Section 4 – General Sanitation
| 4.1 | Public areas
All public areas of public accommodation facilities must be maintained in a clean and sanitary manner, free of nuisances. |
| 4.2 | Public restrooms |
| 4.2.1 | All public restrooms must be kept in sanitary condition and good repair. | ||
| 4.2.2 | The floors of all public restrooms must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized at least daily. | ||
| 4.2.3 | All surfaces of toilets, urinals, and other fixtures which may come in contact with a person’s body in a public restroom, must be cleaned and sanitized at least daily. Any other surfaces not specifically addressed must be maintained in a clean condition. | ||
| 4.2.4 | All public restrooms must be stocked with a sufficient supply of toilet paper, disposable paper or single-use cloth towels and liquid soap dispensed from easily cleanable permanent wall- or counter-mounted dispensers. | ||
| 4.2.5 | Cloth towels provided in public restrooms for use by guests and customers must be dispensed in a manner that clearly facilitates single use prior to laundering. If cloth towels are provided for this purpose, they must be stored for use, dispensed, and stored for re-laundering in a sanitary manner. | ||
| 4.3 | Guest room bedding, linen, and towels | ||
| 4.3.1 | All items of bedding, linen, and towels must be protected from contamination by dust or filth. | ||
| 4.3.2 | All guest room bathrooms must be provided with a sufficient supply of clean towels. | ||
| 4.3.3 | All beds kept or used in any public accommodation facility must be provided with a sufficient supply of clean bedding, which is appropriately sized, while the room is occupied. | ||
| 4.3.4 | Sheets and pillow cases must be replaced at least twice weekly, at the request of a guest, between guests, or whenever they have become soiled or are in disrepair. | ||
| 4.3.5 | Clean bedding that is found to be in poor condition during the room make-up process must be discarded and replaced. | ||
| 4.3.6 | Clean linen and bedding must not be stored or transported in laundry bags, laundry carts or other containers which have been used for soiled linen unless the operator of the public accommodation facility demonstrates to the Health Authority that the containers are, or can be, properly cleaned and their surfaces sanitized. | ||
| 4.4 | Third-party linen provider
When a third-party linen provider is used, then any bedding, linens, towels, and/or conveyances that are found to be dirty, stained, or otherwise in poor condition must be rejected at the receiving dock and returned to the third-party linen provider. |
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| 4.5 | On-site laundry facilities
When bedding, linens, and/or towels are laundered in-house, then: |
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| 4.5.1 | They must be laundered, folded, and stored in an area that is clean and well maintained. | ||
| 4.5.2 | Separate storage areas must be designated for soiled bedding, linen, and towels away from clean bedding, linen, and towels. | ||
| 4.5.3 | There must be an adequate hot water supply to the on-site laundry facilities. | ||
| 4.5.4 | There must be an adequate number of washing machines, dryers, and folding tables to handle the volume of laundry generated at the public accommodation facility. Such approved equipment must be installed or placed: | ||
| 4.5.4.1 | With a drain indirectly connected to sewer; | ||
| 4.5.4.2 | On, at a minimum, a composite tile or other approved floor, with wall-to-floor junctures sealed with base coving; | ||
| 4.5.4.3 | In a room with a minimum 50 foot-candles of light measured 30 inches above the floor; | ||
| 4.5.4.4 | On adjacent walls with coverings of fiberglass-reinforced plastic paneling or equivalent where moisture is likely to occur; | ||
| 4.5.4.5 | In a room with an enclosed ceiling, finished with a cleanable surface. | ||
| 4.5.5 | The washing machines, dryers, and folding tables must be maintained in good operating condition. | ||
| 4.5.6 | There must be a handwashing sink, supplied with hot and cold running water and dispenser-fed liquid soap and disposable towels installed in the laundry room and/or chemical storage and handling room. | ||
| 4.5.7 | Prior to their next use, bedding, linens, and towels must be washed with soap or detergent and sanitized with a product labeled for that use. | ||
| 4.5.8 | Laundry that arrives in the laundry facility, which has been exposed to a biohazardous event, must be handled in accordance with the Biohazard Event Response Plan written for the facility and all applicable regulatory requirements. An example “Biohazard Event Response Plan” can be found in Appendix I. PDF (70 KB/13 pages) | ||
| 4.5.9 | Laundered bedding, linen, and towels must be stored at least six (6) inches above the floor level in a clean, ventilated, illuminated, and well-maintained place until used. | ||
| 4.5.10 | Linen storage shelves or cabinets must be constructed of smooth, non-porous, corrosion, and water damage-resistant material. | ||
