Sec. 10.15.02.05. Plant Facilities

A. The person-in-charge shall ensure that the equipment and facilities needed to process crab meat in accordance with the requirements of this chapter are provided and maintained in a sanitary and working condition.

B. The person-in-charge shall ensure that:

(1) The water supplied to a fixture is potable and meets the requirements of the Environment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland;

(2) The sewage disposal system for the plant meets all applicable State and local codes and properly disposes of all wastewater;

(3) Ice used in the manufacture of crab meat is produced from water that is potable and meets the requirements of the Environment Article, Annotated Code of Maryland;

(4) The plant design and the flow of food through the plant minimize the potential for cross-contamination;

(5) If uncooked crabs will be stored at the plant for more than 4 hours before cooking, a separate cooler is provided for uncooked crabs;

(6) Partitions or linear distances are used to separate cooking areas, picking areas, and packing areas;

(7) Floors in all processing areas and in refrigerated rooms are sloped to accessible floor drains that dispose of wastewater, in compliance with applicable plumbing codes;

(8) Toilet rooms:

(a) Are provided at the rate of one toilet for every 20 employees;

(b) Do not open directly into a food processing or storage area; and

(c) Are:

(i) Separate for men and women; or

(ii) Designed for use by not more than one person at a time.

(9) A hand sink is:

(a) Provided in the picking area at the rate of one hand sink for each 15 pickers;

(b) Provided in the packing area;

(c) Equipped with soap and paper towels for drying hands;

(d) Accompanied by sanitizer in the picking and packing rooms for the sanitizing of hands; and

(e) Equipped with hot and cold water under pressure;

(10) A picking table is:

(a) Adequate in size so that a picker does not contaminate crab meat during the picking of cooked crabs; and

(b) Provided with sanitary paper towels in a dispenser within reach of a picker while at the table;

(11) A three-compartment sink is:

(a) Designed to allow immersion of utensils or equipment that will be cleaned and sanitized in the sink;

(b) Provided in the plant for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing equipment and utensils; and

(c) Equipped with hot and cold water under pressure; and

(12) Waste containers are:

(a) Provided inside the facility to be accessible to the workers;

(b) Made to be easily cleanable;

(c) Large enough to hold waste until the waste is taken off-site if the containers are outside waste containers; and

(d) Vermin-proof, insect-proof, and placed on a hard and impermeable surface if the containers are outdoor waste containers, except in the case of chum containers that are removed daily.

C. The person-in-charge may use a two-compartment sink instead of the three-compartment sink required in §B(11)(b) of this regulation, if the two-compartment sink:

(1) Was installed before the effective date of this chapter;

(2) Complies with all regulations applicable before the effective date of this chapter;

(3) Performs the intended function;

(4) Is maintained in a sanitary condition; and

(5) When replaced, is replaced with a hand sink or three-compartment sink in full compliance with this chapter.