to prevent the backflow of
nonpotable water into the potable water system.
Toilet Facilities:
Number of Employees of Each Sex Minimum Number of Water Closets(1)
1 to 15 1
16 to 35 2
36 to 55 3
56 to 80 4
81 to 110 5
111 to 150 6
(2
over 150
The number of water closets (toilets, not urinals) required by the standard depends upon the number of
employees of each sex. The standard gives Table J-1 as a guide:

Footnote(1): Where toilet facilities will not be used by women, urinals may be provided instead
of water closets, except that the number of water closets in such
cases shall not be reduced to less than 2/3 of the minimum specified.

Footnote(2): One(1) additional fixture for each additional 40 employees.

If toilet rooms will be occupied by no more than one person at a time, can be locked from the inside and contain
at least one water closet; then, separate toilet rooms for each sex need not be provided.

Each water closet must occupy a separate compartment with a door and walls that are tall enough to guarantee
privacy.

Washing Facilities:

All washing facilities shall be:

maintained in a sanitary condition;

be provided with hot and cold running water, or tepid (room temperature) running water;be provided with soap;
and provided with a means to dry hands, such as individual paper or cloth hand towels, or warm air blowers.
Shower facilities are regulated by this standard only if another standard requires their presence. There should
be at least one shower for each ten (10) employees required to shower during the same shift. All showers shall
be equipped with soap and hot and cold water which feeds a common discharge. Employees should be
provided with individual clean towels.

Change Rooms:
If employees are required to wear protective clothing due to the possibility of contamination with toxic
materials, change rooms should be provided. The change rooms must be equipped with storage facilities for
street clothes and separate facilities to store protective clothing.

Clothes Drying Facilities:

If the employer provides work clothes and they become wet or are washed between shifts, the employer is
responsible for ensuring that the clothing is dry before reuse.

Consumption of Food and Beverages on the Premises:

This section applies only if employees are allowed to eat and/or drink on the premises. The employer should
not allow employees to eat, drink or store food or beverages in toilet rooms or any area exposed to a toxic
material.

Food waste disposal containers must be corrosion resistant and easily cleaned. An appropriate number must be
provided to encourage their use and not cause overfilling. These containers must be emptied daily and kept in a
clean and sanitary condition. Covers should be provided unless sanitary conditions can be maintained without
their use.

Food Handling:

When food service is provided, the food dispensed must be wholesome and free from spoilage. It must also be
processed, prepared, handled, and stored in a manner that will protect against contamination.