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If a building is to be used for food and beverage manufacture, then there are many legal requirements that need to be met in terms of design, layout and construction. What all of these requirements boil down to is ensuring good hygiene standards can be met - so the area should be easy to clean and prevent contamination from external sources as well.
Choosing crash doors that are suitable for this purpose is a critical part of being able to achieve these requirements. Doors have a key role to play in the prevention of contamination as well as ensuring optimum operational efficiency and maintaining level room temperatures as well.
Now, what do you need to think about when it comes to crash doors for your food processing facility?
Increase in Safety and Productivity
In any manufacturing facility, doors need to be wide enough to allow for the easy movement of pedestrians, vehicles and equipment - but they also need to be correctly installed so that there are no gaps around the frame or the door itself. Doors for areas of frequent use, such as loading bays, may need extra accessories such as self-closing mechanisms to ensure their closing speed is maximised which will reduce the risk of pests entering the area.
Fast-acting doors are beneficial for areas of high traffic or where food products being transferred as the shorter opening times involved can increase production efficiency and reduce energy costs, while also minimising the risk of contamination. Health and safety incidents should also be reduced, thanks to the reduction in collisions.
It is also vital that doors in high traffic areas should be able to withstand the impact of equipment and forklifts passing through, and a maintenance plan should be put in place to ensure the doors are kept in tip-top condition.
Pest and Contaminant Protection
One of the highest priorities for food processing plants is the minimising of any contamination. It is essential that when your doors are fitted, they are completely seamless with no gaps, in order to minimise bacteria and prevent the build-up of bacteria in gaps or cracks.
Any surface within food processing areas must be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis. This means that doors in food processing areas should have a smooth surface which is easy to clean and disinfect. Doors should also be durable enough to withstand impact from traffic and also vigorous cleaning routines, which tend to use aggressive cleaning chemicals, steam and very hot water. If doors cannot withstand this then they could start to crack and rot which will allow bacteria to reproduce.
Reduction in Energy Costs
The correct selection of doors in a food processing facility is also essential for temperature level regulation as well. Doors should, therefore, be pedestrian-friendly so that people and goods can be moved in and out frequently while the air exchange is minimised. This not only improves the buildings efficiencies through the reduction of costs and condensation build-up, but it will also improve product quality as well.
PVC crash doors, such as those available at Strip Curtains Direct, are ideal for food facilities as they have a smooth construction which is easy to clean and which won’t harbour bacteria. They will not rot, rust or warp either.
