Health Regulations for Ice Factories

Health Regulations for Ice Factories Article (I): A municipal licence for the factory shall be obtained from the concerned municipality. Article (2): The factory shall be constructed at a location far from any source of pollution. Article (3): The factory shall be divided into three divisions as follows: First: Machinery cooling division. The following shall be provided: a) The floor shall be made of easy-to-clean cement tiles, and the walls and ceiling shall be coated with light oil paint. b) A swing door shall be fixed to separate this division from the ice-making division. Second: Ice-making division. The following shall be provided: a) The floor shall be made of easy-to-clean cement tiles and have a semicircular drain covered with iron grating sloping outwards into the inspection chamber and wastewater tank. The walls shall be covered with white tiles to a height of not less than two metres. b) Cooling and ice separation basins shall be made of cement, and be internally and externally lined with ceramic material or stainless metal. c) Stainless metal ice block holders. d) Stainless metal pectinated vibrators for removal of air from ice blocks, together with supports fitted to the walls to hold the blocks. e) Ice separation basin covered with wooden boards, with a stainless metal ribbon fixed to the edge of each cover on one side to fill the gaps between the boards. The basin water shall be changed after each separation of blocks of ice, and discharged through a hole underneath the basin connected with the circular drain. f) A table with raised edges on either side connecting the ice separation basin with the ice store, that should be sloped for easy handling of the ice. 38 Third:lce store division. The following shall be observed: a) It shall be constructed of cold-proof materials. b) Openings shall be made in the ,store towards the ice­ making place for delivery to the distribution place. c) Ice blocks shall be placed inside the store on thick wooden boards, the boards to be separated from one another by wooden spacers. Article (4): The water source used in making ice shall be potable and conform to the Sultanate standards. It shall be at a distance not less than 50 metres from the nearest source of pollution. Cooling water shall be from the same water source used in the ice making. Use of machinery to cool water in ice making is prohibited. Article (5): The salt used in making ice shall be suitable and impurity free. Article (6): Wrapping blocks of ice with canvas or worn-out pieces of cloth is prohibited and dragging blocks of ice on the floor is also prohibited. Article (7): The produced ice shall be clean and free from organisms causing diseases. All blocks of ice in which turbidity is observed shall be condemned. Article (8): Where the factory itself is distributing the ice, it shall be transported in refrigerated vehicles licensed by the concerned municipality. Article (9): Every person working in the factory shall have a valid card issued by the concerned authority. Such persons shall be medically examined once every year, or whenever necessary. Any worker infected by contagious disease shall be isolated and the concerned authority shall be immediately notified. Article (10):Workers shall wear suitable clothes, caps, boots and leather gloves to protect them from the cold during work. Article (I l ): Workers on cooling basins shall wash their feet each time prior to wearing their boots and they shall take off these boots after tmishing their work on the basins. 39 Article ( 12): Sufficient light and ventilation shall be provided inside the factory. Openings shall be covered by a wire mesh and electric shock insect trappings device shall be provided. Article (13):Workers shall be provided with a water closet with proper drainage, liquid soap and tissue paper and it shall not open directly into the other facilities of the factory. Article (14):A First Aid Kit shall be provided. Article ( 15): The requirements of the Directorate-General of Civil Defence, ROP shall be adhered to. 40