Equipment Cleaning Procedures

Housekeeping and hygiene

Cleaning equipment must be fit for purpose (e.g. heat set bristles in brushes used on food contact surfaces). Storage of cleaning equipment should be considered, and if the cleaning equipment is often used wet, it should not be stored in contact with the floor. If wall mounted, the head of the item, e.g. floor brush, should be approx 0.5 m from the floor with the handle above. High risk/high care cleaning equipment should be stored dry or in disinfectant. To maintain effectiveness, a plan must exist to change the disinfectant regularly. Hoses and chemical dosing equipment fitted to water supply should have backflow prevention devices installed to avoid any contamination of the water pipes. However, high pressure lines (> 80 psi, 5.5 bar, 5.6 Kg/cm) do not need backflow protection. Hoses/cleaning lance ends must be properly stored and not be left on the floor or in tanks when not in use.

Cleaning chemicals must be kept in a ventilated, designated store with restricted access. The store must be bunded or have bunded pallets to contain spillages. For safety reasons, chemicals must be stored separately to prevent accidental mixing e.g. acids/chlorine based chemicals.

Equipment cleaning procedures

The following suggestions for equipment cleaning procedures should result in reduction of bacterial growth on equipment and minimised contamination of food being processed.1.Before cleaning, dismantle or open the equipment as far as possible.2.Disconnect lines where possible, or open cut-outs to avoid washing debris from one piece of equipment to the next.3.Remove as much waste as possible with brush, shovel, broom, or other appropriate tool.4.Rinse surfaces to be cleaned with water to remove food residues.5.Clean surfaces with hot water with an added detergent specifically formulated for the removal of a particular type of soil. Use cleaning aids, such as high pressure or brushes, to remove tenacious deposits.