SUPERVISING FOOD SAFETY (LEVEL 3) The design and construction of food premises and equipment

Plan of a well-designed kitchen incorporating principles of continuous

workflow and segregation of clean and dirty processes (not to scale).*

DISHWASHER
W.H.B.

WASH
UP STILL

POT
SERVERY
WASH

SWEETS

RAW
BAIN MARIE
MEAT

MIS EN PLACE COOKED

REFRIGERATION
COOK COOK MEAT

MIS EN PLACE
REFRIGERATION
DOUBLE WORKSPACE
SINK
SINK

W.H.B. W.H.B.

VEGETABLES PASTRY

COOKED
OFFICE

BULK COLD
STORE
DRY GOODS
STORE

RAW
MALE FEMALE
CHANGING CHANGING W.H.B.

* Courtesy of Dr. R. North

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SUPERVISING FOOD SAFETY (LEVEL 3) The design and construction of food premises and equipment

♦ enable thorough cleaning and, where necessary, disinfection.

Furthermore, equipment must be installed in a way which allows the surrounding
area to be cleaned.
The supply of Machinery (Safety) (as amended) Regulations 2008
The regulations require that new machinery used for preparing and processing
foodstuffs carries a CE marking and must be designed and constructed to avoid
health risks and in particular:
♦ contact materials of foodstuffs must satisfy the conditions set down in the
relevant directives. Machinery must be designed and constructed to
facilitate cleaning;
♦ all surfaces and joints must be smooth, without ridges
or crevices which could harbour organic materials;
♦ projections, edges and recesses should be minimal.
Continuous welding is preferable. Screws and rivets
should not be used unless technically unavoidable;
♦ contact surfaces must be easily cleaned and disinfected.
The design of internal surfaces, angles, etc. must allow
thorough cleaning;
♦ cleaning residues must drain from equipment surfaces,
pipework, etc., there must be no retention in voids;
♦ the design should prevent organic accumulations or
insect infestation in uncleanable areas, e.g. by
the use of castors or sealed bases; and
♦ lubricants must not come into contact with any product.
Construction materials
Materials in contact with food must be non-toxic, non-tainting and constituents
from their surfaces must not migrate into the food or be absorbed by the food in
quantities which could endanger health. Materials must have adequate strength over
a wide temperature range, a reasonable life, be corrosion and abrasion resistant and
be easily cleaned and disinfected. In most meat plants, the use of wood is forbidden
except in rooms used for the storage of hygienically packed fresh meat.
The most widely used material is food-grade stainless steel. Some plastics may be
suitable, but must be approved for food use. Aluminium should be avoided, as should
copper and zinc. Handles of knives, brushes and other equipment should all be made
from cleansable materials such as polypropylene or high-density stainless steel.
Surfaces should be smooth, non-porous, continuous, non-flaking and free from
cracks, crevices and pits. Surfaces will need to retain a satisfactory finish throughout
their life including anticipated abuse and normal wear and tear. Poor surfaces
harbour grease, dirt and bacteria and are difficult to clean and disinfect. They may
also result in physical contamination. Equipment that is damaged, chipped, cracked
and pitted may need to be replaced. Temporary repairs with string or tape are

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SUPERVISING FOOD SAFETY (LEVEL 3) The design and construction of food premises and equipment

unacceptable. Joints should be made by welding or continuous bonding to reduce

projections, edges and recesses to a minimum. Soft wood is unsuitable as it is porous,
cracks and splinters and is difficult to clean.
Equipment exterior
The external surfaces of equipment must avoid ledges and dust-traps; for example,
round legs are preferred to rectangular. It is important to avoid recessed corners,
sharp edges, unfilled seams, uneven surfaces and hollows and projecting bolt heads,
threads, screws or rivets that cannot be cleaned. Inaccessible spaces, pockets and
crevices where product may accumulate must be absent.
Fixing and siting of equipment
Equipment must be sited so that there is sufficient space to facilitate access to all
external and internal surfaces and, where required, to allow for rapid dismantling and
reassembly. Machinery may be mounted on
coved, raised platforms of concrete to facilitate
cleaning. Where necessary, additional space may
need to be provided. The bases and lower parts
of machines, including motors and gears, may be
difficult to clean and consequently collect dust
and spillages which make ideal breeding sites for
insects. Skirting or cover plates tend to trap dust.
Where practicable, and with due regard for
safety, equipment can be mobile to facilitate its
removal for cleaning. Gas and electricity supply
pipes should be flexible and capable of being
disconnected to facilitate cleaning. This will also
enable adjacent wall surfaces and the floor to be
effectively cleaned.
Drainage Mobile equipment
All pipelines, vessels and equipment should
be self-draining, not only to enable liquid deriving from foodstuffs to be discharged
but also for cleaning and rinsing fluids. U-bends are fitted to sinks, toilets, etc. to stop
odours and pests from the drains getting into food rooms.
Preparation surfaces
Preparation surfaces should be jointless, durable, impervious, the correct height
and provide a firm base on which to work. If materials other than stainless steel are
used, for example food-grade plastic, care should be taken to seal the edges and gaps
which may harbour food scraps. They must be able to withstand frequent and
repeated cleaning and disinfection without any premature deterioration, pitting or
corrosion.

