A portable handwash station for a harvest crew needs four things: a tank of water you can dispense hands-free or with one hand, soap, single-use towels and a way to catch or dispose of the wastewater. The tank must hold enough for the crew and the day, the station must stay where crews can reach it, and someone must refill and clean it. Everything else is detail.
Whether you are required to provide one depends on your farm and your crew, and this guide does not give legal advice. It points to the two federal rules that most often come up, summarizes what the official text says and tells you where to ask about your own farm.
What the federal rules say about handwashing
Two federal rules cover handwashing on farms, and they apply in different situations. Read both, then check with the agency or your extension service about which applies to you.
FDA Produce Safety Rule, 21 CFR 112.130. For covered farms, the rule says hand-washing facilities must be adequate and readily accessible for personnel during covered harvest, packing and holding activities, and during growing activities in fully enclosed buildings. The facilities must provide soap or another effective surfactant, running water that meets the rule's standard for water used to wash hands and a drying device such as single-service towels, a sanitary towel service or electric hand dryers. Waste from the facility, such as wastewater and used towels, must be disposed of properly, and wastewater must be kept from contaminating produce, food-contact surfaces and water sources. Antiseptic hand rubs cannot replace soap and water.
OSHA field sanitation, 29 CFR 1928.110. This standard applies where eleven or more employees are doing hand-labor in the field on a given day, which includes hand-harvesting and hand-packing in the field but not work in permanent structures like packing houses. It requires one handwashing facility for every twenty employees or fraction of that, placed near the toilet facilities and within a quarter-mile walk of each worker, or at the point of closest vehicle access if the terrain makes that impractical. The facility is a basin, container or outlet with an adequate supply of potable water, soap and single-use towels. Water must be refilled as needed and the facility kept clean. Workers doing field work for three hours or less, including travel time, are exempt.
That is a summary of two long regulations. They have definitions, exceptions and effective dates, and they change. Use the sources at the end, and ask your state agriculture department or extension service whether and how they apply to your farm and crew. Nothing here is a statement that your station meets any rule.
Types of portable stations
| Type | How it works | Best for | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravity tank with spigot | Water flows from a raised tank through a valve or push-button | Fields, small crews | Tank volume, spigot flow, how the valve resists leaks |
| Foot-pump unit | A pedal pumps water to a faucet, leaving hands free | Crews that need hands-free use | Pump durability, faucet reach, tank size |
| Sink on a stand or trailer | Basin, faucet, tanks for fresh and waste water | Larger crews, fixed packing areas | Tank sizes, weight, tow or lift method |
| Insulated or heated models | Keeps water usable in cool conditions | Cold weather | Power source, manual, outdoor rating |
The best type depends on crew size and place. A gravity tank is cheap and simple. A sink on a stand is better when a crew handles produce all day, and a foot-pump unit is useful when you want people to avoid touching a valve with dirty hands.
Tank size and refilling
Tank size is the number that most buyers get wrong. A small tank empties quickly and needs frequent refills, and a large tank is heavy and awkward to move. Think about how many people will use it, how often they should wash and how long the crew works between refills. Then check the listing for the fresh water volume, the waste water volume and whether they are separate.
- Fresh tank opening: a wide fill hole makes refilling quick. Check there is a cap that keeps dust and insects out.
- Water source: if you fill from a hose, the hose should be suitable for drinking water. Check the listing.
- Waste tank: is it separate, how big is it and how do you empty it? A station that fills its waste tank faster than the fresh tank empties will overflow.
- Weight when full: check whether you can lift or move the unit when full, and where you will fill it.
- Material: check the maker's wording on materials that touch water and whether they are food-contact or potable-water rated.
Compare fresh and waste tank sizes, the dispensing method (foot pump, valve or faucet) and the weight when full. Used stands and basins can be fine if clean and leak-free.
Drainage and wastewater
The FDA rule asks that wastewater be disposed of properly and kept away from produce, food-contact surfaces and water sources. In practice that means choosing a station with a waste tank or a drain that leads somewhere sensible, and placing it away from crop rows and wash lines.
- Place the station on level, firm ground with room for people to stand without crowding.
- Put it downhill and away from product, crates and wash water sources.
- Check whether the unit drains into a tank, a bucket or onto the ground, and where local rules allow wastewater to go.
- Keep a plan for emptying the waste tank each day. Leaving it full invites odor and spills.
Soap, towels and bins
Both rules call for soap and a way to dry hands, and OSHA specifically names single-use towels. A station is only as good as its supplies, so budget for them.
- Soap dispenser: a pump or push bottle fixed to the stand, so it does not get dropped in the dirt.
- Towel holder: a holder that keeps paper towels dry and feeds one at a time.
- Waste bin: a lidded bin for used towels, close enough to the station to use. The FDA rule includes used single-service towels in the waste it covers.
- Restock routine: assign someone to check soap, towels and water at the start of each shift.
Choose dispensers that mount to a stand or wall and towels that suit the holder. Check the soap label for use on hands.
Placement, freeze protection and upkeep
Put the station where crews will use it. Near the exit from the field or between the toilet facilities and the work area is typical, and the OSHA text sets a distance limit for field crews. For packing areas, put it at the door to the packing room so people wash on the way in.
- Cold weather: water freezes in tanks, taps and hoses. Drain or protect the unit; see the winter packing shed guide for freeze protection gear. Heated stations follow their manuals.
- Cleaning: wipe the basin, faucet and soap dispenser daily. The cleaning brush guide has brush types for tanks and fittings.
- Gloves: handwashing still applies when crews wear gloves. See the cut-resistant glove guide for glove choices, and check the glove label for care.
- Connected washing: the wash station guide covers the produce wash line, which is separate from the handwash station.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a handwash station for my harvest crew?
It depends on your farm and crew. The FDA produce rule covers covered farms and OSHA's field sanitation standard applies when eleven or more workers do hand-labor in the field. Ask your state agriculture department or extension service.
What should a portable handwash station include?
Both rules mention soap and a way to dry hands, and OSHA names potable water and single-use towels. The FDA rule also asks that wastewater be disposed of properly.
How big should the tank be?
Size it to the number of people, how often they wash and how long between refills. Check the fresh and waste tank volumes on the listing and make sure you can move the unit when full.
Can hand sanitizer replace soap and water?
Under the FDA produce rule, antiseptic hand rubs cannot replace soap and water. Check the rule text and your agency for how it applies to you.
Where should the station go?
Where crews will use it: near the toilet facilities and work area in the field, and at the entrance to a packing room. OSHA sets a distance limit for field crews of a quarter-mile walk.
Sources and verification
The handwashing requirements summarized above come from the two federal rules below, read in October 2026. They are summaries of regulation text, not legal advice, and effective dates and exceptions apply. No tank volumes, flow rates or product ratings are quoted; check each listing and the maker's manual, and ask your state agriculture department or extension service which rules cover your farm.
- eCFR, 21 CFR 112.130, Hand-washing facilities (FDA Produce Safety Rule): soap, running water, drying devices, waste disposal, antiseptic rubs.
- eCFR, 29 CFR 1928.110, Field sanitation (OSHA): eleven-employee threshold, one facility per twenty employees, distance, supplies, upkeep, three-hour exemption.