Compliance and Assessment Guide for Schedule I and II of the Fish Inspection Regulations (continued)
5.1 Washrooms
Regulations
Schedule I Section 22
Flush toilets shall be:
- present in adequate numbers for both sexes;
- conveniently located adjacent to processing areas;
- designed so that toilet areas do not lead directly into processing areas; and
- equipped with floor drains that will prevent any overflow of water or sewage from entering or contaminating a processing area, unless an inspector determines that there is no risk of serious contamination.
Schedule II Section 12
Handwash and toilet facilities shall be maintained in good operating order and be properly equipped with single-service towels and toilet tissue, and all effluent and sewage shall be disposed of in accordance with local ordinances or, if none exist, in a manner satisfactory to an inspector.
Intent
Adequate, properly equipped and maintained toilets are essential to ensure that potential contamination from sewage is prevented. Routine maintenance and cleaning are also required to avoid potential contamination.
Compliance Guide
Toilets must be provided in sufficient numbers for both sexes. The following scale gives the minimum number of toilets for a given number of employees:
- 1 to 9 employees – 1 toilet
- 10 to 24 employees – 2 toilets
- 25 to 49 employees – 3 toilets
- 50 to 100 employees – 5 toilets
- every 30 employees over 100 – 1 toilet
The number of toilets for men can be reduced by one for each urinal installed, as long as it is not reduced below two-thirds of the appropriate number specified above.
Where the number of employees is small enough that a single washroom is adequate, separate facilities for men and women are not required.
Toilet facilities must be close enough to processing areas that they can be conveniently used by employees and must be located within the confines of the registered facility.
Toilets cannot lead directly into food processing areas. Entrances to toilet rooms from the processing area are acceptable provided that the toilet rooms are equipped with an anteroom which separates them from the processing area. Toilet rooms must be equipped with drains or be otherwise designed to eliminate overflows of water or sewage so that there is no possibility of contaminating processing areas.
Chemical and portable toilets are generally unacceptable. However, in exceptional circumstances or remote locations where it can be shown that this is the best alternative, their use may be allowed, provided that they are maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
Sewage and effluent should be disposed of into an approved municipal system whenever possible. In areas remote from municipal or public facilities, sewage must be disposed of in an acceptable manner, according to local ordinances where they exist.
Hand-washing facilities in washrooms must be properly equipped with liquid or powdered soap and single-service towels. Hand-washing reminder signs should be posted. Although strongly recommended, handwash sinks in washrooms need not be hands free. The employee will be using a hands free sink in the process area before retuning to work.
Waste receptacles must be available in washrooms, and must be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
Toilets and hand-washing facilities must be maintained in good operating order and must be cleaned and disinfected as often as needed.
5.1 Washrooms
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule I
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) flush toilets available in adequate numbers | insufficient number of flush toilets provided (9) | no toilets available (4) | |
| (b) flush toilets are conveniently located | Not Generally Applicable | Not Generally Applicable | |
| (c) flush toilets do not lead directly into processing areas | flush toilets lead directly to process area (9) | Not Generally Applicable | Not Generally Applicable |
| (d) flush toilets have floor drains or do not pose risk of leakage into process areas | no drains, leakage could get to process area (5) | Not Generally Applicable |
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule II
Toilet facilities are:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| maintained in good operating order | plugged toilet (8)
toilet won't flush (8) |
toilet backed up, waste material collecting (5) | overflowing, waste material on floor |
| equipped with toilet tissue | no toilet tissue (5) | Not Generally Applicable | |
| effluent and sewage disposed of in accordance with local ordinances | do not use | effluent not properly disposed of (7) | sewage not properly disposed of in or near plant (3,4) |
5.2 Hand Washing and Disinfecting
Regulations
Schedule I Section 23
(1) Washbasins shall be equipped with non-hand-operated taps.
(2) Washbasins and other facilities or materials necessary for employee hygiene shall be:
- provided in adequate quantities, and
- conveniently located in or visible from processing areas.
Schedule II Section 3
(3) No person shall:
- handle or process fish unless they first wash their hands with single-service soap, wash or rinse their waterproof protective clothing, and disinfect their hands or hand coverings if either will come into direct contact with fish; or
- after leaving a production line, return to it unless they first wash their hands with single-service soap, wash or rinse their waterproof protective clothing, and disinfect their hands or hand coverings if either will come into direct contact with fish.
