§ 59.702. Buildings.

 Buildings shall be of sound construction and kept in good repair to prevent the entrance or harboring of rodents, birds, insects, vermin, dogs and cats. Service pipe openings through outside walls shall be effectively sealed around the opening or provided with tight metal collars.

   (1)  Outside doors, windows, openings, and the like, shall conform with §  59.203 (relating to doors and windows).

   (2)  Walls, ceilings, partitions, and posts shall conform with §  59.202 (relating to walls and ceilings—construction).

   (3)  Floors shall conform with §  59.201 (relating to floors—construction).

   (4)  Lighting and ventilation shall comply with the following:

     (i)   Light shall be ample, natural or artificial, or both, of good quality and well distributed. Rooms in which dairy products are manufactured or packaged or where utensils are washed shall have at least 20 foot-candles of light intensity on all working surfaces and at least 50 foot-candles of light intensity in areas where dairy products are graded or examined for condition and quality. In other rooms, there shall be at least 5 foot-candles of light intensity when measured at a distance of 30 inches from the floor. Where contamination of a product by broken glass is possible, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, fixtures, skylight or other glass suspended over the product shall be protected against breakage.

     (ii)   There shall be adequate heating, ventilation or air conditioning for all rooms and compartments to permit maintenance of sanitary conditions. Exhaust or inlet fans, vents, hoods or temperature and humidity control facilities shall be provided where and when needed, to minimize or eliminate undesirable room temperatures, objectionable odors, moisture condensation, or mold. Inlet fans shall be provided with an adequate air filtering device to eliminate dirt and dust from the incoming air. Ventilation systems shall be cleaned periodically as needed and maintained in good repair. When not in use, exhaust outlets shall be screened or provided with self-closing louvers to prevent the entrance of insects.

   (5)  Rooms and compartments in which raw material, packaging, ingredient supplies, or dairy products are handled, manufactured, packaged, or stored shall be designed, constructed, and maintained to assure desirable room temperatures and clean and orderly operating conditions free from objectionable odors and vapors. Enclosed bulk milk receiving rooms shall be separated from the processing rooms by a partition. Rooms for receiving can milk shall be separated from the processing rooms by a partition—partial or complete—by suitable arrangement of equipment or by allowing enough distance between receiving and processing operations to avoid possible contamination of milk or dairy products during manufacturing and handling. Processing rooms shall be kept free from equipment and materials not regularly used. Rooms and compartments shall comply with the following:

     (i)   Coolers and freezers. Coolers and freezers where dairy products are stored shall be clean, reasonably dry and maintained at the proper uniform temperature and humidity to adequately protect the product and minimize the growth of mold. Adequate circulation of air shall be maintained at all times. They shall be free from rodents, insects, and pests. Shelves shall be kept clean and dry. Refrigeration units shall have provisions for collecting and disposing of condensate.

     (ii)   Supply room. The supply rooms used for the storing of packaging materials, containers, and miscellaneous ingredients shall be kept clean, dry, orderly, free from insects, rodents, and mold and maintained in good repair. Items stored in supply rooms shall be adequately protected from dust, dirt, or other extraneous matter and arranged on racks, shelves, or pallets to permit access to the supplies and cleaning and inspection of the room. Insecticides, rodenticides, cleaning compounds, and other nonfood products shall be properly labeled and segregated, and stored in a separate room or cabinet away from milk, dairy products, ingredients, or packaging supplies.

     (iii)   Boiler rooms, shop room, and service areas. The boiler rooms, shop room and service areas shall be separated from other rooms where milk and dairy products are processed, manufactured, packaged, handled, or stored. The rooms shall be kept orderly and reasonably free from dust and dirt.

     (iv)   Toilet and dressing rooms. Adequate toilet and dressing rooms facilities shall be conveniently located.

       (A)   Toilet rooms may not open directly into a room where milk or dairy products are processed, manufactured, packaged, or stored. Doors shall be self-closing. Ventilation shall be provided by mechanical means or screened openings to the outer air. Fixtures shall be kept clean and in good repair.

       (B)   All employes shall be furnished with a locker, or other suitable facility, and the lockers and dressing rooms shall be kept clean and orderly. Adequate handwashing facilities shall be provided and durable, legible signs shall be posted conspicuously in each toilet or dressing room directing employes to wash their hands before returning to work.

     (v)   Laboratory. The permit holder may establish its own laboratory to perform required tests on milk received as milk for manufacturing purposes. The laboratory shall be adequately equipped and maintained and be properly staffed with qualified, trained personnel, to meet requirements established by the Department. If the permit holder does not establish its own laboratory, an existing approved laboratory is acceptable if services are conveniently available so that samples and results can be transmitted without delay.

     (vi)   Starter facilities. Adequate sanitary facilities shall be provided for the handling of starter cultures.

     (vii)   Lunch rooms and eating areas. When eating areas are provided, they shall be kept clean and orderly and not open directly into a room in which milk or dairy products are processed, manufactured or packaged. Signs shall be posted directing employes to wash their hands before returning to work.

   This section cited in 7 Pa. Code §  59.721 (relating to requirements for rooms and compartments); and 7 Pa. Code §  59.723 (relating to packaging room for bulk products).