For food manufacturing facilities, a particular flooring is in order. CertaPro Painters of Milwaukee is experienced and knowledgeable in working with seamless flooring options that meet USDA and FDA standards. These are durable surfaces the handle thermal shock, moisture and chemical usage from cleaners and ingredients. They provide a safe and sanitary slip-resistant surface, even when wet. This allows your employees to do their work safely.
Flooring in a food processing facility has the unique challenge of standing up to food byproducts like fats, oils, blood, sugar and natural food acids. Cleansers used to clear the area are also harsh and sometimes abrasive. Untreated concrete can allow some of these harmful and corrosive chemicals to leach into the substrate allowing uncontrolled growth of bacteria and finally degrading the purity of the concrete.
Choosing a coating for the floor of a food and beverage processing plant means picking one that is durable enough to withstand regular cleaning and create a protective barrier against contaminants. This ensures the ability to produce and clean it to a hygienic surface.
For these types of projects, there is no one answer to flooring. We work with you to determine the needs of your establishment and provide the best solution. Floor systems can provide a safe work environment while also being aesthetically pleasing.
Working in a food or beverage facility means you are subject to the terms deemed appropriate by the USDA, FDA, OSHA or state and local agencies. You as the owner of the facility must provide a clean and safe work environment, including the floors. This means you must focus on the following:
The health and safety of the personnel on the floor.
The safe handling, processing and storage of food products.
Issues unique to food processing plants include using flooring as a safety measure. The flooring you choose must be slip-resistant, stand up to chemicals and protect the substrate beneath. If any one of these areas isn’t met, the flooring isn’t right for the plant. Maintenance needs to be simple and easy, allowing staff to keep the floor in perfect condition regardless of the messes that happen above them. Here are some considerations before starting a food manufacturing flooring project.
Choose a smooth, non-porous surfaces that are free of grout lines. Grout lines are a problem when it comes to sanitation and maintenance. Every seam in a floor presents a potential contamination risk.
Label flooring with colors an lining. This helps increase safety by designating vehicular and pedestrian lanes and directions.
Choose a flooring that will work with what is currently down. Some substrates are more conducive to particular epoxies and floor coverings. If the flooring separates from the concrete below, an unsafe and unsanitary situation can arise.
If you have dealt with puddling and poorly planned sloping, now is the time correct the problems. This prevents potential slips and issues of overgrowth from wetness. Prevent Puddling by Ensuring Proper Slope of Floors toward Drains
When adding a new flooring, you can take the initiative to protect containment concrete floors, walls and curbs with the USDA-compliant coatings. You can also eliminate 90-degree angles with floor-to-wall cove bases.
Adding a new coating allows you to choose an appropriate enhancement for slip resistance. When floors and water mix, there is always the potential for slips and injuries. Reduce these chances by adding a finish that is skid resistant.
Various combustible powder and granulated ingredients require special storage and handling. For example, the static electricity generated by simple physical movement across the floor can pose a real threat with these materials. With a facility-wide safety program, electrostatic dissipative (ESD) flooring can safely dissipate electrical charge from sensitive, high-risk locations.
Hot water usage to clean the floors is a necessity, but it can tear up the flooring in the process. These problems are further challenging by being in cold processing or refrigerated areas. Extreme temperature changes cause the floors to break down. With our covering options, your flooring is more likely to withstand regular usage.
