design and facilities

Design and Facilities

This presentation is from the course “Design and Facilities” of the

FAO Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) Toolbox.

Readers are encouraged to visit the online resource for a full

learning experience.

http://www.fao.org/good-hygiene-practices-toolbox


http://www.fao.org/

http://www.fao.org/

Design and Facilities: Presentation Objectives

The objectives of the presentation are:– To provide an overview of the topic “Design and

Facilities” as covered in the FAO GHP Toolbox.

– To make users aware of the importance of hygienic design, location and construction of food processing facilities for the prevention of food safety hazards and to enable them to identify hazardous design and layout and lack of adequate facilities and equipment in food production premises.

– To enable trainers to guide food businesses in their efforts to improve building structures and flow of product/people through a production site to minimize cross-contamination.


Design and Facilities : Presentation Outline

1. Site location related risks and establishing structural barriers to control them

2. Plant layout and managing work flow

3. Equipment and Facilities

4. Managing Design and Layout

Food safety is linked to the location of a production site

Wet soils require appropriate draining structures

underneath a building. Humidity from below will

require special flooring and will promote the

growth of moulds.

Water that is used by people for washing or the

watering of animals is a source of hazardous

microorganisms. Avoid placing a food production

close to such water.

Vicinity of a processing plant to waste water or

other potentially toxic water is not recommended.

Industrial activities can be a source of contamination

Construction sites in the vicinity of a food

production site are a source of dust.

Certain activities of neighboring businesses can

contaminate food products.

Toxic fumes and waste disposal sites, even when

located at a distance, are a source of

contamination of foods.

In addition to a safe location restricted access will

enhance food safety

Control access of all

animals, including pets.

Restrict the access of

unauthorized people.

Do this by installing fences

and visible signaling.

Remove sources of contamination

Trees and shrubs surrounding food production might look nice but

harbour pests. Areas within a 3-5 m perimeter of the factory should be

kept free of vegetation.

Sufficient drainage to prevent persistent puddles is recommended.

Regular removal of waste is crucial to reduce the prevalence of pests.

Close entrances to keep pests out

The presence of

rodents, birds and

insects in food

production

premises is a

serious hazard to

food safety.

Factory doors and windows must be kept

closed as much as possible.

Windows that can be opened should have

mesh screens installed to restrict entry of

insects.

Pests enter premises through the smallest gaps

Holes in window

mesh screen

Gaps in door

to food storage

The mesh wiring on the

window should be replaced.

Depicted are examples of closed windows and gates that will not keep out pests.

Additional sealed covering of

stored food or, even better, a new

isolated storage space would be

required to prevent the access of

pests.

Pay attention to good quality walls, roofs and

foundations

Roofs, walls and foundation protect from elements and pests.

Roofs should be designed and built so they can be inspected and do not collect water and leaves. Smooth surfaces achieve this best. Potential sources of contamination are ventilation vents.

Any features that can accumulate debris should be avoided.

Seal at points where drains, pipes, etc. pass through walls.

Protect receiving areas and loading bays from pests and

the elements

Platforms, receiving areas,

and loading bays need to

protect foods and raw

materials from pests and

the weather.

If the receiving area can

not be covered extra

protective wrapping or

packaging of transported

products must be

provided.A good example of a loading area

which is covered to protect raw

materials during loading and off-

loading operations. In addition, the

cover can be removed and cleaned.

Make cleaning easy and eliminate hiding spaces for

pests

Ceilings should be well sealed.

Walls should be of good quality

without gaps or holes and made of

easy to clean material. Flakes of

paint or other material should be

removed.

Pests hide and dirt accumulates

behind protective screens. Build solid

structures with no gaps (see rounded

off floor corners in image) and only

install protective screens if absolutely

required for technical/safety

purposes.

Rounded off corners between

walls facilitate cleaning.

Protective screens and false

ceilings can facilitate cleaning

but hide dirt! Only install if

electrical installations require

protection.

