Food Processing Flooring and Maintenance

According to Food Plant Engineering Proper flooring is a crucial component in any food plant. Food processing flooring takes tremendous abuse on a daily basis, and can severely damage productivity and increases sanitation costs. There are six main floor failures throughout processing plants that go unrecognized.

Top Six Floor Failures:

  • Poor Slip Resistance
    • The surface texture of floors in wet areas should be skid resistant and not subject to removal of the texture during exposure to daily wear and tear.
  • Excessive Moisture Content
    • Moisture migrates from the ground under your slab and causes cracks, potholes, and other inconvenient openings.
  • Insufficient Chemical Resistance
    • Make sure your product selection has sufficient data for resistance to the chemicals to which it will be exposed. Some materials like grease are harmless at normal temperatures, yet prove to be decisively corrosive when heated.
  • Poor Thermal Shock Resistance
    • Daily maintenance of food processing plants involves cleaning with hot water or steam.
  • Inadequate Surface Preparation
    • If you do not prepare your floor properly, it may need to be completely replaced soon after the installation process.
  • Unrealistic Expectations
    • What maintenance steps are necessary to keep the floor in best possible shape?

What kind of flooring? That is the big question that plant operators and industrial maintenance managers must answer in order to meet government requirements and ensure a safe and sanitary food processing facility. Processors face demands for hygienic surfaces across a vast array of plant areas. Commercial kitchens pose one of the harshest environments for floors to survive in. When choosing a floor it is important to consider the service conditions, maintenance criteria, safety requirements, installation time, as well as aesthetics. Metal floor coatings and floor surfacing systems are long-term investments that when properly chosen, can reduce maintenance costs, energy costs and down-time.

Safety of personnel is of primary importance, and the energy and cost associated with maintaining a safe environment is inconsequential compared with the cost of low moral and potential medical liability.

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