Schedule II Section 7
Equipment and material provided to clean and disinfect protective clothing and footwear such as handdips and footdips shall be provided in adequate quantities and be conveniently located in processing areas.
Schedule II Section 12
Handwash and toilet facilities shall be maintained in good operating order and be properly equipped with single-service towels and toilet tissue, and all effluent and sewage shall be disposed of in accordance with local ordinances or, if none exist, in a manner satisfactory to an inspector.
Intent
Good personal hygiene practices are essential for preventing contamination of food products with micro-organisms associated with sewage or human disease or infection. In addition, hands, gloves and footwear must not be allowed to become potential sources of contamination.
Compliance Guide
Processing areas must be supplied with washbasins in adequate numbers for employee hygiene, either in the processing area or in a visible location nearby. One washbasin for every ten employees is a minimum requirement. Washbasins should be a minimum size of 61 cm (24 inches). In trough-style facilities, sets of individual faucets 61 cm (24 inches) apart would each be considered equivalent to one washbasin.
If a sink is not provided in the washroom itself, then one, appropriately equipped with hot and cold running water, soap, single use towels and a garbage container, must be provided in the immediate facility (within eyesight of leaving the washroom), along with appropriate signage to remind staff to wash their hands prior to returning to the process area.
Hand-washing facilities must be equipped with non-hand-operated taps, hot and cold (or tempered) running water, liquid or powdered soap, and single service towels or air dryers. Elbow operated taps do not meet this requirement. Washbasins must be properly plumbed to drains. Hand-washing facilities must be maintained and cleaned and disinfected on a routine basis.
Every person involved in the preparation and handling of fish must wash their hands and disinfect their hands or hand coverings when they begin working and every time they come back to the processing area after an absence or when required by the establishment's QMP. If the forearms are not covered by protective clothing, they must be washed and disinfected if they may come into direct contact with the fish.
Facilities must be provided in a convenient location in processing areas to allow for the disinfecting of hands or hand coverings. Footdips must be provided to allow for footwear to be disinfected, in areas such as sanitary zones and restricted access areas, except where it can be shown that this is not required due to the nature of the processing operation.
Product flow should be considered when determining the location of washbasins. Shellfish operations must have at least one handwashing facility in the packing room for use by packing room workers only.
Handwashing
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule I
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| washbasins have non hand operated taps | do not use | wash basin in process area is not hands free (5) | Not Generally Applicable |
Washbasins and other facilities and materials needed for employee hygiene are:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) provided in adequate quantities | insufficient number of hand wash basins (9) | Not Generally Applicable | no hand wash basins (7) |
| (b) conveniently located in or visible from processing area | not visible from process area (9) | Not Generally Applicable | Not Generally Applicable |
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule II
No person shall handle or process fish unless:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| they first wash their hands with single service soap | do not use | did not wash hands (7)
did not use soap (7) bar soap in use (7) Assess handwash facilities which are dirty under 2.1 Equipment Schedule II |
Not Generally Applicable |
| they wash or rinse their waterproof protective clothing | do not use | did not rinse apron before handling/processing fish (7) | Not Generally Applicable |
| they disinfect their hands or hand coverings if either will come into direct contact with fish | do not use | did not use hand dip or disinfectant (7) | Not Generally Applicable |
No person shall after leaving a production line, return to it unless:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| they first wash their hands with single service soap | do not use | did not wash hands (7)
did not use soap (7) bar soap in use (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| they wash or rinse their waterproof protective clothing | do not use | did not rinse apron before returning to line (7) | Not Generally Applicable |
| they disinfect their hands or hand coverings if either will come into direct contact with fish | do not use | did not use hand dip or disinfectant (7) | Not Generally Applicable |
Handwash facilities are:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| maintained in good operating order | do not use | damaged, not easily cleaned (7)
not operational (7) plugged sink (7) |
no operational hand wash sinks |
| equipped with single service towels | do not use | no towels (7)
(mechanical hand dryer permitted) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| effluent disposed of in accordance with local ordinances | sink drains on floor (7) | Not Generally Applicable |
5.3 Changing Facilities
Regulations
Schedule I Section 24
Changing facilities for personnel and visitors shall be provided in every establishment that is constructed after this Schedule comes into force.
Intent
Street clothing and personal effects are a potential source of contamination and must be kept from coming into contact with food products.
