Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113952. Section 113952.
Food employees shall keep their hands and exposed portions of their arms clean.
ARTICLE 4. Handwashing [113952. - 113963.]
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 4.
in effectCal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113953. Section 113953.
(a)
Handwashing facilities shall be provided within or adjacent to toilet rooms. The number of handwashing facilities required shall be in accordance with local building and plumbing codes.
(b)
(1)
Except as otherwise provided in Section 114358, food facilities constructed or extensively remodeled after January 1,
1996, that handle nonprepackaged food, shall provide facilities exclusively for handwashing in food preparation areas and in warewashing areas that are not located within or immediately adjacent to food preparation areas. Handwashing facilities shall be sufficient in number and conveniently located so as to be accessible at all times for use by food employees.
(2)
The handwashing facility shall be separated from the warewashing sink by a metal splashguard with a height of at least 6 inches, that extends from the back edge of the drainboard to the front edge of the drainboard, the corners of the barrier to be rounded. No splashguard is required if the distance between the handwashing sink and the warewashing sink drainboards is 24 inches or more.
(c)
Handwashing facilities shall be equipped to provide warm water under pressure for a minimum of 15 seconds through a mixing valve or
combination faucet. If the temperature of water provided to a handwashing sink is not readily adjustable at the faucet, the temperature of the water shall be at least 100°F, but not greater than 108°F.
(d)
An automatic handwashing facility may be installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
(e)
Notwithstanding subdivision (b), the enforcement agency may allow handwashing facilities other than those required by this section when it deems that the alternate facilities are adequate.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113953.1. Section 113953.1.
(a)
A handwashing facility shall be clean, unobstructed, and accessible at all times for employee use.
(b)
A handwashing facility shall not be used for purposes other than handwashing.
(c)
Employees shall not clean their hands in a sink used for food preparation, warewashing, or in a service sink or a curbed cleaning facility used for the disposal of mop water and similar liquid
waste.
(d)
Notwithstanding subdivision (c), a warewashing sink may be used for handwashing as specified in Section 114125.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113953.2. Section 113953.2.
A handwashing facility shall be provided with the following in dispensers at, or adjacent to, each handwashing facility:
(a)
Handwashing cleanser.
(b)
Sanitary single-use towels or a heated-air hand drying device.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113953.3. Section 113953.3.
(a)
Except as specified in subdivisions (b) and (c), all employees shall thoroughly wash their hands and that portion, if any, of their arms exposed to direct food contact with cleanser and warm water by vigorously rubbing together the surfaces of their lathered hands and arms for at least 10 to 15 seconds and thoroughly rinsing with clean running water followed by drying of cleaned hands and that portion, if any, of their arms exposed. Employees shall pay particular attention to the areas underneath the fingernails and between the fingers. Employees shall wash their hands in all of the following instances:
(1)
Immediately before engaging in food preparation, including working
with nonprepackaged food, clean equipment and utensils, and unwrapped single-use food containers and utensils.
(2)
After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean, exposed portions of arms.
(3)
After using the toilet room.
(4)
After caring for or handling any animal allowed in a food facility pursuant to this part.
(5)
After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating, or drinking.
(6)
After handling soiled equipment or utensils.
(7)
During food preparation, as often as necessary
to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross-contamination when changing tasks.
(8)
When switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food.
(9)
Before initially donning gloves for working with food.
(10)
Before dispensing or serving food or handling clean tableware and serving utensils in the food service area.
(11)
After engaging in other activities that contaminate the hands.
(b)
If approved and capable of removing the types of soils encountered in the food operations involved, an automatic handwashing facility may be used by food employees to clean their
hands.
(c)
A food facility may incorporate an alternate glove use procedure in which double gloves are worn to handle raw animal proteins. The loose-fitting outer glove shall be removed in a manner to prevent cross-contamination of the tight-fitting inner glove before the inner glove is used as a barrier to bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113953.4. Section 113953.4.
(a)
A hand antiseptic used as a topical application, a hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip, or a hand antiseptic soap shall meet either one of the following requirements:
(1)
Be an approved drug that is listed in the FDA publication Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations as an approved drug based on safety and effectiveness.
(2)
Have active antimicrobial ingredients that are
listed in the FDA monograph for OTC Antiseptic Health-Care Drug Products as an antiseptic handwash.
(b)
In addition to the requirements of subdivision (a), the hand antiseptic used as a topical application, hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip, or hand antiseptic soap shall meet either one of the following requirements:
(1)
Have components that are exempted from the requirement of being listed in federal Food Additive regulations as specified in 21 CFR 170.39– Threshold of regulation for substances used in food-contact articles.
(2)
Comply with, and be listed in, either of the following federal regulations:
(A)
21 CFR 178 – Indirect Food Additives: Adjuvants, Production Aids, and Sanitizers as regulated for use as a Food Additive with conditions
of safety use.
(B)
21 CFR 182 – Substances Generally Recognized as Safe, 21 CFR 184 – Direct Food Substances Affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe, or 21 CFR 186 – Indirect Food Substances Affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe for use in contact with food.
(c)
A hand antiseptic used as a topical application, a hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip, or a hand antiseptic soap that meets the requirements of subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be applied only to hands that are cleaned in a manner described in Section 113953.3.
(d)
If a hand antiseptic or a hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip does not meet the requirements of subdivision (b), the hand antiseptic or hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip may be used only if its use is either of the following:
(1)
Followed by thorough hand rinsing in clean water before hand contact with food directly or with the use of gloves.
(2)
Limited to situations where bare hands do not come in direct contact with food.
(e)
A hand antiseptic solution used as a hand dip shall be maintained clean and at a strength equivalent to at least 100 mg/l chlorine.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113953.5. Section 113953.5.
(a)
Except as specified in subdivision (b), a sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands shall be posted at all handwashing lavatories used by food employees, and shall be clearly visible to food employees.
(b)
This section does not apply to toilet rooms in guestrooms of restricted food service facilities.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113961. Section 113961.
(a)
Food employees shall minimize bare hand and arm contact with nonprepackaged food that is in a ready-to-eat form.
(b)
Food employees shall use nonlatex utensils, including scoops, forks, tongs, paper wrappers, gloves, or other implements, to assemble ready-to-eat food or to place ready-to-eat food on tableware or in other containers. However, food employees may assemble or place on tableware or in other containers ready-to-eat food in an approved food preparation area without using utensils if hands are cleaned in accordance with Section 113953.3.
(c)
Food that has been served to the consumer and then wrapped or prepackaged at the direction of the consumer shall be handled only with utensils. These utensils shall be properly sanitized before reuse.
Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 113963. Section 113963.
Consistent with Section 113952, a food employee working in any food facility, as defined in Section 113789 of the Health and Safety Code, shall be permitted to wash their hands every 30 minutes and additionally as needed.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026