Ceiling well-sealed to prevent

pest access or contamination

from roof area

These pipes definitely need cleaning, but what about the gap in

the wall?

If gap leads to

area of high

hygiene or to the

outside of the

building fill and

seal the gap in

such a way that

no pests can

enter.

If gap leads from

one production

area to another

of the same level

of hygiene repair

wall to prevent

crumbling,

inspect regularly

and keep clean.

Floors must be sloped and made of durable materials

• Floors should be made of durable material that withstands cleaning

processes (i.e. hot water and chemicals), copes with the weight of machines

and with physical wear (i.e. moving fork-lifts).

• Floors should be sloped to assure flow of water (e.g. during cleaning)

towards drains. Prevent stagnant pools from forming.

• Arrange flow of production to prevent contaminated water from entering

areas where unprotected food products are being processed.

Design and Facilities: Presentation Outline





Plant layout and organisation of work flow influence food

safety

Paying special attention to the organisation of the flow of

– raw materials/product

– personnel

– waste

– water and air

– equipment

through a plant has been shown to limit the level of

contamination of the final product.

A useful and easy to communicate way of organising flow

is achieved by defining different areas of hygiene in a

production site. How to do this is shown in the following

slides.

Describe the flow of raw materials/product through a

production site

Start by

identifying the

path materials

take through

plant.

This is best

achieved by

drawing a simple

plant plan as

depicted.

Raw materials

Production areaAdm

inis

tration

Fin

al pro

duct

& d

ispatc

h

Flow of raw materials/product

Assign hygiene levels to areas of production site

Raw materials

Production areaAdm

inis

tration

Fin

al pro

duct

& d

ispatc

h


Raw materials

Production areaAdm

inis

tration

Fin

al pro

duct

& d

ispatc

h


Determine areas in which additional hygiene controls and hygienic behaviour would improve the safety of the final product.

The areas of different hygiene are often referred to as “high, medium, or basic risk zones”.

Basic

Medium

High

Hygiene level

Basic

Medium

High

Hygiene level

Product handling and hygienic behaviour of personnel

change according to hygiene level

Hygiene level Product handling Hygienic behaviour

High

All handling of unpacked,

final product (i.e. area where

yoghurt is filled into

containers)

Personal must observe strictest

hygiene in addition to rules

below (i.e. no constant exiting

and entering area)

Medium

Handling of raw materials

prior to processing steps (i.e.

weighing; mixing)

Access only for instructed

personnel wearing hygienic

clothing. Hands must be washed

upon entering area.

Basic

No production in these areas

(i.e. storage of wrapped

packaging materials)

Access for anyone allowed on

premises, no clothing

requirements.

raw

processed

ideal pay

attention!

Cross-contamination is minimized by observing ideal

flow of product

An ideal flow of product

through a factory prevents

the proximity of dirty

products or waste to

finished products.

Often, the lay-out of the

premises does not allow

for an ideal flow through

the premises and food

products may be cross-

contaminated.

Manage cross-contamination hazards

time management

physical separation

To prevent contamination of clean

material (i.e. processed unpackaged

food or clean packaging) either

• physically separate by covering

both dirty and clean materials

(i.e. use containers with lids, or

use disposable plastic

wrapping), or

• keep dirty and clean material

apart by time management (i.e.

clean equipment after

production cycle terminated;

transport new delivery of raw

materials prior to

commencement of production.)

Limit the free movement of personnel through premises

As shown in the Personal

Hygiene Module persons are a

source of contamination.

Personnel must therefore

comply with strict access

rules. These are enforced by

• keeping doors and

windows closed

• clear signaling

• preventing direct access

to areas of higher hygiene

by building walls

• regular training and

controls

Flow of material

Raw materials reception

Adm

inis

tration

Fi n

ished

Goods

&D

ispatc

h

Build walls or install visible demarcation lines to protect

areas of higher hygiene

Where walls can not be built demarcation lines on the floor may

serve as a system to separate areas of different hygiene levels.

