Health Requirements in Designing and Building up of Projects with Public Designation

Note:
The Health Act (HA) stipulates the issuance of bylaws pertaining to its application with regard to the provision of healthy vital environment, which shall regulate the health requirements for the design and construction of Projects of public designation.
Pursuant to § 38 of the Transitional and Final Provisions of the Health Act the bylaws for the application of the Health Act shall be adopted within a one-year time limit from the entry of the Health Act into force (i.e. until 31.12.2005). By then on the grounds of § 39 of the Transitional and Final Provisions of the Health Act the issued statutory instruments relating to the revoked Public Health Act (PHA) shall be applied in so far as they are not in contradiction with the new Health Act. Owing to that the bylaws stipulated I this procedure shall be applied until the issuance of instrument with regard to the application of the Health Act in so far as they are not in conflict with it.
After the adoption of the relevant bylaws relating to the application of the Health Act with regard to the health requirements during the design and construction of Projects with public significance, the procedure shall be brought into line with them.

Competent Authorities
The national health care system is run by the Minister of Health, who exercises control over the activities relating to the preservation of the health of the citizens and the state health care control - Art. 5, para 1, item 1 of the Health Act. Aimed at the provision of healthy vital environment the state, the municipalities, the juristic and natural persons implement their activities providing for the preservation of the vital environment from hazardously affecting human health biological, chemical, physical and social factors. During the implementation of their activities the juristic and natural persons shall be obligated to observe the established health care requirements - Art. 31 of the Health Act.
The Minister of Health shall run the national system for analysis, evaluation and control over the noise in the urbanized territories and public buildings, contaminants in foodstuffs and potable waters. The Minister of Health shall analyze and evaluate the factors of the vital environment at a national level and shall propose measures for the restriction of their hazardous impact over the health of the citizens. The Regional Inspectorates for Preservation and Control over Public Health (RIPCPH) shall monitor, analyze and evaluate the factors of vital environment on the territory of the region and shall propose measures for the restriction of their hazardous impact over the health of the citizens - Art. 32 of the Health Act (HA).
The health care requirements during the design and building up of sites with public designation shall be defined by an ordinance of the Minister of Health and the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works - Art. 34, para 1 of the HA.
The health care requirements for sites with public designation, the products and goods of significance for human health and the activities of significance for human health as well as the maximally admissible levels of factor of vital environment shall be defined by ordinances of the Minister of Health unless another law stipulates otherwise - Art. 34, para 2 of HA.
The health care requirements to persons, working in children's establishments, the specialized institutions for children and aged people, the water supply sites, the enterprises, which produce or trade with foodstuffs, the barber's, beauty parlors shall be defined by an Ordinance of the Minister of Health - Art. 34, para 3 of the HA.

