More and more people rely on prepared foods to feed their families these days. Because of this, food safety has become the number one priority for many businesses and corporations that are involved in food processing and manufacturing.
With more food production, food poisoning becomes a factor that has affected many people in the United States. In fact, an average of three thousand people die every year from foodborne diseases.
It is simply unacceptable that so many people are affected by foodborne illnesses that could be avoided if employees strictly followed every government health code that pertained to the workplace.
Here are six things you should consider regarding the design of your manufacturing plant and drainage system.
1. Keep Your Workplace Properly Cleaned
Proper food safety entails cleaning up regularly. Everyone that is operating in the plant must be accounted for and their work space must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. This includes floors, fixtures, walls, and equipment; anything that surrounds the work area.
This is especially important when it comes to looking at pieces of equipment that are, more often than not, ignored, because they are rarely used.
Old equipment that is hard to reach and never cleaned can easily become a breeding ground for all kinds of unwanted bacteria. The same is applicable to spaces that are ignored or rarely used.Â
Neglecting any area in your workplace can affect you very negatively; if someone becomes sick because of bacteria contamination, this will put a halt in any production causing delays, as well as potential legal disputes.
2. Install An Efficient Manufacturing Plant Drainage System
Good sanitary drainage systems must be able to accompany all kinds of food waste that will inevitably go down the drain, as well as larger-scale cleaning events such as pressure washing, which will cause an influx of water being drained.
There are many different types of drainage systems, and each one has its own set of structural differences. Many drainage systems are old and unable to handle such things, which is why it is important to maintain a good, perfectly usable, drainage system. This is also why it’s important to make sure that your drainage system can handle regular cleanings and that it can accompany the waste that will enter the drainage system. this is especially useful in food processing plants, breweries, or flooring for bakeries.
Going back to the topic of proper cleaning, it is absolutely essential that you clean your drainage system thoroughly, on a regular basis. If you don’t do this, then it can easily lead to things like clogging and overflowing. This can also lead to production line delays and expensive repair costs, depending on the kind of damage that takes place.
3. Make Sure That There Is Adequate Water Flow
Water is a must in any manufacturing facility as it serves many different purposes. You need to be able to consistently pump hot water into the hoses. Hot water is essential in killing germs and bacteria. Without it, the whole cleaning process is a bit more difficult.
Not having enough hot water usually comes from problems with water pressure, so the best thing to do is to evaluate the water demands of your plant, along with having an inspector check your piping to ensure that there is adequate water pressure found throughout the plant, and that nothing is preventing the necessary water flow.
4. Making Sure That You Have Adequate Drains For The Type Of Waste You Produce
Obviously, this goes without saying. But, nonetheless, it’s very important that you have the right kinds of drains for your workplace, and that you have the necessary piping.
When it comes to having the right drains, it’s important to consider the kinds of waste that your facility produces. Solids, or wastes? Or, both?
Both of those things require very specific drainage systems – systems that consist of specific interceptors, among other things – so that they can be safely broken down and processed.Â
5. Having Proper Piping That Obeys The Government Codes
Government codes must be obeyed, and while this is, again, very obvious, it still needs to be said.
When processing waste, the pipes must have a diameter of no less than four-inches.
If your processing waste above one-hundred and forty-degrees fahrenheit, then you can’t use PVC pipe. Instead, you should use cast iron.
Those are just a few examples of the government codes that must be obeyed, in order to have a successful drainage plant. Most of them are very self-explanatory, but again, be aware of these codes, and follow them to the letter. It makes things much easier.
6. The Ventilation System
This is the last one on our list. Ventilation pipes need to be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis. As you know, ventilation pipes bring air into the drainage pipes, which helps balance out the air and water pressure as the water goes into the drain.
Cleaning this system must be an easy process, especially when it comes to the design of your manufacturing plant, but it must also be easy for air to travel through the pipes, and this being the case, the water flow and pressure must be optimized, as well, so that every element is in synergy with each other.
Read also: What is Process Cooling?