Getting personnel to respect such virtual walls requires regular

training and strict controls.

Toilets should not directly open into food production

areas

The humid environment of toilets produces aerosols containing high

numbers of faecal contaminants. Toilet facilities must never directly open

into production areas. Ideally they open into hand-washing facilities and only

from there onto food production areas.

Spatial arranging of equipment supports food safety

process controlled

cleaning possible

access possible

All equipment used

must be designed to

maintain standards

of food safety:

Access must be

easily possible

• for visual checks

of cleanliness,

• for easy

cleaning, and

• for easy process

control.

Not enough space encourages people to be untidy and

.. gives pests the opportunity to hide and accumulate!

Equipment must be made of food-safe materials

Equipment should be

– corrosion resistant, non-absorbent, smooth and easily cleanable (painted surfaces are not ideal);

– kept in good order and repair;

– constructed to minimise sharp inside corners, projections and tiny crevices or gaps.

Rusty equipment can lead to physical,

chemical and microbiological hazards.

Rust indicates that the material is not food-

contact safe. Metal splints may end up in

foods, and a damaged surface encourages

growth of microorganisms.

Equipment design should support food safety efforts

Food processing equipment should

be

– intended for food production

– obtained from a reputable supplier

who will be able to deliver correct

replacement parts during the lifetime

of the machine

– easy to clean (beware of hidden

spaces behind sealing gaskets!)

– easy to maintain.

When buying new or used equipment

test it first for functionality and

hygienic properties. Disinfect prior to

first use!inadequate conveyor belt for

rice noodle production

Food-contact surfaces include utensils of all kinds

Equipment and utensils such as mixers, knives and can-

openers should be

– taken apart as necessary for thorough cleaning

– have smooth surfaces (no cracks, irregular seams, scratches),

– cleaned as frequently as necessary (i.e. can-openers are well-

known sources of contamination),

– dried or drip-dried before being re-assembled,

– replaced when cracked or heavily scratched (i.e. surface of boards,

plastic containers, glass containers).

Beware of the dangers of re-cycling containers

Many products such as paint are delivered in

seemingly useful containers. However, toxic

residues of the original material (i.e. paint) that

can not be removed will end up in the final

product.

If re-cycled containers are used all measures

must be taken to prevent contamination of the

final product. This includes clear labelling (i.e.

“for non-food use only”) and designated use

(i.e. collection of waste).

Care must be taken that all deliveries of raw

ingredients have only been in contact with

food-grade containers/bags.

Hoses can be a food safety hazard

– Ensure that you are using food-grade hoses.

Leakage of chemical contaminants is an

issue with non-food-grade hoses.

– Even best quality hoses will crack after a

certain amount of use. Look inside hoses

with a torch and check for cracks and dirt

accumulation. Replace if surfaces are rough

and/or cracks appear.

– Unprotected nozzles should never touch the

floor.

– Hoses must be thoroughly cleaned after use

and stored hanging on the wall.

– Prior to use hoses should be flushed with

steam or hot water for disinfection purposes.

Biofilm formation is a significant hazard in food

production

Only machines that can be

disassembled can be effectively

cleaned!

Pathogenic microorganisms such as

Salmonella are known to accumulate

in biofilms.

Once biofilms have started to form

they are difficult to remove through

standard cleaning procedures.

Prevent shards and splints from contaminating final

product

from wooden crates and pallets can end up in food products.

Avoid the use of such materials wherever possible.

from broken windows, broken display cases, broken bulbs are

a serious health hazard. Keep a written list to control glass

breakage.

from badly adjusted machines may end up in the final product.

Vigilant operators and careful maintenance [link to

maintenance module] are the best ways to prevent this

physical contamination.

from brittle equipment such as conveyor belts and containers

can break off and end up in products. Train operators to spot

such problems and replace defective equipment.

