5. Review, Verify, and Organize Equipment

After conducting the sanitation walkthrough, the sanitation captain should begin the process of reviewing, verifying, and confirming equipment using the rental list.

First, the sanitation captain should carefully review the rental list. In this, the sanitation captain should attend to details on rented equipment, house equipment, and any additional instructions.

Then, the sanitation captain should organize rented equipment for check-in, grouping items by type. This will streamline the process of check-in.

Next, the sanitation captain should verify all rental equipment during check-in. This involves ensuring every item is present, functional, and in good condition. This requires confirming, documenting and reporting discrepancies immediately.

Essential Equipment

The sanitation captain should become familiar with the essential equipment below.

Some equipment is used to store and transport both rental items and house items. This equipment is often used during both setup and breakdown.

• Flip-Lid Storage Totes or Containers: Holds large rental items and house items, such as appliances (often stackable)

• Rack Loader and Racks: Holds smaller rental items and house items, such as glassware, dishware, utensils, and silverware

• Crates and Bins: Holds and separates a variety of smaller rental items and house items, such as glassware, dishware, utensils, silverware, linens, décor, and food and beverage ingredients

Other equipment is used to protect the venue from damage and to ensure sanitation station cleanliness. This equipment is often used during setup, execution, and breakdown.

• Floor Protectors or Painter’s Paper: Shield floors from water, liquid waste, and dry waste damage (often also used on tables)

• Dry Mop: Keeps floor free from water or liquid waste

• Broom and Dustpan: Keeps floor free from dry waste

• Rags or Cloths: Keeps surfaces free from water or liquid waste

• Masking Tape: Secures items without causing surface damage and provides a resource for labels and/or signage

Still other equipment is used for structuring the sanitation station. This equipment is used during setup and execution.

• Screens: Hide the sanitation station(s) from guests’ view

• Tables: Provide the essential workspace for sorting, stacking, and organizing equipment within the sanitation station. There are generally large tables (often 6’ x 30”) and smaller tables (often side tables)

• Garbage Cans: Collect waste inside of garbage bags (often 30-gallon or “Slim Jims”)

• Garbage Bags: Hold waste

• Lexans and Bussing Pans (with strainers): Collect liquid waste and separate liquid waste from dry waste

• Empty Rack Loaders and Racks: Provide the space to accommodate the flow of soiled items throughout the event

• Crates and Bins (with bag lining): Collect soiled items

  • Utensil bin: Holds soiled utensils

  • Linen bin: Holds soiled linens

• Spillage or Water Pan: Collect soiled items in lieu of crates and bins

• Disposable Broken Glass Box: Collect broken glass for safe disposal

• Skewer Bottle: Collects used skewers from beverages and hors d'oeuvres for sanitation or safe disposal

• Trays: Provide the service professional team the ability to safely transport items to and from the sanitation station

In addition to these items, the sanitation captain should be particularly thoughtful about wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as gloves, in the event they have contact with chemicals or irritants.

Of course, different service types require the use of different equipment, which the modules on sanitation station setup discuss.