State Health Care Control
To provide for the protection of the health of the citizens on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria state health care control is exercised for the observation and fulfillment of the established by a statutory instrument health care requirements for the sites with public designation, the products, goods and activities of significance for human health and the factors of vital environment - Art. 11 of the HA.
Pursuant to Art. 12 of HA the state health control authorities are the Chief State Health Inspector of the Republic of Bulgaria, Regional inspectorates for public health protection and control (RIPHPC) and the National Centre for Radiobiology and Radiation Protection (NCRRP).
The state health control shall be performed by state health inspectors at the Ministry of Health, RIPHPC and NCRRP. The state health inspectors at the Ministry of Health and RIPHPC are civil servants.
The state health care inspector shall organize and run the state health care control.
The state policy for preservation of public health and the state health care control on the territory of the relevant region shall be exercised by RIPCPH. The state health care control for the observation of the requirements for protection of the people from the impact of ionizing radiations shall be exercised by RIPCPH and NRRPC defined by the Minister of Health - Art. 15, para 1 and 2 of the HA.
Pursuant to Art. 17, para 1, item 1 of HA one of the key activities of RIPCPH is toimplement an activity for control over the observation of the health care requirements to sites with public designation, the products, goods and activities of significance for human health and the vital environment factors.
The state health care control shall be exercised systematically - without preliminary notification, and in a directed manner - in events of signals received from citizens, state and municipal authorities and organizations, as well as in event of availability of other data about incidents occurred. During the exercise of the state health care control the state health care inspectors shall be entitled:
1. To free access to the sites, products, goods, activities and persons subject to control;
2. To require information and documents and to receive copies of them on paper and/or electronic bearer;
3. To take samples and specimens for laboratory analyses in quantities needed for the conduct of tests;
4. To conduct of examinations and tests for the evaluation of the health status of the persons pursuant to Art. 34, para 3 of HA (the persons, working in health establishments, the specialized institutions for children and aged people, the water supply sites, the enterprises, which produce or trade with foodstuffs, the barber's, beauty parlors);
5. To prescribe suspension from work of persons, who are ill or who are infection bearers and constitute hazard for the health of people around them;
6. To instruct the conduct of mandatory hygiene and anti-epidemic measures, defining terms for their execution;
7. To place certifying signs in the events pursuant to Art. 38 and 39 HA (in event of non-observation of the health care requirements in sites with public designation and in events of doubt for the safety of products, goods and activities of significance for human health);
8. To draw up instruments for the establishment of administrative violations;
9. To make proposals for compulsory administrative measures stipulated in a law.
The compulsory administrative measures shall be imposed by an order of the directors of RIPCPH. The conditions and the procedure for the exercise of state health care control shall be defined by an Ordinance of the Minister of Health - Art. 19, para 1 - 4 of HA. The authorities of the state health care control shall participate in the membership of the expert boards on territorial structure, coordinate in events of need structural schemes and plans, participate in the evaluation of the compliance of investment projects, when it is performed by adoption by an expert board of the approving administration or at the request of natural or juristic persons, provide for a standpoint on the readiness of the constructions for commissioning in accordance with the procedure established by the Territorial Structure Act - Art. 35 of the HA.
In event of non-observation of the health care requirements in sites with public designation of the products, goods and activities of significance for human health and of the maximum admissible levels and effects of environmental factors the state health care inspectors shall provide for mandatory instructions and shall define a term for the elimination of the violations. In event of non-fulfillment of the mandatory instructions within the defined term, the director of RIPCPH, respectively the director of NRRPC, shall issue an order for the suspension of the operation of the Project or of parts of it or for the suspension of the relevant activity until the elimination of the violations. In the events when there is direct hazard for the life and health of people, for dissemination of infectious diseases or for the occurrence of poisonings, the state health care inspectors shall promptly suspend by instructions the operation of the Project or of parts of it or of the relevant activity, define measures for the elimination of the violations and shall promptly notify the director of RIPCPH.
The director of RIPCPH, respectively the director of NRRPC, shall within a time limit of 24 hours from the suspension of the Project issue an order, by which he shall confirm or revoke the instruction given for the suspension of the operation of the Project or of the relevant activity. During the fulfillment of the mandatory instructions and the defined measures the authority, which issued the order, shall permit by an order the resumption of the activity or the operation of the Project - Art. 38 HA.

Hygiene Standards and Sanitation Regulations for Business Establishments
The hygiene standards and requirements and the sanitation regulations of establishments subject to state sanitary control are treated in the regulatory bylaws, issued pursuant to the revoked Public Health Act (PHA) and the regulations for its implementation and are applied considering the purpose and the type of the establishment.