Condensation leads to growth of moulds

Condensation happens when warm humid air touches a

cooler surface. This phenomenon is common in food

productions and leads to the growth of moulds on walls, for

example on the outside of cooling chambers.

Often, condensation cannot be prevented. To prevent the

growth of moulds it is suggested to

– rearrange equipment so that air can circulate freely between

shelves and walls of cooling chambers;

– improve insulation of cooling chambers to lower the risk of

condensation;

– regularly check those areas where moulds have grown previously

and adapt cleaning programmes accordingly.

Potable water of an adequate quality is necessary to

produce safe food

Water used as an ingredient, for hand-washing,

preparation of ice, and cleaning should be

potable and its hardness and mineral content

controlled.

Non-potable water in a food-production facility

(i.e. for fire control, steam production, heat

exchange) should be part of a separate piping

system that cannot contaminate the potable

water system.

Clean drains regularly! Be aware that plumbing

with dead ends is a known source of

contamination.

Control air quality and provide enough light

– Air transports contaminants.

– Keep ventilation systems

clean.

– Prevent air from flowing from

contaminated areas to clean

areas (i.e. create higher

pressure in areas of higher

hygiene.)

– Holding a tissue in the air will

quickly indicate the direction

of air flow.

– Provide ample lighting so people can spot dirt and see what they are doing.

– In production facilities lighting should be suitably protected to prevent the contamination of food with glass.

Adequate facilities support hygienic behaviour

As mentioned in the Personal

Hygiene Module staff needs

adequate facilities to implement

the required standard of hygiene.

In addition to

– toilets,

– changing rooms, and

– strategically placed hand-washing stations

staff must have

– enough space to store personal items, and

– somewhere outside the areas of higher hygiene to

eat and drink.Drinking and eating should

be done in reserved

spaces away from

processing activities.

Managing design and facilities

Management has the responsibility to allocate financial resources for the

– improvement of structures such as walls, ceilings, floors; and

– replacement of non-food-safe machines and equipment.

How and when the resources will be invested should be documented.

Periodic inspections that focus on the appropriateness of structures, facilities and equipment are the best way to assess the current situation. Such checks must be

– documented and filed as part of a GMP programme; and

– contain actions and deadlines; and

– include the name of the person who will be responsible for the implementation of the decided actions.

Help personnel avoid cross-contamination

Personnel must be made aware of the cross-contamination

hazards related to

– inadequate equipment and facilities

– disrespect of zoning principles and corresponding barriers

through short reminder training sessions.

One known issue is getting personnel to keep doors and

windows closed at all times. Improving this situation can be

done by

– removing handles on windows

– installing doors that automatically close

– re-organizing work-flow so that people are not required to

constantly move from one room to the next.

Design and Layout of Food Processing Establishments :

Conclusions

Food businesses must protect their production sites from environmental hazards and uncontrolled access by unauthorized persons, animals and pests.

Well maintained foundations, drainage, walls and roofs and correct layout of the production site through zoning prevent the accumulation of contaminants and lower the risk of cross-contamination.

Free movement of personnel and equipment is restricted by imposing behavioural rules and installing walls as access barriers to zones of higher hygiene.

Equipment should be designed with food hygiene in mind, made of food-safe materials and spatially arranged to allow easy access for cleaning and monitoring purposes.

Potable water including functioning drainage systems are a pre-requisite for any safe food production.

In addition to clean toilets personnel must be provided with adequate facilities and regular training to raise awareness of cross-contamination hazards.

Managing design and facilities is done through periodic facility inspections the result of which is documented in the GMP programme.

You have reached the end of the presentation Design

and Facilities.

This presentation is from the course “Design and Facilities” of the

FAO Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) Toolbox.

Readers are encouraged to visit the online resource for a full

learning experience.



http://www.fao.org/

http://www.fao.org/

design and facilities

Education