Why workplace sanitisation is key for manufacturing plants
Sanitising your food manufacturing plant
Anybody who has ever worked with food will tell you that cleaning and sanitising are incredibly important. But this should be in place from the very beginning. Before the food ever gets to its final destination.
This is why workplace sanitisation is crucial for manufacturers of food products. Not doing it could be incredibly dangerous and harmful to all involved.
Reasons why workplace sanitisation should be a priority for food manufacturers
- It limits the risk of cross-contamination.
- It protects your employees from being well.
- Limit the risk of compromising your product to protect revenue.
- You need to meet the minimum legislative requirements.
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What is workplace sanitisation?
Food production factories and other food premises must meet the relevant standards set out by legislation. But what does it mean to have a clean and sanitised premise?
Cleaning focuses on removing visible dirt or mess from the environment. An example of cleaning could be sweeping up debris on the floor.
However, this doesn’t sanitise the environment and remove bacteria. This is where sanitising and decontamination come into play.
Learn more about the difference between clean and sanitised
How does a commercial cleaning company sanitise and decontaminate at-risk surfaces?
A good commercial cleaner should be working actively to rid surfaces of bacteria and germs. We limit risks of infection by using a highly-effectively chemical sanitiser.
Decontamination involves going beyond this again to destroy pathogens. Your local commercial cleaner must understand that they should be using appropriate disinfectants that suit your requirements.
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How to keep your workplace sanitised:
1. Have a consistent cleaning schedule
The first step is to identify where your food manufacturing plant requires cleaning and how often. All surfaces that come into contact with food should be routinely cleaned and sanitised.
However, even surfaces that do not come into contact with food need cleaning too. If you stop cleaning the breakrooms, offices, and toilets, you’ll soon have an unsanitary workplace.
Easy warehouse cleaning checklist
2. Don’t neglect cleaning your equipment
It’s not just surfaces that require deep cleaning. It should also be equipment that isn’t thought about such as carts that move products, vans that carry food for delivery, and even walls and floors.
3. Clean high-touch areas
If you don’t make sure that high-touch areas are cleaned routinely, it can cause a build-up of germs in the workplace.
Workplace sanitisation should also include places like light switches, door handles, cupboards and even shared desks or chairs.
Why you need to clean high-touch points
4. Keep organised in your manufacturing plant
Keeping organised can help make cleaning your factory easier. Make sure that cleaning schedules are stuck to, whether you outsource this or not.
Set up routines where staff can clean as they go to avoid the build-up of clutter and mess. For example, making sure that bins are changed every afternoon means they won’t start to overflow and cause a nuisance.
5. Inspect the property and correct the damage
It’s not just germs and mess that can present a risk. Damage to equipment over time happens. So, keeping on top of it with routine inspections can help make sure you stop a problem before it starts.
Tips for maintaining a clean manufacturing plant
6. Work with an experienced commercial cleaner
Make sure that whomever you work with is experienced and knowledgeable about food production cleaning requirements.
Working with a bad commercial cleaner is nearly as bad as not having any cleaning contract to help decontaminate at-risk surfaces.
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7. Use appropriate cleaning products
You should be using cleaning products that are safe for your requirements and also the surfaces that you’re using them for. This is where working with an experienced professional cleaning company can make a huge difference.
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8. Keep on top of legislation changes
Legislation updates can happen frequently, so ensure you’re regularly checking them to identify if something needs to change. To be updated or improved.
There are motives for each legislation change. Following the guidelines for your industry means you are protecting your staff, your business, your products, and your customers.