SQF 7.2 code states:
11.3.9.1 Toilet rooms shall be:
i. Designed and constructed so that they are accessible to staff and separate from any processing and food handling operations;
ii. Accessed from the processing area via an airlock vented to the exterior or through an adjoining room;
So I need some advice and opinions.
In some of my facilities we have restrooms that open directly into the processing area. In the past USDA has always considered negative pressure to be sufficient but this question came up this week during another discussion and I want to make sure that the plants that this affects are covered before their audit. The plants with negative pressure have fans vented tot he outside that are sufficient to draw a flame around the door, which is the method that we have seen USDA use in the past. I have never dealt with an "airlock" and in 2 plants in particular constructing an adjoining room would be out of the question, it would require new construction to move the rest rooms completely.
Any suggestions or input is greatly appreciated.
Thank you