The Meat Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1994

Regulations 4(1), (4) and (5), 8, 14(a) and 15

SCHEDULE 1 GENERAL CONDITIONS

PART I GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF ESTABLISHMENTS

Establishments shall have at least the following facilities:

1.  working areas of sufficient size for work to be carried out under adequate hygienic conditions; their design and layout shall be such as to preclude contamination of the raw materials and the products referred to in these Regulations;

2.  in areas where the raw materials are handled and the products referred to in these Regulations are manufactured:

(a) solid, impermeable flooring which is easy to clean and disinfect and laid in such a way as to facilitate the drainage of the water or provided with equipment to remove water;

(b) walls which have smooth surfaces and are easy to clean, durable and impermeable, covered with a light-coloured, washable coating up to a height of at least two metres, or at least storage height in refrigeration and storage rooms;

(c) ceilings or roof linings which are easy to clean;

(d) doors in non-corrodible materials which are easy to clean;

(e) adequate ventilation and, where necessary, steam and water-vapour extraction facilities;

(f) adequate natural or artificial lighting;

(g) an adequate number of facilities with hot and cold running water, or water pre-mixed to a suitable temperature, for cleaning and disinfecting hands; in work rooms and lavatories at industrial meat products premises taps shall not be operated by hand contact; these facilities shall be provided with cleaning and disinfecting materials and hygienic means of drying hands;

(h) facilities for cleaning, and disinfecting tools, equipment and utensils;

3.  in rooms where the raw materials and the products covered by these Regulations are stored, the conditions as those at paragraph 2 above apply, as appropriate, except that it is sufficient to have—

(a) in chilling and refrigeration rooms, a floor which is laid in such a way as to facilitate the draining of water and is easy to clean and disinfect; and

(b) in freezing and deep-freezing rooms, a floor which is impermeable and rotproof and is easy to clean.

In these cases, a sufficiently powerful refrigeration plant to keep the raw materials and products at any temperature indicated under regulation 11 shall be available.

The use of wooden walls in the rooms referred to in sub-paragraph (b) above does not constitute grounds for refusing or revoking approval provided they were built before 1st January 1983.

The capacity of the store rooms shall be adequate to store the raw materials used and the products referred to in these Regulations;

4.  facilities for hygienic handling and protection of raw materials and non-packaged or wrapped finished products during loading and unloading;

5.  appropriate arrangements for protection against pests such as insects, rodents and birds;

6.  instruments and working equipment such as cutting tables, containers, conveyor belts, saws and knives, intended to come into direct contact with raw materials and products are made of corrosion-resistant material and are easy to clean and disinfect;

7.  special watertight, non-corrodible containers, with lids and fasteners to prevent unauthorised persons from removing unfit material from them, in which to put raw materials or products not intended for human consumption, or a lockable room for such purposes if the quantities are large enough to necessitate this or if they are not removed or destroyed at least once daily. Where such raw materials or products are removed through conduits, these shall be constructed and installed so as to avoid any risk of contamination of the other raw materials or products;

8.  appropriate facilities for the cleaning and disinfecting of equipment and utensils;

9.  a waste water disposal system which meets hygiene requirements;

10.  a supply of potable water; the use of non-potable water being restricted to steam production, fire fighting and refrigeration equipment, provided that the pipes installed for this purpose preclude the use of this water for other purposes and present no direct or indirect risk of contamination of the product; non-potable water pipes shall be clearly distinguished from those used for potable water;

11.  at industrial meat products premises an appropriate number of changing rooms with smooth, waterproof washable walls and floors, at non-industrial meat products premises an appropriate number of lockers and at both descriptions of premises an appropriate number of wash basins and flush lavatories. The latter must not open directly on to the work rooms. Wash basins shall be equipped for hand-washing and have hygienic means of drying hands; wash-basin taps at industrial meat products premises shall not be operable by hand contact;

12.  if the volume of products treated requires frequent or permanent presence of the inspection service, an adequately equipped lockable room for their exclusive use;

13.  a room or a secure place for the storage of detergents, disinfectants and similar substances;

14.  a room or cupboard for storing cleaning and maintenance material;

15.  adequate facilites for cleaning and disinfecting means of transport. However, such facilities are not compulsory if there is a facility for the means of transport to be cleaned and disinfected in installations acceptable to the enforcement authority.

PART II GENERAL CONDITIONS OF HYGIENE

General conditions of hygiene applicable to establishments, equipment and tools

1.  Equipment and instruments used for working on raw materials and products, floors, walls and partitions, ceilings or roof linings, shall be kept in a satisfactory state of cleanliness and repair, so that they do not constitute a source of contamination for raw materials or products. Water, where used for sterilising tools, shall be at a temperature of not less than +82°C; or tools can be disinfected by other means which are acceptable to the enforcement authority.

2.  No animals may enter the rooms during working hours. Rodents, insects and any other vermin shall be systematically exterminated from storage or processing areas; rodenticides, insecticides, disinfectants and any other potentially toxic substances shall be stored in rooms or cupboards which can be locked; their use shall not present any risk of contamination of the products.

3.  Subject to it being acceptable to the enforcement authority, working areas, instruments and working equipment may be used for work on other foodstuffs fit for human consumption.

4.  Potable water, shall be used for all purposes. Exceptionally, non-potable water may be used for steam production, fire-fighting and the cooling of equipment, provided that the pipes installed for the purpose preclude the use of such water for other purposes and present no risk of contamination of the raw materials and products.

5.  Detergents, disinfectants and similar substances shall be acceptable to the enforcement authority and used in such a way that they do not have adverse effects on the machinery, equipment, raw materials and products. If appropriate, such instruments and working equipment shall be thoroughly rinsed with potable water. Products for maintenance and cleaning shall be kept in the room or cupboard provided for in paragraph 14 of Part I of this Schedule.

6.  The spreading of sawdust or any other similar substance on the floor of the workrooms and storage rooms for the raw materials and products referred to in these Regulations is prohibited.

General conditions of hygiene applicable to staff

1.  Proper standards of cleanliness are required of staff at all times. Specifically:

(a) staff shall wear suitable clean working clothes and where necessary headgear which completely encloses the hair;

(b) staff assigned to the handling and preparation of raw materials and products shall be required to wash their hands at least each time work is resumed and/or where contamination has occured; wounds to the hands must be covered by a waterproof dressing;

(c) smoking, spitting, eating and drinking in rooms where raw materials and products are worked on or stored is prohibited.

2.  The occupier of meat products premises shall take all the requisite measures to prevent persons liable to contaminate raw materials and products from handling them, until there is evidence that such persons can do so without risk.

When recruited after these Regulations come into force to work in approved premises any person working on or handling raw materials and products shall be required to prove, by a medical certificate, that there is no impediment to such employment.