Designing a safe facility is important. Designing a safe and sanitary food plant is essential. According to an article in Food Processing Magazine, designing a sanitary and safe food facility should follow three principals: design to facilitate sanitary conditions, control temperature and provide control zones. Based on these principals the American Meat Institute’s Design Task Force came up with the Eleven Principals for Sanitary Design of Facilities.
1.) Establish distinct hygienic zones throughout the facility: Keeping strict distinctions between zones can help reduce the likelihood of transferring hazards from zone to zone.
2.) Reduce hazards by controlling the flow of personal and material: Just like driving on a road, traffic and processes should only be allowed to travel in a specific direction. Control the way specific employees and products move.
3.) Control water accumulation within the facility: Make sure that the walls, floors, ceilings and infrastructure are properly designed to prevent standing water. Also ensure that any water drains and is able to dry within a specific time.
4.) Control room temperature and humidity levels: By keeping areas cool and dry, airborne pathogens are discouraged.
5.) Control room air flow and air quality: The HVAC/refrigeration systems must be designed and implemented to make sure that the cleanest air goes from the most clean rooms to less clean rooms. Air must be filtered and condensation must be minimized.
6.) Make sure the site elements facility sanitary conditions: Any object such as bushes and trees can harbor pests, be sure to keep them away from openings. Keep the grass well trimmed and away from openings and limit the access to people from the front gate into other areas of the plant.
7.) Be sure that the building is enveloped in order to keep conditions sanitary: Doors, windows, fans, and utility holes must all be kept free of rodents and pests. Caulk and seal all gaps at doors and windows.
8.) Design and place equipment to promote cleanliness: Make sure that equipment is easily moved and cleaned around. Ensure that signs on the walls are at least 2” away from the wall so they can be cleaned around.
9.) The building components and the construction itself must advocate sanitation: There should be no gaps in floors, ceilings or walls and the materials used for these must be durable and easily cleaned. Flooring is especially important as it is subject to a lot of abuse from chemicals and general wear. Choosing a high quality flooring is essential. SlipNOT® manufactures NSF registered stainless steel non slip flooring that has been incorporated in to food processing facilities worldwide. It stands up to chemical processes and provides a high traction surface when the environment may be slippery.
10.) Use a utility system that is designed to prevent contamination: Lights, pipes, and electrical configurations that are made of sanitary materials greatly simplify cleaning.
11.) Integrate sanitation into the design of the building: Systems such as wash systems, and steam systems must be incorporated into your facility.
These are all important principals to consider when trying to design or redesign your food plant. Food processing facilities such as Sara Lee, Kraft, Tyson Foods, and General Mills among many others have incorporated SLIPNOT products into their sanitary facilities. These companies take sanitation and safety seriously.
Pehanich, Mike. “Designing Food Safety Into Your Plant” www.foodprocessing.com March 7, 2005. February 15, 2013 <http://www.foodprocessing.com/articles/2005/124.html?page=full>
