The process of keeping floors clean and safe in the food manufacturing industry varies from site to site, and from process to process. But whatever the site, and whatever the area you’re concerned about, the objective is the same; to maximise hygiene and minimise food infection risks.
As we mentioned earlier, the cleaning process varies a lot depending on the site, and the areas involved. Whatever your cleaning routine looks like however, here are some important things to keep in mind to maximise hygiene.
Water Risk
Particularly in a dry production area, water presents a high risk. Bacteria like listeria need moisture to thrive on, and water provides just this. In these areas, it would be ideal to eliminate the use of a high-pressure hose on the floor, however this isn’t always possible. In wet production areas, like dairy production facilities, the use of a hose is essential to wash all the liquids away. It is important this is done frequently to eliminate the risk of bacteria growth on the floor. If cleaning is done several hours apart, when the water hits the floor surface, bacteria particles can become airborne, presenting a high risk to equipment and machinery surfaces around it.
Cleaning Chemicals
Not all flooring solutions can stand up to the range of chemicals used in cleaning. Polyurethane cement flooring solutions provide the widest scope for resistance to chemicals used, with epoxies providing the least protection against a wide range of chemicals.
This is an important point to keep in mind when cleaning your floors, to ensure that what you’re using will not corrode the floor surface. To learn more about what flooring solutions provide the best chemical resistance, take a read of this article.
Colour-Coding Cleaning Tools
To maximise hygiene in each area, colour-coded equipment and flooring in hygienic zones helps to keep cleaning tools from spreading one type of contamination or allergen to other areas in the plant.
Please get in touch with us if you have any questions about keeping your floor clean and food safe.
