Design of an Improved Portable Hand-washing Facility

Rod Gurganus, director of N.C. MarketReady, the Cooperative Extension outreach of N.C. State’s Plants for Human Health Institute, and Dr. Gary Roberson, Extension specialist in N.C. State’s Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, lead the effort to develop hand-washing station that are functional, practical and easier to construct for N.C. growers. With the new facilities, farming operations can reduce food safety risks associated with worker hygiene in the fields, as well as limit costs by building custom hand-washing stations versus renting or purchasing more expensive commercial stations.

The original, larger prototype was constructed for commercial use in farm fields, but grower feedback during field tests underscored the need for a second, smaller hand-washing unit for use at farmers markets. An overview of the design phases is provided for each hand-washing station prototype, respectively.

Read the full news release here.

Hand-washing Units Overview (PDF)
Download and share this handout at Cooperative Extension county centers, events, trainings or directly with producers. Includes concise details about the two N.C. State hand-washing units as well as several others to provide options for small- to large-scale agricultural operations.

LARGE STATION

SMALL STATION

*The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center’s Agricultural Advancement Consortium awarded N.C. State University $24,000 in grant funding for the “Design of an Improved Portable Hand Washing Facility.”