Maintaining the highest standard of sanitation and hygiene is a paramount concern for many
businesses, not least those dealing with food production. In such industries clean just isn't good
enough, explains Joeri Decae
Maintaining the highest standard of sanitation and hygiene is a paramount concern for many
businesses, not least those dealing with food production. In such industries clean just isn't good
enough, explains Joeri Decae
According to the Annual Report of
the Chief Scientist 2009/2010,
produced by the Food Standards
Agency, there are approximately one
million cases of foodborne illness in the
UK - caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites
and other agents - 20,000 hospital
admissions and 500 deaths each year.
"Much of the current burden could be
avoided or prevented and there remains
scope for further action across the food
chain to significantly reduce the level of
disease and its impact on public health,"
said the report, published in October 2010.
Workplace clothing and storage plays a
critical role in the maintenance of hygiene
standards and companies such as Link
Lockers have been at the forefront of
developing facilities that comply with the
strict standards required.
Under the Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points (HACCP), an
internationally recognised system for food
safety management, every manufacturer is
required to rank the severity of the
physical, chemical and microbial dangers
in a process. And, whilst uniforms and
garments are not likely to be the weakest
link for a business in which food safety is
imperative, the guidance states that
operators should recognise the risks of
improper care, cleaning and garment
handling.
The regulations regarding clothing are
clear and unequivocal. Uniforms, aprons
and garments should be
Clean at the beginning of each shift and
changed regularly
Not be worn outside the foodpreparation
area
Undamaged and in good condition;
Devoid of pockets above the waist and
buttons
The regulations also stipulate that lockers
within the food plant should be cleaned
regularly to avoid contamination. They
should also be kept in a clean designated
area, away from potential contamination.
We at Link Lockers recognise the
importance of the regulations and so use
BioCote as standard on all of our painted
steel storage products.
BioCote is a silver-based anti-microbial
technology that helps to reduce the risks
associated with bacterial crosscontamination
from surfaces with high
contact frequency such as lockers. It is the
only silver-based anti-bacterial technology
to be proven in the hospital environment
during peer-reviewed trials to help reduce
levels of bacteria.
It is this anti-microbial technology that
helped the company recently secure
contracts to supply lockers at Muller
Dairy's multi-million pound production
facility in Market Drayton, Shropshire
Muller recognises that the provision of
adequate locker and changing facilities for
employees in food production facilities is
essential to reduce the risk of cross
contamination in the workplace. This
rigorous approach to hygiene and
sanitation meant that they needed
superior storage facilities for staff. Link
Lockers' Personal Lockers and Garment
Dispensing Lockers were fitted with
sloping tops to prevent litter
accumulating on top of the lockers and
integrated support frame seating was
included, which raises the lockers off the
floor to maintain a safe and tidy
environment, as well as providing staff
with a comfortable changing area. To
control hygiene, the lockers also feature
an additional shelf to allow employees to
keep daywear separate from workwear.
Link Lockers, with sister company Link
51, also holds the NHS Supply Chain
contract for shelving and lockers. The
BioCote protection provided on all Link
Lockers steel products is invaluable in the
fight against MRSA, E. coli and many
other bacteria and has helped make Link
Lockers the locker manufacturer of choice
across the healthcare sector.
For us, the key issue is to ensure
employee changing rooms meet the
demands placed on them. It has to start
with good design and layout because this
ensures they achieve maximum efficiency.
HACCP says the flow of personnel is a
key consideration in provision and design:
Staff and visitors to production areas
must enter the factory by a specific
entrance that leads to dedicated changing
areas/rooms:
They must first remove external
clothing in a separate area/room and
store it, together with personal
belongings, preferably in lockers;
Staff must then proceed to dedicated
High or Low Risk changing
areas/rooms, which connect directly to
their relevant work areas;
They must then change into protective
headwear and clothing, and wash
hands, before entering the work area.
This is a serious business. Outbreaks of
foodborne illnesses have spawned lawsuits
and liability claims and have cost careless
companies millions of pounds in
settlements. They have also cost them
millions more in reputation damage.
It is incumbent on all food
manufacturers to make sure the
workplace changing and storage facilities
they provide are fit for purpose.
Joeri Decae is the sales director of Link
Lockers
