Choosing A Hand Wash Sink

Regardless of what food service business you’re in, it’s important to make sure that you wash your hands regularly and thoroughly. This prevents the risk of pathogens or foodborne illnesses.  We compare types hand wash sink and consider how you can improve the overall hygiene of your business. We aim to answer the question, ‘Which hand wash sink do I need?’.

The recnt pandemic highlighted the importance of good hygiene everywhere. It made a lot of businesses purchase new supplies like a hand wash sink.   So, how do you choose a hand wash sink? What considerations go into picking one?  Are there mandatory requirements?  Let’s take a look.

The Basics

We all know it’s good practice to ensure we clean our hands often. Did you know washing hands is a legal requirement if you handle food? Given the ease with which contamination of food can occur, it’s perhaps obvious hand washing is vitally important.

The food standards code requires businesses to have a commercial hand wash sink basin next to where food is handled. You also have to ensure that you have separate hand-washing facilities anywhere food is being touched or prepared. This, therefore, should be separate from preparation sinks or pot wash sinks.

They are mainly used for food preparation and kitchen utensil cleaning.  Therefore, if you have multiple food handling stations, each station should have its own access to hand wash sink facilities.  Are you in charge of health and safety within your food service establishment? If so, it’s a good rule to ensure it’s easy for staff and customers to wash their hands frequently.

Ensure You Have Policies

Finally, if you have a toilet on your premises, there needs to be a hand basin nearby. You should also have policies in place to check that these are kept in good working order.

Hygiene is such an important consideration for any food business. Maintain legal requirements to keep yourself, your staff and the public safe from preventable cross-contamination.  The good news is many tried and tested practices are cheap and, therefore, easy to implement!

Types Of Hand Wash Sink – What to Consider

When it comes to catering sinks, you have a range of different styles and configurations to choose from. From the commercial hand wash sink to a knee-operated hand wash sink. These should be your first consideration before purchasing larger food preparation sinks, such as Pot Wash sinks.

You can’t just buy the smallest sink possible and then put it in the corner.  That is not advised.  Your washing sink basin has to be located close to a food handling station. You should not have to walk out of the handling area to get to it. Your hand sink should be located within 5m of the food preparation areas. Close to entrances or exits for ease of use.

The size and shape of your hand basin will be influenced by the location. It should be large enough to allow you to wash your hands in it thoroughly.

Hand Wash Sink with Splashback

You should also consider a stainless steel hand wash sink with a splashback. It protects your walls from accidental splashes. Ensure you have a mixer tap with your sink that emits hot as well as cold water. This tap helps kill potentially harmful bacteria – somewhere in the range of 20c – 40c.

Our range of commercial hand wash sinks are all made from catering-grade stainless steel. This steel is widely renowned for being the best-suited material for kitchen sinks and work surfaces. Lastly, stainless steel has a natural resistance to harbouring bacteria and longevity of service, representing very good value for money.

This range includes knee operated hand wash sink with a tap. The sink allows users to press the front centre panel to release water, further preventing the likelihood of cross-contamination via touch.

Types Of Hand Wash Sink – Final Considerations

Your hand wash basin you choose has to be free of obstruction. Also, consider a sensible-sized area allocated to it away from your kitchen equipment.

Your hand wash sink unit must be stable and secured. We suggest permanently fixing it to the wall and placing it at bench height. Other lesser popular options can include a supporting frame or stand.

You should fit your basin with a splashback and/or with inside guards to stop inadvertently contaminating nearby areas.  Also, remember access to soap and anti-bacterial gel is very important throughout your commercial kitchen. Lastly, this hand wash soap should always be frequently replenished.

Choosing A Hand Wash Sink – Closing Thoughts

As you can see, there are plenty of considerations for a hand wash sink. It’s crucial you choose the right one for your needs. Lastly, Cater Kitchen can advise and support your business with hand washing sink units which complement and support our wider range of commercial catering sinks.