General Discussion - ElaineW

Hi Elaine,

This is the response to your question that you asked, “We are wondering if a sink is required in every room where we see patients or is a hand sanitizer is all we need?”

Hand sanitizer

First and foremost, hand sanitizer or a similar cleansing agent is required in the facility (as I’m sure you know).

Related standards:

• 1910.141(d)(2)(iii) – Hand soap or similar cleansing agents shall be provided.

Handwash Requirements

That being said, a sink is not mandated in each patient room if not feasible. In lieu of handwashing facilities, the employer must provide appropriate hand cleanser in conjunction with paper towels or other appropriate towelettes. Following that, employees must wash their hands or any other skin immediately or as soon as feasible after removing gloves, other personal protective equipment (PPE) or after exposure to blood or potentially infectious materials. Additionally, even though a sink is not required in each room, an employee should not have to travel so far to wash their hands that surface contamination in a broad area becomes a risk (see the linked letter of interpretation from OSHA for more information).

Related Standards

• 1910.1030(d)(2)(iii) - Employers shall provide handwashing facilities which are readily accessible to employees.
• 1910.1030(d)(2)(iv) - When provision of handwashing facilities is not feasible, the employer shall provide either an appropriate antiseptic hand cleanser in conjunction with clean cloth/paper towels or antiseptic towelettes. When antiseptic hand cleansers or towelettes are used, hands shall be washed with soap and running water as soon as feasible.
• 1910.1030(d)(2)(v) - Employers shall ensure that employees wash their hands immediately or as soon as feasible after removal of gloves or other personal protective equipment.
• 1910.1030(d)(2)(vi) - Employers shall ensure that employees wash hands and any other skin with soap and water, or flush mucous membranes with water immediately or as soon as feasible following contact of such body areas with blood or other potentially infectious materials.
• Related Letter of Interpretation from OSHA

Future Technical Support

I hope that this answers your question! As something to keep in mind for the future, technical support such as this is included with all of our OSHA compliance packages (for a 4 year period). In fact, I was able to pull the answer from your question from our OSHA Welcome Kit for Physicians. So if you have any future questions or are in need of OSHA compliance solutions, please do keep us in mind! Here is a link to our OSHA products should you be interested.

We are wondering if a sink is required in every room where we see patients or is a hand sanitizer is all we need.