Compliance Guide
Processing establishments constructed after April 1999 must provide facilities where employees and visitors can store street clothing, footwear, coats, personal effects, lunches, etc., and change into protective clothing before entering processing areas. Change facilities can be combined with lunchrooms where necessary.
For previously existing establishments that do not have change facilities, street clothing, footwear and personal effects must be stored under clean and sanitary conditions, to prevent cross contamination of processing areas of the establishment. Storage of these items should also be arranged so that it does not hinder the cleaning and disinfection of the processing area.
Apron and glove racks must be located such that aprons and gloves can be cleaned and stored under sanitary conditions.
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule I
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| * Changing facilities provided | Not Generally Applicable | Not Generally Applicable |
* New Construction Only
5.4 Protective Clothing
Regulations
Schedule II Section 3
(1) Employees shall wear protective clothing such as coveralls, aprons, sleeves, smocks, hand coverings, hair nets or beard nets that are in a clean and sound condition and suitable for the tasks employees are charged to perform.
(2) No person shall enter a processing area unless the person
- wears the protective clothing designated in the quality management program and appropriate to the tasks they will perform;
- ensures that their footwear is clean and sanitary and, if appropriate, uses a foot dip to do so; and
- wears a hair net and, if appropriate, a beard net.
(3) No person shall:
- handle or process fish unless they first wash their hands with single-service soap, wash or rinse their waterproof protective clothing, and disinfect their hands or hand coverings if either will come into direct contact with fish; or
- after leaving a production line, return to it unless they first wash their hands with single-service soap, wash or rinse their waterproof protective clothing, and disinfect their hands or hand coverings if either will come into direct contact with fish.
(4) Immediately on leaving a processing area a person shall remove any protective clothing and store it in a manner that prevents contamination.
Schedule II Section 7
Equipment and material provided to clean and disinfect protective clothing and footwear such as hand dips and foot dips shall be provided in adequate quantities and be conveniently located in processing areas.
Intent
Street clothing, facial hair and footwear are potential sources of contamination and must not be allowed to come into contact with or contaminate food products. Processors must specify in their QMP plans how every person entering the processing area and those directly involved in the preparation and handling of fish products are to be attired. Protective clothing itself must not be allowed to become a potential source of contamination.
Compliance Guide
Operators of registered establishments must determine and specify in their QMP plan the appropriate protective clothing to be worn by all persons involved in the preparation and handling of fish or fish products. All persons entering a processing area must wear protective clothing as specified in the company's QMP plan.
At a minimum, protective gear worn by personnel who are directly engaged in fish processing operations (other than the handling of live fish) must consist of a smock or coveralls that prevent contamination of fish by street clothing. Rain gear, "wet gear" or similar gear that completely covers the street clothing can be worn in lieu of a smock or coveralls. A rubber or plastic apron cannot be worn in lieu of the smock or coveralls but may be worn in addition to these garments.
Foot dips are required in areas such as sanitary zones and restricted access areas, except where it can be shown that this is not necessary due to the nature of the processing operation.
Hairnets and beard nets are required in those parts of the processing areas where fish products are open or exposed to potential contamination by hair. The requirement to cover moustaches or other facial hair should be dealt with by the inspector on a case by case basis.
When headgear is worn over hairnets, it must be clean and free of pins and adornments.
All protective clothing must be clean at the start of the production shift and maintained in a reasonably clean condition throughout the production period. Protective clothing must be washable or disposable, in good repair, and should be light coloured. To reduce the risk of contamination, protective clothing should be fastened with snaps, velcro, or similar fastenings.
Racks or hooks in adequate numbers must be provided in processing areas. At each break and change of work station, gloves must be sanitized and waterproof garments, sleeves and aprons must be cleaned. Slime and debris must not be permitted to dry and cake on waterproof garments.
Everyone leaving a processing area must remove their designated protective clothing and store it under sanitary conditions, except where it can be shown that this is not required due to the nature of the work being conducted (for example, a forklift operator repeatedly leaving and entering a processing area).
At a minimum, any protective gear which may be exposed to product must be removed when leaving the process area.
Protective garments must be properly stored or hung up, and cannot be placed on processing surfaces or other equipment. Headgear such as hard hats and bump helmets must be properly stored when not in use.
