Are you a temporary food operation or market vendor? Are you taking hand washing seriously?
Australia's enthusiastic embrace of all things street food and market culture continues to grow. From food trucks to local farmers markets, every suburb has their own and it is great to see our dining experiences and food culture change, develop and grow. The Good? Mobile food vendors and market operators are creating some of the most sensational, authentic taste experiences around. The Bad? There are a worryingly large amount of operators without adequate hand washing facilities.
With handwashing the number one defence against cross contamination and food-borne illnesses, it is a no-brainer that you must have suitable hand washing facilties for yourself and your staff.
Why do I need handwashing facilities?
Food handling operations constantly come into contact with various forms of germs and bacteria, whether from handling raw food, eating or drinking, going to the toilet, coughing, sneezing, disposing of waste or simply exchanging money or goods. The combination of this with direct oral transmission via ready to eat food is what hand washing prevents.
Effective handwashing aids in preventing the spread of germs and bacteria through removing these nasties from our hands. Having hand washing facilities available and accessible is the number one factor in ensuring hand washing is regularly carried out.
What kind of handwashing do I need?
Every operation differs, the two most important factors are your capacity required and your level of risk. For most smaller, 1-2 person market stalls, a simple, small capacity hand washing station such as one of these will suffice. Whats important is that you have an adequate supply for the amount of people, length of the shift and anticipated usage. It is also important that the water be warm (approx 40°C) to aid in the sudding of soap and dissolving of fats and oils. Liquid soap and single use paper towels are also a must.
For higher risk or larger food operations (3 or more people) then something like this will likely be needed. Again, it is about adequate supply and warm, running, potable water. If you are also higher risk then it is recommended that a hands free facility is provided to minimise cross contamination.
Want dish/utensil wash and hand wash facilities?
Check out our Smart Sink here, an all-in one solution.
Who are we? The leading innovator of self-contained sinks and hand wash stations. We design, make and innovate sinks that are fully self-contained, offer hot and cold washing capabilities and require no dependence on mains plumbing.
We cater to all industries and specialise in providing handwashing solutions for temporary events and food operations all around Australia.
For information on our range of products ideal for markets and temporary food operators contact us here or feel free to call on 1300 537 300.