Sanitary Conditions & Methods of Waste Disposal

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poor sanitation can cause ringworm, scabies, salmonella and other diseases and conditions. The United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires all workplaces to be as clean as the nature of the work allows, and has set forth sanitation requirements to ensure that workers remain safe, healthy and happy in the workplace.

Sanitation

• Part 1910 of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards mandates that in a workplace, the floor shall be kept as dry as possible. In areas that cannot avoid getting wet, appropriate drainage, platforms, mats or other dry standing areas must be provided. Failing that, employers must provide workers with waterproof footwear. Every area of a workplace must be free from hazards like loose boards and protruding nails.

Waste Receptacles

• According to part 1910.141(a)(4)(i) of the OSHA standards, containers used for solid or liquid waste or garbage must be made sturdy enough that it doesn't leak. The receptacle should be cleaned thoroughly and regularly, and must come with a solid "tight-fitting" cover unless it can be kept clean without a cover.

Emptying Containers

• The number, location and size of containers used for food or waste disposal depends on the size of the building. There should be enough waste containers so that people use them regularly, but they cannot become over-filled. Section 1910.141(g)(3) of OSHA Standard 29 requires receptacles with trash in them to be emptied at least once each working day.

Pest Control

• Parts 1910.141(a)(4)(ii) and 1910.141(a)(5) require workplaces to frequently remove all floor sweepings, waste material and other garbage to avoid "creating a menace to health." If rodents, insects or other pests are introduced to the environment, the workplace must enact a regular and effective extermination program until the pests are eradicated.