Keeping it clean: Floor hygienein food manufacturing
October 1st 2005

To achieve appropriate levels of hygiene within the food manufacturing environments, cleaning practices, equipment and training need to be considered throughout the whole manufacturing process. Hygiene needs to be considered from the moment food materials are gathered through to the environment in which food and drink are manufactured and packaged, right up until when the end customer buys and consumes the final product. If hygiene standards fail at any stage, the quality and safety of the food or drink is compromised says Ed Roberts, technical business group leader, Institutional & Laundry - JohnsonDiversey UK

An important area of hygiene within food manufacturing plants that is not often given the consideration it deserves is floor hygiene. Flooring is not often regarded as having the same level of importance in food manufacturing environments because food products should not come into direct contact with the factory floor and flooring in food manufacturing plants does not need to be hygienically clean to the levels of the actual food preparation surface. That is, the bacterial loading on the floor does not have to be reduced to acceptable levels with the use of chemical disinfectants as opposed to food preparation surfaces.

However, floor cleanliness, particularly under or behind appliances and around or under equipment within the manufacturing plant itself is a good indicator of overall hygiene standards of a factory and of particular interest to both customers and environmental health organisations.

A failure to keep the factory floor clean within food manufacturing environments can have a detrimental impact on the output of the plant. Grease, soil and other containments can be transferred into and around a food manufacturing plant via the flooring which can lead to the safety and hygiene of the food products being compromised.

Flooring in food manufacturing environments must be kept clean and clear for health and safety reasons. There are two key health and safety issues associated with flooring in food manufacturing environments. Firstly, floors must be kept clean to eliminate food sources for pests - which can contaminate food products and preparation surfaces, and slippages. Slipping or tripping over in food manufacturing plants is a genuine concern and can in most cases be attributed to the fact that factory floors can become contaminated with grease, water and other products used in the food manufacturing process.

Data from the Health & Safety Executive confirms that pedestrian slipping and tripping is the most common cause of injury in UK workplaces and a major issue in food manufacturing environments.

Each year slip and trip accidents cause well over 11 000 major injuries, more than 90% of which result in fractures. The costs to industry are substantial (over £500 million per year) and legal actions following an injury can be extremely damaging to business, especially where the public is involved. Importantly there is also an incalculable human cost and suffering to those injured.

There are also legal requirements that cover flooring within industry.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 along with the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSW Act) require employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others who may be affected by their work activity. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations requires "employers to assess slip and trip risks to employees and others who may be affected by their work activity and take action to control these risks."

The choice of equipment for cleaning flooring in food manufacturing environments is largely dependent on the size of the flooring area.

Although a rotary machine and wet pick-up can be used, scrubberdryers are by far the most effective cleaning method as they offer cleaning performance across a wide number of applications, from small compact up to large 'ride on' machines. JohnsonDiversey's wide range of TASKI Swingo scrubber-driers lend themselves to the varied cleaning situations and requirements that different kitchens, bars or manufacturing plants present. Small to medium factories are best cleaned with a mains powered scrubber-dryer, whereas medium to large manufacturing plants should use a battery operated scrubberdryer for greater freedom in distance and maneuverability.

Importantly, scrubber-dryers do not require intensive training for use. The training that is required focuses on the correct use of the machine and using the appropriate level of water for the floor surface, to reduce leaking and water trails.

A failure to practice high levels of overall hygiene that incorporate flooring in the food manufacturing process may negatively impact upon the factories image and output and the business's relationship with its customers and employees. JohnsonDiversey can provide total floor hygiene and food safety solutions ranging from food safety training, to award winning floor cleaning products and technologies, to auditing, HACCP implementation and consulting. Programs like 'HotSpots' and 'Professional Cleaning and You' link good overall hygiene practices including flooring to the new European Food Safety Laws, assessing hygiene risks, directing cleaning and hygiene efforts where they matter most, and providing advice, training and monitoring support.

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