Protective Clothing
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule II
No person shall enter a processing area unless the person:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| employees wear protective clothing (i.e., coveralls, aprons, smocks, hair nets, beard nets, etc.) that are clean and sound and are suitable for the tasks that they are charged to perform | protective clothing not worn properly (8) | dirty clothing or protective clothing (7)
no protective clothing (7) inappropriate protective clothing (7) dirty aprons on rack (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
No person shall enter a processing area unless the person:
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) wears the protective clothing designated in the QMP and appropriate to the tasks they will perform. | protective clothing not worn properly (8) | dirty clothing or protective clothing (7)
no protective clothing (7) inappropriate protective clothing(7) dirty aprons on rack (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| (b) ensures that their foot wear is clean and sanitary and uses foot dip if appropriate | do not use | dirty footwear (7)
no foot dip when required (7) foot dip not used when required (7) foot dip solution not maintained (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| c) wears a hair net and, if appropriate, a beard net | do not use | no hair net (7)
no beard net when required (7) hair net does not cover hair (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| protective clothing removed immediately on leaving a processing area and stored in a manner that prevents contamination | do not use | improper storage of protective gear (hanging over equipment, pipes, switches, etc.) (7)
protective clothing worn in an inappropriate location (e.g., outside of process area, wash room, etc.) (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| equipment and material provided to clean and disinfect protective clothing and footwear in adequate quantities and conveniently located | Assess in Section 5.2 | Assess in Section 5.2 | Assess in Section 5.2 |
5.5 Employee Health
Regulations
Schedule II Section 9
No person who is a known carrier of a disease that is likely to be transmitted through food or who is afflicted with an infected wound, skin infection, sore, diarrhoea or any communicable disease, shall work in a registered establishment if there is a possibility of contaminating fish with pathogenic organisms.
Intent
Persons suffering from or carrying communicable diseases are a potential source of microbial contamination, and must not be allowed to infect food products. Open cuts or wounds must be prevented from becoming a source of bacterial contamination.
Compliance Guide
A registered establishment must document its hygiene requirements for employees working in a processing area as part of its sanitation program.
No person is permitted to work in any food handling areas while known to be suffering from, or known to be a carrier of, a disease likely to be transmitted through food or while afflicted with a condition which may result in contamination of the food with pathogenic microorganisms.
All persons having open cuts or wounds must not handle food or food contact surfaces unless the injury is completely protected by a secure waterproof covering.
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule II
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| no known carriers | do not use | ||
| no infected wounds, skin infections, sores | do not use | ||
| no communicable disease | do not use |
5.6 Personal Adornments and Behaviour
Regulations
Schedule II Section 10
A person engaged in the handling or processing of fish shall not wear any jewellery, fingernail polish or personal adornments that could contaminate or become incorporated into fish being processed.
Schedule II Section 11
(1) No person shall smoke, spit, eat, chew gum or store food or other personal items not used in fish processing in processing areas.
(2) Unnecessary material or equipment shall not be stored in a processing area.
Intent
Jewellery, nail polish and other personal adornments must not be allowed to become potential sources of contamination or potentially introduce foreign matter into food products. Smoking, eating and drinking must be eliminated as potential sources of contamination and foreign matter during processing.
Compliance Guide
All persons entering fish processing areas must remove personal adornments, jewellery that can be removed, and any other object that could lead to potential contamination of food products. Any jewellery that cannot be removed must be adequately covered. Medic Alert bracelets or necklaces are permissible.
Persons engaged in the handling or processing of fish must not wear nail polish.
Tobacco, gum, beverages or food for personal consumption are not permitted in processing areas. A water fountain may be permitted in a processing area providing the establishment has sufficient hygiene procedures around the use of the fountain to prevent contamination of food being produced. Preferably the fountain would be hands free. Personal effects and street clothing are not to be kept in processing areas and must be stored in a manner that prevents product contamination.
Assessment Guide Table – Schedule II
| Worksheet Line Item | Minor | Serious | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|
| no jewellery or personal adornments that could become incorporated into fish being processed | do not use | jewellery (including watches) not removed (7)
jewellery that cannot be removed not covered (7) |
Not Generally Applicable |
| no fingernail polish | do not use | Not Generally Applicable | |
| no smoking, spitting, eating, or chewing gum in process areas | do not use | Not Generally Applicable | |
| no storage of food or other personal items in process areas | food/lunch stored in process area (9) | Not Generally Applicable | Not Generally Applicable |
| unnecessary material or equipment not stored in process area | Assess in Section 2.1 | Assess in Section 2.1 | Assess in Section 2.1 |
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