I. Establishments for Production, Retailing and Service of Food
The legal basis is Regulation 5 of 25-th of May, 2006 for Food Hygiene.
The Regulation is applied for all the stages of production, remaking and distribution of foods, including the initial production of foods, except for the cases when there were not specified special requirements for the food hygiene in other regulatory act - Art. 1, para 2 of the Regulation No 5.
By the Regulation No 5 shall be determined the hygiene requirements toward the producers and traders of foods, including toward the persons, who carry out the initial production of foods and the related to this production activities, to the initial production of foods, to the establishments for production and trade with foods and to the conditions of production and retailing with foods - Art. 1, para 1 of the Regulation No 5.
When the necessities of production process impose, in the foodstuffs' retail trading sites shall be provided:
1. enogh equipment for cleaning, disinfection and safe-keeping of the working stock and installations;
2. conditions for food washing out, each wash-basin or outfit for washing out of foods shall be supplied with enogh quantity hot and/or cold drinking water according to the requirements for water-supply of the sites and shall be kept clean, and if necessary - it shall be disinfected - Art. 22 of Regulation No 5).
The food trade and manufacture establishments, including in the sanitary premises shall be provided with suitable outfits for ventilation by natural or mechanical manner. The ventilation system shall be designed by a way, which assures easy access for cleaning and replacement of filters and other parts. The mechanical integral ventilation shall be constructed by a way, that doesn't allow entry of polluted air in the premises - Art. 16 of the Regulation No 5.
The establishments for production and retail with foods shall be provided with a sufficient number lavatories - Art. 14 of the Regulation No 5.

II. Temporary Accommodation Establishments
The legal regulation is based on Regulation 15 of the MH for hygiene requirements of the structure and operation of establishments for temporary accommodation.
The above Regulation treats the hygiene requirements to the structure, equipment and operation of establishments for temporary accommodation - hotels, motels, tourist chalets and hostels.
Activities which are detrimental to the surrounding environment are not allowed to be carried out on the premises of these establishments.
The establishments shall be provided with sufficient quantity of water, which meets the requirements of BDS 2823-83 for potable water.
The dwelling areas of these facilities shall not be furnished with bunk beds, plank beds or folding beds.
The proprietor or the managers of the establishment shall ensure:
1. Maintenance of the buildings and the technical facilities;
2. Maintenance of water supply, sewerage, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and power supply systems in proper technological repair and condition;
3. Refurbishing wallpaper and decorating the premises every three years;
4. Replacing flooring on wearing and surface cracks;
5. Special work clothing, personal safety guards and shoes for the establishment's employees;
6. Supply of cleaning, washing and disinfecting substances;
7. Supply of bed clothes, towels and their regular replacement;
8. Maintaining hygiene of the facilities by cleaning and disinfecting the premises at least once a day depending on their functions;
9. Maintaining cleanliness of the adjacent territory;
10. Effective control of all areas for presence of insects and rodents, and measures to minimize their presence.
Storage of bedclothes and other inventory is not allowed in the employees' living quarters.
Chambermaids at the establishment are subject to annual medical checks. The results of the medical checks shall be entered in the personal medical records of the employees, which shall be kept on the premises.

III. Barber's, Hairdresser's and Cosmetic Salons
The hygiene standards and requirements for this type of establishments have been defined in Regulation 15 of the MH, which treats the hygiene requirements for barber's, hairdresser's and cosmetic salons.
Barber's, hairdresser's and cosmetic salons must be set up in separate rooms, built or transformed for the purpose. Entrance halls should precede the main area.
Ladies' and men's areas shall be technically separated.
Cosmetic services on men and women shall be carried out on the same premises but at different times following appointments schedule.
The salons must be planned to have the following floor areas per one customer chair:
barber's (manicure, pedicure) salons - 6.00 sq m; hairdressing salons - 8.00 sq m, cosmetic salons - 9,6 sq m (8.00 sq m in separate cubicles for two or more chairs attended at the same time).
Service chairs must be at least 1.00 m apart, and the distance from the last chair to the wall at least 0.80 m.
Separate service stations (laboratories) of 2 sq m area per customer or of 4 sq m minimum total area shall be set up in the cosmetic salons for preparation of wax.
Separate reception areas must be provided. They must have a floor area of not less than 2,5 sq m for each customer chair where the salon is designed for up to 10 customer chairs and 1,5 sq m for each additional chair. A salon of up to three chairs must be provided with a suitable space for a reception area and a stand for outer garments 1.5 m away from the customer chairs.
Each service chair should be provided with a work table and a washbasin with cold and hot water; for hairdressing salons also with two hairdryer hoods and a hairdryer and for cosmetic salons with a swivel stool, a chair and a pedal waste bin apart from the cosmetic chair and the couch for visitors.
The salons shall observe double volume air exchange per hour and the windows must have ventilation flaps.
The salons must be supplied with water which meets BDS 2823-83 for potable water.
All sewage shall be disposed of by the public sewerage system of the municipality and if not available it shall be directed to a cess-pit.
Salons of up to five customer chairs should be provided with a common toilet for the staff, for more than five customer chairs there must be separate toilets for men and women.

