2009 California Health and Safety Code - Section 113952-113961 :: Article 4. Handwashing

113952.  Food employees shall keep their hands and exposed portions
of their arms clean.

113953.  (a) Handwashing facilities shall be provided within or
adjacent to toilet rooms. The number of handwashing facilities
required shall be in accordance with local building and plumbing
codes.
   (b) (1) Except as otherwise provided in Section 114358, food
facilities constructed or extensively remodeled after January 1,
1996, that handle nonprepackaged food, shall provide facilities
exclusively for handwashing in food preparation areas and in
warewashing areas that are not located within or immediately adjacent
to food preparation areas. Handwashing facilities shall be
sufficient in number and conveniently located so as to be accessible
at all times for use by food employees.
   (2) The handwashing facility shall be separated from the
warewashing sink by a metal splashguard with a height of at least 6
inches, that extends from the back edge of the drainboard to the
front edge of the drainboard, the corners of the barrier to be
rounded. No splashguard is required if the distance between the
handwashing sink and the warewashing sink drainboards is 24 inches or
more.
   (c) Handwashing facilities shall be equipped to provide warm water
under pressure for a minimum of 15 seconds through a mixing valve or
combination faucet. If the temperature of water provided to a
handwashing sink is not readily adjustable at the faucet, the
temperature of the water shall be at least 100*F, but not greater
than 108*F.
   (d) An automatic handwashing facility may be installed and used in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
   (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the enforcement agency may
allow handwashing facilities other than those required by this
section when it deems that the alternate facilities are adequate.

113953.1.  (a) A handwashing facility shall be clean, unobstructed,
and accessible at all times for employee use.
   (b) A handwashing facility shall not be used for purposes other
than handwashing.
   (c) Employees shall not clean their hands in a sink used for food
preparation, warewashing, or in a service sink or a curbed cleaning
facility used for the disposal of mop water and similar liquid waste.
   (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a warewashing sink may be
used for handwashing as specified in Section 114125.

113953.2.  A handwashing facility shall be provided with the
following in dispensers at, or adjacent to, each handwashing
facility:
   (a) Handwashing cleanser.
   (b) Sanitary single-use towels or a heated-air hand drying device.

113953.3.  (a) Except as specified in subdivision (b), all employees
shall thoroughly wash their hands and that portion, if any, of their
arms exposed to direct food contact with cleanser and warm water by
vigorously rubbing together the surfaces of their lathered hands and
arms for at least 10 to 15 seconds and thoroughly rinsing with clean
running water followed by drying of cleaned hands and that portion,
if any, of their arms exposed. Employees shall pay particular
attention to the areas underneath the fingernails and between the
fingers. Employees shall wash their hands in all of the following
instances:
   (1) Immediately before engaging in food preparation, including
working with nonprepackaged food, clean equipment and utensils, and
unwrapped single-use food containers and utensils.
   (2) After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands
and clean, exposed portions of arms.
   (3) After using the toilet room.
   (4) After caring for or handling any animal allowed in a food
facility pursuant to this part.
   (5) After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable
tissue, using tobacco, eating, or drinking.
   (6) After handling soiled equipment or utensils.
   (7) During food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil
and contamination and to prevent cross-contamination when changing
tasks.
   (8) When switching between working with raw food and working with
ready-to-eat food.
   (9) Before donning gloves for working with food.
   (10) Before dispensing or serving food or handling clean tableware
and serving utensils in the food service area.
   (11) After engaging in other activities that contaminate the
hands.
   (b) If approved and capable of removing the types of soils
encountered in the food operations involved, an automatic handwashing
facility may be used by food employees to clean their hands.

113953.4.  (a) A hand antiseptic used as a topical application, a
hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip, or a hand antiseptic
soap shall meet either one of the following requirements:
   (1) Be an approved drug that is listed in the FDA publication
Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations as an
approved drug based on safety and effectiveness.
   (2) Have active antimicrobial ingredients that are listed in the
FDA monograph for OTC Antiseptic Health-Care Drug Products as an
antiseptic handwash.
   (b) In addition to the requirements of subdivision (a), the hand
antiseptic used as a topical application, hand antiseptic solution
used as a hand dip, or hand antiseptic soap shall meet either one of
the following requirements:
   (1) Have components that are exempted from the requirement of
being listed in federal Food Additive regulations as specified in 21
CFR 170.39- Threshold of regulation for substances used in
food-contact articles.
   (2) Comply with, and be listed in, either of the following federal
regulations:
   (A) 21 CFR 178 - Indirect Food Additives: Adjuvants, Production
Aids, and Sanitizers as regulated for use as a Food Additive with
conditions of safety use.
   (B) 21 CFR 182 - Substances Generally Recognized as Safe, 21 CFR
184 - Direct Food Substances Affirmed as Generally Recognized as
Safe, or 21 CFR 186 - Indirect Food Substances Affirmed as Generally
Recognized as Safe for use in contact with food.
   (c) A hand antiseptic used as a topical application, a hand
antiseptic solution used as a hand dip, or a hand antiseptic soap
that meets the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be
applied only to hands that are cleaned in a manner described in
Section 113953.3.
   (d) If a hand antiseptic or a hand antiseptic solution used as a
hand dip does not meet the requirements of subdivision (b), the hand
antiseptic or hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip may be used
only if its use is either of the following:
   (1) Followed by thorough hand rinsing in clean water before hand
contact with food directly or with the use of gloves.
   (2) Limited to situations where bare hands do not come in direct
contact with food.
   (e) A hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip shall be
maintained clean and at a strength equivalent to at least 100 mg/l
chlorine.

113953.5.  (a) Except as specified in subdivision (b), a sign or
poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands shall be
posted at all handwashing lavatories used by food employees, and
shall be clearly visible to food employees.
   (b) This section does not apply to toilet rooms in guestrooms of
restricted food service facilities.

113961.  (a) Food employees shall minimize bare hand and arm contact
with nonprepackaged food that is in a ready-to-eat form.
   (b) Food employees shall use utensils, including scoops, forks,
tongs, paper wrappers, gloves, or other implements, to assemble
ready-to-eat food or to place ready-to-eat food on tableware or in
other containers. However, food employees may assemble or place on
tableware or in other containers ready-to-eat food in an approved
food preparation area without using utensils if hands are cleaned in
accordance with Section 113953.3.
   (c) Food that has been served to the consumer and then wrapped or
prepackaged at the direction of the consumer shall be handled only
with utensils. These utensils shall be properly sanitized before
reuse.