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SUPERVISING FOOD SAFETY (LEVEL 3) The design and construction of food premises and equipment

Chopping boards
A variety of non-absorbent
materials for chopping boards is
now available, including good
quality polypropylene. However,
some are unsatisfactory. A good
board should be durable and not
split or warp and it is
advantageous if it can be passed
through a dishwasher. Boards
should be non-toxic, difficult to
score and resist stains, chemicals
and heat. Dishwashers should be used
As yet no ideal replacement has for cleaning and disinfecting chopping boards
been found for hardwood chopping
blocks. However, these should be maintained in good condition and used solely for
chopping or sawing raw meat. A common colour-coding system for chopping boards
involves using:

RED: GREEN: BLUE:

for raw meat for salad for fish

YELLOW: WHITE: BROWN:

for high-risk for dairy for raw
food produce vegetables

Contamination
To avoid cross-contamination, it is important that the same equipment is not used
for handling raw and high-risk products without being disinfected. To prevent the
inadvertent use of equipment for high-risk and raw food the use of different colours
and/or shapes is advantageous. Colour coding may be extended from knives and
chopping boards to include washing facilities, trolleys, protective clothing, cloths and
packaging material.
The cleaning of equipment
All operating instructions and procedures must be clearly communicated to the
equipment users and cleaners. The equipment should be capable of being cleaned
and, if necessary, disinfected safely, thoroughly and rapidly without the need for
skilled fitters and specialised tools. If dismantling is necessary this must be achieved
relatively easily, as should reassembly.

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SUPERVISING FOOD SAFETY (LEVEL 3) The design and construction of food premises and equipment

Sharp edges are a serious hazard for cleaners. A reluctance to clean equipment
because of poor design will result in a lowering of hygienic standards. Hinges should
be capable of being taken apart for cleaning. Angle-iron is difficult to clean and
tubular construction is preferred. Open ends to tubular legs must be sealed.

MAINTENANCE OF PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

Supervising maintenance
There should be close supervision of external contractors to ensure that they work
safely and do not expose food to contamination. External contractors must complete
a visitor's medical questionnaire. The supervisor should check that contractors'
working areas are screened off from food production. Contractors should ensure that
they do not leave equipment or materials like wiring and metal waste that could
result in physical contamination of food. The work areas should be carefully checked
before food production can be resumed.

Cleaning
The supervisor should ensure that the premises and equipment cleaning
schedules are fully implemented, and that external cleaning contractors' work
standards are monitored. It is important that equipment be adequately cleaned to
ensure that it works efficiently and does not show unnecessary wear.

Routine monitoring
The supervisor should conduct daily checks for obvious defects in premises and
equipment, for example:
♦ damaged flyscreens or leaking pipes and taps;
♦ damaged cables and defective electric plugs; and
♦ missing light covers.

The supervisor will need to train food handlers about what to look for, what needs
checking, and how to report faults.

Planned maintenance
When organising a maintenance programme, the supervisor should identify the
equipment or areas of the premises to be maintained, the actual work needed, the
frequency of maintenance and the competencies of people to do it. Suppliers of food
processing equipment must provide the food business operator with accurate
information on recommended products and methods of cleaning, disinfecting and
rinsing - as well as operation and maintenance. Only competent and properly trained
contractors should be allowed to carry out work in food premises, for example, for
electrical or gas appliance maintenance. The supervisor should monitor the correct
implementation of planned maintenance, and take corrective action if any

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