IV. Pharmacies
The legal regulation is Regulation 8 of the MH for the Structure, Organization System and Operation Order of Pharmacies and the Nomenclature of Medicinal Products.
This Regulation treats the structure, the organization order of pharmacies, the nomenclature of pharmaceutical products and the cosmetic, sanitary and hygiene products sold there.
The exterior and the interior design of the pharmacy premises must be in compliance with the nature of the specific activities carried out in them.
1. The pharmacy furniture must have smooth surface finish, which is easy to clean and disinfect.
2. The furnishings and their layout must allow easy access to the pharmaceutical products for those working in the store.
3. The work places in the reception and the service areas must be organised in a way which allows continuous control of the pharmacist on the work of the assistant pharmacist.
Depending on the volume of service, separate sections can be set up in the service area for delivering pharmaceutical products with or without prescription, sale of cosmetic or sanitary products.
Each service section shall be provided with shelves or racks fitted high with glass, ensuring proper storage of pharmaceutical products as well as fast and easy service.
Medicines which contains poisonous substances shall be stored in a cabinet with a secret/coded lock.
No medical supplies containing narcotic substances shall be stored in the reception area.
The assistant's premises shall be equipped with a worktable and facilities and apparatuses necessary for the pharmacy operation.
The storage area shall be furnished with the following:
1. Racks and shelves and/or closed cabinets;
2. A refrigerator of sufficient volume for storing thermo-liable products.
3. A metal cabinet or a bunker for storage of inflammable or combustible medical supplies;
4. A cabinet with a secret/coded lock for storing medicines which contain poisonous substances.
The pharmacy's personnel shall wear work shoes and white coats with an identification badge with the name and the qualification of the person.

V. Farming Supply Stores (Farming Pharmacies)
The legal regulation is Regulation 11 for sanitary and hygiene requirements to the structure and operation of farming supplies stores.
This Regulation treats the sanitation and hygiene requirements to the structure and operation of farming supplies stores with the purpose to enforce proper storage and sale of strong poisonous substances and to prevent their harmful effect on people, plants and the environment.
Pursuant to these requirements:
- the farming supplies store must consist of a reception area, storage premises, a water closet unit with an isolation hallway and a washbasin;
- the reception and the storage premises must be with separate entrances (one for customers and another for stocking) and a suitable connection must exist between them;
- the light exposure height of the premises must be not less than 2.5 m;
- the building materials must be resistant to fire, chemical agents and water.
- the flooring must be warm, easy to clean, waterproof, resistant to chemicals and smooth but not slippery;
- the exterior and the interior walls must provide at least 30-minute resistance to fire and all the walls must be non-absorbent. The interior walls must be painted with latex and have smooth surfaces.
The water supply and the sewerage system must be designed to meet the Standards for Design of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems in Buildings.
The storage premises must not have bell trap drainage.
The farming supplies store must be provided with running hot and cold water, which meets BDS 2823-83 for potable water.
The washbasins must be installed in the isolation hallway preceding the water closet and the storage area.
The working surfaces must meet the hygiene and the ergonomic requirements having smooth finish, easy to clean, wash and disinfect on soiling.
On the storage premises substances should be stored on shelves or wooden racks being grouped accordingly, to avoid detrimental mutual effect and prevent starting a fire in compliance the manufacturer's storage instructions.
The service area shall be furnished with suitable facilities - shelves for displaying the product range (only empty packaging), a counter, a consultation desk, etc.
The premises and the facilities of the farming supplies store shall be cleaned on a daily basis.