| 4.5.11 | Existing wooden or combination metal/wood shelving must be sealed with an enamel sealing paint or clear coat and the shelves must be maintained in an easily cleanable condition. | ||
| 4.6 | Used bedding | ||
| 4.6.1 | The responsible person may not sell, trade, give away, or otherwise allow the transfer of any used bedding from his public accommodation facility for use in another public accommodation facility unless the used bedding is first sterilized by an approved sterilization process at a sterilization plant that has been approved by the Health Authority or otherwise disinfected in accordance with NAC 444.001 through 444.006. This prohibition does not include the exchange of furniture and mattresses that are in good condition between properties that are operated under the same management group, when such a need arises. | ||
| 4.6.2 | No used bedding may be recovered from any landfill, dump, dumpster or other waste disposal, junkyard, or hospital for the purpose of reuse in a public accommodation facility even after sterilization at an approved sterilization plant. | ||
| 4.6.3 | Used bedding which has been sterilized in a sterilization plant approved by the Health Authority, otherwise disinfected in accordance with NAC 444.001 through 444.006 or transported for sale in Southern Nevada from another jurisdiction must be labeled with a waterproof tag permanently affixed on each article of bedding. The label must state “Sterilized”, “Disinfected” or “Sanitized” and, “Secondhand,” in accordance with the language required by the jurisdiction in which the bedding was processed. The label must include the name, address, and Health Permit number of the sterilization plant. | ||
| 4.6.4 | The owner of a sterilization plant located outside of the Health Authority’s jurisdiction may submit an application for reciprocity approval (see Appendix J PDF (43 KB/3 pages) for a sample application) if the sterilization plant meets all of the requirements of NRS 444.010 through 444.040, NAC 444.001 through 444.006, and Section 4.6 of these Regulations inclusive, and has a current Health Permit in good standing from the agency of jurisdiction. | ||
| 4.7 | Maintenance areas | ||
| 4.7.1 | Maintenance areas shall be well maintained and chemical storage and use shall be conducted in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. | ||
| 4.7.2 | Maintenance areas where chemicals are processed or mixed shall have a sink supplied with hot and cold running water and dispenser-fed liquid soap and disposable towels. | ||
| 4.8 | Housekeeping carts | ||
| 4.8.1 | Each cart shall be maintained in good working condition. | ||
| 4.8.2 | Each cart shall be maintained in clean and sanitary condition. | ||
| 4.8.3 | Clean items shall not come into contact with any soiled articles or chemicals on the cart. | ||
| 4.8.4 | Each cart used for combined delivery of clean articles and removal of items for laundering must have a separate storage bin or bag for the soiled articles. The storage bin shall be made of a cleanable, smooth, and impervious material while storage bags shall be made of a durable material that is machine washable unless the bag is for single use only. | ||
| 4.8.5 | Laundry storage bins and bags shall be washed whenever they become visibly dirty. | ||
| 4.8.6 | All containers of chemicals used for maintaining guest rooms must be labeled. | ||
| 4.9 | Personal hygiene supplies | ||
| 4.9.1 | A supply of toilet paper must be provided to guests for use in the guest room bathroom. | ||
| 4.9.2 | A supply of single-use soap must be made available for use by guests. Used personal hygiene items left by departing guests must be discarded. Permanently-mounted stocked soap and shampoo dispensers may be provided for tub, shower, or lavatory use. | ||
| 4.10 | Ice | ||
| 4.10.1 | Ice used in a public accommodation facility must be made of water obtained from a water supply approved by the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Safe Drinking Water or the ice must be obtained from a food establishment approved by the Health Authority. | ||
| 4.10.2 | All ice-making machines must be certified by National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) or an equivalent third-party certification organization and located, installed, operated and maintained so as to prevent contamination of the ice. | ||
| 4.10.3 | The responsible person at the public accommodation facility must have and adhere to an appropriate or effective routine maintenance and cleaning schedule for ice machines. | ||
| 4.10.4 | Ice must be handled, transported and stored in a manner which protects it from contamination. | ||
| 4.10.5 | Ice machines that are provided for direct use by guests must be designed to dispense ice cubes automatically from a storage area, which is within the machine and is inaccessible to the guest. | ||
| 4.10.6 | Ice buckets, ice scoops and other containers and utensils used for ice, unless of a disposable/single-use type, must be made of a smooth, impervious material and designed to permit effective cleaning. Such containers and utensils must be cleaned and sanitized each day the guest room is occupied, and must be stored and handled in a sanitary manner. | ||
