United States
Hong KongThe handwashing sink itself: where, what on it, and kept clear
A handwashing sink needs water at 38°C (100°F) minimum, soap, a drying method, and a waste receptacle. It must be conveniently located, used only for handwashing, and kept accessible - blocking one is a violation in itself.
Handwashing is the most effective control in the building, and it happens at a specific fixture with specific requirements. The exam asks about the fixture.
What has to be there
- Water at 38°C (100°F) minimum, from a mixing valve or combination tap.
- Hand cleaning liquid, powder or bar soap.
- A drying method: single-use towels, a continuous towel system, or a heated air dryer.
- A waste receptacle, where disposable towels are used.
- A sign directing employees to wash hands, in toilet rooms.
Missing any one of those makes the station non-compliant, and the empty towel dispenser is the version that turns up most often.
Location
Conveniently located and accessible from food preparation, food dispensing and warewashing areas, and in or immediately next to toilet rooms.
Conveniently is the operative word. A sink around a corner and through a door is a sink people will not use between tasks, and the Code is written with that behavior in mind.
A bin in front of it, a trolley parked against it, a stack of trays in the basin. Each is written up as the sink being unavailable, not as untidiness - because that is what it functionally is.
Used for handwashing only
Not for rinsing produce. Not for filling a mop bucket. Not for thawing. Not for pouring away drinks.
A sink used for other things develops a queue, and a queue at the handwashing sink means somebody skips it. That is the reasoning, and it is worth carrying because it makes the rule memorable rather than arbitrary.
Automatic taps
Self-closing, slow-closing or metering taps are permitted, provided they run for at least 15 seconds without needing to be reactivated.
That number is specified because a tap that stops after five seconds turns a 20-second wash into a series of interruptions, and people give up.
The exam angle
Questions here are usually scenario shaped: a kitchen described in a sentence or two, one detail wrong, and four options. The wrong detail is generally the blocked sink, the empty soap dispenser, or the sink being used for something else.
Read for those three first.
Common questions
What must a handwashing sink have?
Water at 38°C (100°F) minimum, soap, a drying method, and a waste receptacle where disposable towels are used. Toilet rooms also need a sign directing employees to wash their hands.
Is blocking a hand sink a violation?
Yes. A bin, trolley or stack of trays in front of it makes the sink unavailable, which is how it is written up - not as untidiness but as a missing facility.
Can you rinse vegetables in a handwashing sink?
No. It is for handwashing only. A sink used for other tasks develops a queue, and a queue means somebody skips washing, which is the behavior the rule anticipates.
Are automatic taps allowed?
Yes, provided they run for at least 15 seconds without needing reactivation. A tap that shuts off after a few seconds turns a 20-second wash into a series of interruptions.
Where do handwashing sinks have to be?
Conveniently located and accessible from food preparation, dispensing and warewashing areas, and in or immediately adjacent to toilet rooms. Convenience is part of the requirement, not a preference.