University of Alberta

Food Policy

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Segregation of Food and Hazardous Products

as of January 27, 2009, this policy has been rescinded
 
Overview:
Given that we may deal with a variety of hazardous products in our work, we need to take measures to avoid injuring ourselves by inadvertently ingesting these materials.
Purpose:
To reduce the chance of personal injury from ingesting some hazardous material at the worksite by clearly separating areas where hazardous material are stored or used from those where food is kept.
Food Policy in the Department of Biological Sciences:
Food shall not be consumed, stored or processed in any room or area where hazardous materials such as chemicals, radioisotopes or microbiological agents are stored or handled. A room where food can be stored shall consist of four walls with a ceiling and a door which can be closed.
Basically you can use a room either to keep hazardous materials or for food items, but you cannot keep both in the same room.

Discussion:
The goal of this policy for the department of Biological Sciences is to clarify what degree of separation is required to protect workers. While it is still possible for a worker to ingest hazardous materials even if food is not stored in a laboratory, the chance of this happening should be reduced if they are physically separated. A secondary purpose is to make it apparent to everyone that separate spaces are designated for handling hazardous material and for eating. Simply designating a corner of a lab as a coffee area is not sufficiently distinct and that is why a separate room is required. Some labs have student desks and there should not be eating or drinking just because you are sitting at the desk.

There is a cafeteria in the Biological Sciences building as well as several lunch areas with microwaves and refrigerators that workers can use. Just because it is inconvenient to have to travel to a lunch area is not sufficient reason to eat/drink in a laboratory.

There is provincial legislation that refers to eating and drinking at the worksite. Part 4 of the Occupational Health and Safety Code (2003) addresses the protection of workers from exposure to hazardous substances at the worksite. The goal is to keep worker exposure to harmful substances as low as practicable and to separate areas where these substances occur from areas where eating and drinking are permitted.

Part 4 Chemical Hazards, Biological Hazards and Harmful Substances
 

Worker exposure to harmful substances
16(1) An employer must ensure that a worker's exposure to any substance listed in Schedule 1, Table 2 is kept as low as reasonably practicable, and does not exceed its occupational exposure limit.
  Prohibited activities
25(1) An employer must ensure that workers do not eat, drink or smoke tobacco in a part of a work site contaminated by a harmful substance.
(2) A worker must not eat, drink or smoke tobacco in a part of a work site contaminated by a harmful substance.
The code is explicit about the separation of food and smoking from areas where asbestos, silica, coal dust and lead occur:
  29(1) An employer must ensure that only a person authorized by the employer or by law to do so enters a restricted area.
(2) An employer must post signs that clearly indicate that
(a) asbestos, silica, coal dust or lead are present in the area,
(b) only authorized persons may enter the area, and
(c) eating, drinking and smoking are prohibited in the area.

This food policy is based on this legislation and is intended to clarify the standard that will be adopted within our department.

original: May 20, 2005
revised: Feb/09

Last Modified: 2010-03-18