18 AAC 34.820 - Sanitary facilities and controls; plumbing, water supply, toilets and handwash sink requirements, and waste disposal

(a) A processor shall ensure that each facility is equipped with sanitary facilities and accommodations as required in 21 C.F.R 117.37, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010, and other requirements of this section.

(b) Notwithstanding the applicability limitations of the state plumbing code, plumbing must be installed and operated in accordance with the state plumbing code under AS 18.60.705. Except for the toilet and sink requirements in (h) and (i) of this section, the state plumbing code applies statewide to all facilities subject to this chapter, including mobile processing vessels.

(c) Water provided by a processing facility for drinking or ice making for human consumption must comply with 18 AAC 80.

(d) A processing water supply must be approved by the department, on the basis of whether public health and consumers are adequately protected. In addition to complying with (c) of this section, for a processing water supply that is not directly plumbed to a community public water system or a non-transient non-community public water system, a processor

(1) shall disinfect to maintain a measurable residual of free chlorine or another disinfectant approved by the department;

(2) shall sample for coliform bacteria contamination before beginning operations and once every 30 days during the operational season, and shall resample

(A) as required in 18 AAC 80.415, or as required by the department to serve the interests of public health and consumer protection, after notification of a sample result that is positive for total coliform bacteria; however, resampling requires no more than two water samples; or

(B) if a sample is invalidated as set out in 18 AAC 80.425; however, resampling requires no more than one water sample;

(3) shall ensure that the water does not exceed the maximum contaminant level for Escherichia coli bacteria set out in 18 AAC 80.300(b)(4);

(4) shall sample for a contaminant listed in 18 AAC 80.300(b) at the applicable frequency set out in 18 AAC 80.310 - 18 AAC 80.335, if the department identifies a potential public health problem for inorganic or organic chemical contamination; the department will require more frequent sampling if the department determines it is necessary to serve the interests of public health and consumer protection; if required under this subsection, samples may not exceed the maximum contaminant levels set out in 18 AAC 80.300; and

(5) shall sample at a point at the end of the system and test for disinfectant residual at least once each day during the operating season; a daily log of the disinfectant residuals must be kept as required by 18 AAC 34.920.

(e) Water supplies used to deliver, chill, or hold live or unprocessed seafood may not contribute to contamination or adulteration of the seafood products and may not have a fecal coliform density of more than 14 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 ml. These water supplies are exempt from the disinfection requirement of (d) of this section if the water is used at a location that will not allow other seafood products, food ingredients, food-contact surfaces, or food packaging materials to come into contact with the water.

(f) Water tests required under this chapter must be performed by a laboratory certified under 18 AAC 80.1100 - 18 AAC 80.1110 for drinking water analysis and compliant with reporting requirements for positive sample results described in 18 AAC 80.355. Laboratory results of water analysis, including resampling results or notices indicating that samples were too long in transit, must be maintained at the facility as required by 18 AAC 34.920.

(g) The department will allow a land-based facility to have portable toilets or privies if

(1) due to lack of soil, the existence of permanently frozen ground, or other geological conditions, the land-based facility is unable to install a septic system;

(2) the department finds that public health is protected;

(3) each portable toilet and privy meets the applicable requirements of 18 AAC 72;

(4) each portable toilet and privy is conveniently located for employee use;

(5) each portable toilet and privy is maintained in a sanitary manner and toilet tissue is provided;

(6) a handwash sink, soap, and towels are located at the entrance to the processing area; and

(7) handwash signs directing employees to wash their hands with soap or detergent before returning to their work stations are posted at each portable toilet or privy and at the entrance to the processing area; the signs must be printed in English and in other languages or pictures if necessary for employee understanding.

(h) The number of toilets on a mobile processing vessel must comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration UNHANDLEDCHAR s general environmental controls in 29 C.F.R. 1910.141(c)(1)(i) and Table J-1, adopted by reference in 18 AAC 34.010.

(i) Handwash sinks must be provided and

(1) must be located to allow convenient use by employees in food processing areas and in, or immediately adjacent to, toilet rooms;

(2) must be accessible at all times for employee use;

(3) may not be used for purposes other than handwashing;

(4) must be equipped to provide water at a temperature that is comfortable to encourage and allow for employees to wash their hands thoroughly;

(5) must have hand-cleaning soap or detergent at each sink; and

(6) if the handsink has a self-closing, slow-closing, or a metering faucet, the handsink must provide a flow of water for at least 20 seconds without the need to reactivate the faucet.

(j) For sewage disposal from a mobile processing vessel, only a type II or type III marine sanitation device may be used. If used, marine sanitation devices must be of an adequate size for numbers of employees and must be operated in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and United States Coast Guard requirements.

(k) Untreated sewage from a marine sanitation device may not be discharged during processing, facility cleaning, or when within one-half mile of another vessel that can reasonably be expected to be processing or cleaning. A record of the date, time, and location of each discharge from a type III marine sanitation device must be kept as required by 18 AAC 34.920.

(l) Processing waste from seafood products must be disposed of as required by 18 AAC 60 for solid waste, 18 AAC 72 for domestic wastewater, or 18 AAC 83 for wastewater.

Notes

18 AAC 34.820

Eff. 8/21/2019, Register 231

Authority:AS 17.20.005

AS 17.20.065

AS 17.20.072

AS 17.20.180

AS 44.46.020