Labor & Industries (L&I), Washington State

Temporary Housing for Workers Chapter 296-833, WAC

Effective Date: 12/01/02

Service facilities: Food preparation, dining, bathing, laundry and handwashing WAC 296-833-400

For printing

Your responsibility:

To provide facilities for your employees to cook, eat, do laundry, bathe, and wash their hands.

You must:

Provide service buildings for laundry, handwashing and bathing WAC 296-833-40005 Provide cooking, food-handling, and dining facilities WAC 296-833-40010

WAC 296-833-40005

Provide service buildings for laundry, handwashing and bathing.

You must:

(1) Make sure that every service building has equipment capable of maintaining a room temperature of at least 70°.

(2) Make sure an adequate supply of hot and cold running water is provided for bathing and laundry purposes.

(3) Provide:

• One handwash basin
• - Per family shelter
• or
• - Per 6 persons in shared facilities
• One shower head for every 10 persons
• One laundry tray or tub for every 30 persons
• One “deepwell” type sink in each building used for laundry, handwashing, and bathing.

(4) Make sure all:

• Laundry, handwashing and bathing room floors:
  • - Are moisture-resistant and smooth but not slippery
  • - Have coved junctions of the curbing and the floor
• Walls and partitions of shower rooms are smooth and moisture-resistant to the height where water splashes.
• Shower baths, shower rooms, or laundry rooms have floor drains to remove wastewater and facilitate cleaning.

(5) Provide facilities for drying clothes.

(6) Keep all service buildings clean.

WAC 296-833-40010

Provide cooking, food-handling, and dining facilities.

You must:

(1) Make sure common cooking and dining areas are of adequate size and are separated from sleeping areas by a door.

(2) Provide enclosed and screened cooking and food-handling facilities for all occupants. The facilities must include:

• A working cook stove or hot plate with at least one cooking surface for every 2 occupants
• A sink with hot and cold running potable water under pressure
• Food storage areas located off the floor
• Nonabsorbent, easily cleanable food preparation counters
• Mechanical refrigeration capable of maintaining a temperature of 45° or below, with enough space to store perishable food items for all occupants
• Fire-resistant, nonabsorbent, nonasbestos, and easily cleanable wall coverings close to cooking areas
• Nonabsorbent, easily cleanable floors
• At least one ceiling or wall light fixture
• Lighting adequate for normal food preparation activities
• Adequate ventilation for cooking facilities.

(3) Make sure that dining halls:

• Meet the requirements of the department of health's rules in chapter 246-215 WAC, Food Service
• Have no direct openings to living or sleeping areas
• Have fire-resistant, nonabsorbent, nonasbestos, and easy-to-clean wall coverings adjacent to cooking areas
• Have nonabsorbent, easy-to-clean floors
• Have at least one ceiling or wall light fixture
• Have lighting adequate for normal dining activities.