| 4.10.7 | New, disposable/single-use, food-grade plastic ice bucket liners must be provided each day that the guest room is occupied except when disposable/single-use ice buckets are being provided. | ||
| 4.11 | Tableware | ||
| 4.11.1 | Suitable areas and equipment must be provided for the cleaning, sanitizing, drying and storage of tableware. Such equipment must be installed and/or placed: | ||
| 4.11.1.1 | With a drain indirect to sewer; | ||
| 4.11.1.2 | On, at a minimum, a composite tile or other approved floor, with wall-to-floor junctures sealed with base coving; | ||
| 4.11.1.3 | In a room with a minimum 50 foot-candles of light measured 30 inches above the floor; | ||
| 4.11.1.4 | On adjacent walls with coverings of fiberglass-reinforced plastic paneling or equivalent where moisture is likely to occur; | ||
| 4.11.1.5 | In a room with an enclosed ceiling, finished with a smooth, washable surface; and | ||
| 4.11.1.6 | In a room maintained to prevent the contamination of equipment, tableware or utensils. | ||
| 4.11.2 | In-room cleaning and sanitizing of any tableware is permitted in a guest room with use of an in-room automatic dishwasher having a functional and/or adequate sanitizing cycle. | ||
| 4.11.3 | If the tableware is not cleaned using a dishwasher in the guest room, a sink with three (3) compartments and integral double drain boards or a dishwasher having a functional and/or adequate sanitizing cycle must be used in another area of the facility. All sinks must be certified by NSF or equivalent third party certification organization. | ||
| 4.11.4 | Dish tables and drain boards must be large enough to accommodate the separate proper handling of soiled and clean tableware. | ||
| 4.11.5 | A handwashing sink, supplied with hot and cold running water and dispenser-fed liquid soap and disposable towels, must be installed within any room, other than a guest room, used for washing tableware, utensils or glassware. | ||
| 4.11.6 | The Health Authority may approve any type of facility, device, or procedure for cleaning and sanitizing tableware if the responsible person demonstrates that it is effective and reliable for that purpose. | ||
| 4.11.7 | If no dishwashing facilities are available, single-use tableware only must be provided. | ||
| 4.11.8 | Manually washing and sanitizing | ||
| 4.11.8.1 | All tableware must be thoroughly washed in a reasonably clean solution that contains an effective concentration of detergent. | ||
| 4.11.8.2 | All tableware must be rinsed in clean warm water after washing. | ||
| 4.11.8.3 | All tableware, when manually washed, must be sanitized by immersion for 1 minute in a clean, sanitizing solution containing 50 ppm of available chlorine. | ||
| 4.11.8.4 | A test kit of reasonable accuracy, plus or minus 25%, must be used to test the available chlorine in the sanitizing solution. The proper test kit must be provided for each type of sanitizer used. | ||
| 4.11.8.5 | Other chemical agents which have been demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Health Authority to be effective and nontoxic without rinsing under conditions of use and for which a suitable test kit is available may be used in the sanitizing solution if the solution has a bactericidal effect equivalent to a solution containing 50 ppm of available chlorine. These other chemical agents include, but are not limited to, Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (Quats) at 200 ppm and Iodine at 12.5 ppm. | ||
| 4.11.8.6 | After being sanitized, all the tableware must be placed in a position permitting self-draining in a suitable area where it is allowed to air dry. | ||
| 4.11.9 | Storage and handling | ||
| 4.11.9.1 | All tableware must be stored at least six inches above floor level in a clean and dry location so that it is protected from splash, dust and other contamination. | ||
| 4.11.9.2 | All cleaned and sanitized tableware must be handled by employees of a public accommodation facility in such a manner that no part of their hands or clothing touch any surfaces of the tableware which will later be in contact with the food or the user’s mouth. | ||
| 4.11.9.3 | All cleaned tableware must be protected from contamination. Acceptable methods include, but are not limited to, wrapping, paper caps, a utensil drawer with an organizer, placement upside-down on a doily, cabinets, and bins. | ||
| 4.12 | Disposable/single-use articles | ||
| 4.12.1 | All disposable/single-use articles in a public accommodation facility must be stored in closed cartons or containers to protect the contents from contamination, and be handled and dispensed in a manner that will prevent contamination. | ||
| 4.12.2 | Disposable/single-use articles may be used only once. | ||
| 4.13 | Pets and service animals | ||
| 4.13.1 | No pet or service animal may be allowed to create a nuisance. | ||
| 4.13.2 | Animal wastes must be cleaned up as often as necessary to prevent nuisances, odors, and transmission of zoonotic diseases. | ||
Updated on: January 15, 2019