(A) Materials.
(1) General. Multi-use equipment and utensils shall be constructed and repaired with safe materials, including finishing materials, shall be corrosion resistant and shall be nonabsorbent; and shall be smooth, easily cleanable, and durable under conditions of normal use. Single-service articles shall be made from clean, sanitary, safe materials. Equipment, utensils, and single-service articles shall not impart odors, color, or taste, nor contribute to the contamination of food.
(2) Solder. If solder is used, it shall be composed of safe materials and be corrosion resistant.
(3) Wood. Hard maple or equivalent nonabsorbent wood that meets the general requirements set forth in division (A)(1) above may be used for cutting blocks and cutting boards. The use of wood as a food-contact surface under other circumstances is prohibited.
(4) Plastics. Safe plastic or safe rubber or safe rubberlike materials that are resistant under normal conditions of use to scratching, scoring, decomposition, crazing, chipping and distortion, that are of sufficient weight and thickness to permit cleaning and sanitizing by normal warewashing methods, and which meet the general requirements set forth in division (A)(1) above are permitted for repeated use.
(5) Single-Service. Reuse of single-service articles is prohibited.
(B) Design and Fabrication.
(1) General. All equipment and utensils, including plasticware, shall be designed and fabricated for durability under conditions of normal use and shall be resistant to denting, buckling, pitting, chipping, and crazing.
(a) Food-contact surfaces shall be easily cleanable, smooth, and free of breaks, open seams, cracks, chips, pits, and similar imperfections, and free of difficult-to-clean internal corners and crevices. Cast iron may be used as a food-contact surface only if the surface is used for cooking. Threads shall be designed to facilitate cleaning; ordinary "V" type threads are prohibited in food contact surfaces, except that in equipment such as ice makers, hot oil cooking equipment, or hot oil filtering systems, such threads shall be minimized.
(b) Equipment containing bearings and gears requiring unsafe lubricants shall be designed and constructed so that the lubricant cannot leak, drip, or be forced into food or onto food-contact surfaces. Only safe lubricants shall be used on equipment designed to receive lubrication of bearings and gears on or within food-contact surfaces.
(c) Sinks and drain boards shall be self-draining.
(2) Accessibility. Unless designed for in-place cleaning, food-contact surfaces shall be accessible for cleaning and inspection:
(a) Without being disassembled; or
(b) By disassembling without the use of tools; or
(c) By easy disassembling with the use of only simple tools such as mallets, screwdrivers, or open-end wrenches which are kept near the equipment.
(3) In-Place Cleaning. Equipment intended for in-place cleaning shall be so designed and fabricated that:
(a) Cleaning and sanitizing solutions can be circulated throughout a fixed system using an effective cleaning and sanitizing regimen; and
(b) Cleaning and sanitizing solutions will contact all interior food-contact surfaces; and
(c) The system is self-draining or capable of being completely evacuated.
(4) Pressure Spray Cleaning. Fixed equipment designed and fabricated to be cleaned and sanitized by pressure spray methods shall have sealed electrical wiring, switches, and connections.
(5) Nonfood-Contact Surfaces. Surfaces of equipment not intended for contact with food, but which are exposed to splash or food debris or which otherwise require frequent cleaning, shall be designed and fabricated to be smooth, washable, free of unnecessary ledges, projections, or crevices, and readily accessible for cleaning, and shall be of such material and in such repair as to be easily maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.
(6) Maintenance of Equipment and Utensils. All equipment and utensils shall be maintained in good repair to comply with the requirements of §§ 9-6-2-1 et seq.
(C) Equipment Installation and Location.
(1) General. Equipment, including ice makers and ice storage equipment, shall not be located under leaking sewer or water lines, open stairwells, or other sources of contamination. This requirement does not apply to automatic fire protection sprinkler heads that may be required by law.
(2) Aisles and Working Spaces. Aisles and working spaces between units of equipment and between equipment and walls, shall be unobstructed and of sufficient width to permit employees to perform their duties readily without contamination of food or food-contact surfaces by clothing or personal contact. All easily movable storage equipment such as pallets, racks, and dollies shall be positioned to provide accessibility to working areas.
('74 Code, § 6-26-4) (Ord. 70-1978; Am. Ord. 10-1988; Am. Ord. 2022-027)