G1815

Maintenance in a Food Manufacturing

Facility — Keeping a Sanitary Process
Environment During Repairs:
Food Processing for Entrepreneurs Series
Durward A. Smith, Extension Food Processing Specialist
Laurie J. Keeler, Pilot Plants Manager

washed thoroughly, including in between fingers, before enter-

Maintenance in a food manufacturing facility must
ing a food processing area and after eating, drinking, smoking
be cost effective, have minimum impact upon produc-
or using the restroom. Equipment should be thoroughly cleaned
tion, and must not negatively impact the cleanliness or
after repairs are completed.
quality of the foods being manufactured. This publica-
tion briefly describes items that should be considered
Clothing
when doing repairs or contracting repairs in a food
manufacturing facility.
In a food processing environment, protective clothing is
not only to safeguard your clothes while you work but also to
All employees or visitors to a food factory must adhere protect the product from you. In order to avoid contamination
to health and sanitation regulations. Maintenance personnel of work surfaces, maintenance personnel should wear clean
by the nature of their work run a high risk of contaminating coveralls, footwear, and cover their hair. Hats, caps or nets
the product, and must show a high level of diligence in the should be provided as should a snood to cover facial hair where
workplace. Maintenance practices should be consistent with necessary. Remove all jewelry, including watches.
Good Manufacturing Practices. Many entrepreneurs have
the mechanical aptitude to accomplish routine maintenance Footwear
and repairs to maintain their own facilities. If a person is
hired to make repairs, that person should be made aware Close attention should be paid to the cleanliness of foot-
of safety and hygiene requirements for visitors. Common- wear. If it is necessary to stand on or over machinery, cover
sense measures will help to ensure the production area and equipment to prevent dirt and debris from contaminating the
products are kept free from contamination by undesirable surface. Overshoes or shoe covers may be provided to cover
microorganisms, filth, debris, or machine parts. footwear.

Health Loose Objects, Dust, Debris, Water

Some large companies require maintenance contractors to Take care not to lose nuts, bolts, etc. when removing
fill out a health questionnaire before allowing that contractor them from machinery; be aware that small parts and tools
to enter a food production area. The entrepreneur may not easily can be misplaced. Tools should be checked when
have the luxury of such screening, but should delay or restrict the work is complete to ensure nothing is left where it may
access of any person with obvious health problems such as the enter the product or damage equipment. Some work such as
flu, colds, uncovered sores or wounds, or any other condition drilling or welding will inevitably produce debris and dust.
that may enhance risk to the product. The area should be examined to assess the potential risk of
contamination, and risk areas should be covered. It is best
Washing to (when possible) remove food processing equipment from
the processing room before repairs are made. Coverings such
It is difficult to keep hands clean when working on ma- as tarps or plastic sheeting can be draped over equipment to
chinery. Avoid placing dirty, greasy, oily hands on any surface reduce contamination as long as these items are clean and
with which the product comes into contact. Hands should be free from dirt or water.
 Clean and Sanitize Prior to Resuming Activity Nothing should be left in a food production facility that is not
part of the production process. Remove any packaging and
The equipment and area should be cleaned with hot soapy unused machinery as soon as it has served its purpose.
water, then rinsed and sanitized prior to resuming production
any time maintenance of any type is performed in a food pro- Documentation and Training
cessing facility. This insures that any contamination will be
removed as well as provide additional opportunity to check Both routine and emergency maintenance work should
for misplaced tools or parts. be documented even if that documentation consists of single
If emergency repairs are required during production, any log sheets that give the date, time, name of maintenance
product that may have been left setting for long periods of time technician, as well as work completed. It is also appropriate
or become contaminated during repairs should be disposed to expect internal maintenance technicians to read and sign
of or scheduled for re-processing to prevent any potential for off on Good Manufacturing Practices.
poor quality or contaminated finished product. Often local community colleges offer simple, short
training courses on food safety for maintenance workers.
Welding Contracted maintenance and pesticide application technicians
often have this training and will provide documentation if
Welding should be avoided where possible but if it is requested. These types of records are helpful preparation if
necessary, use a running weld that is then finished or polished. the processing facility is audited for outside contracts or for
Spot welds leave open spaces that may accumulate dirt and any regulatory reasons.
could provide a habitat for insects and microorganisms. Spot
welds and unfinished welds are difficult to clean. This is Design
particularly important where the product is in contact with
the welded area. Future problems can be avoided when you design and
lay out your food facility. Use good quality and appropriate
Lubricants food grade materials such as stainless steel (grades 304 to
316). Because of their ease of welding and cleaning these
Food machinery should always be lubricated with food are the most commonly used steels for food machinery and
grade grease or oils. Excessive oil should be removed to avoid it fabrication. Minimize difficult to clean piping and the use of
coming into contact with the product or food contact areas. valves, joints and fittings that restricted flow and may allow
product build up, which provides an environment for filth and
Glass microbial growth. Slope lines should be used where possible
to facilitate self-draining. The bore of any piping should be
Reasonable care should be taken to ensure that glass does smooth to allow unrestricted flow. Where joints are unavoid-
not enter food products. Production lines should be designed able they should be joined with a running weld or a sanitary
or arranged so that any pieces of broken glass containers will union. Machinery and guards should be easily cleanable, not
not contaminate the food. The only glass (other than food only for health and hygiene reasons but also to reduce costly
containers) permitted in food factories should be windows down time. The underside of machinery should have suffi-
and fluorescent light tubes. Light tubes should be covered cient clearance to allow cleaning. Drip trays that are easy to
with an acrylic sheath which, in the event of a tube break- remove and clean should be fitted where necessary. Protect
ing, will prevent glass from showering the production line. food processing areas from:
Changing light tubes is a vulnerable situation and every care
should be taken to prevent breakage. In other areas where Debris and detritus
glass would normally be used, shatter-proof plastic should Infestation and microbial buildup
be substituted. Residue and rubbish
Think out the best plan for design, operation and main-
Good Housekeeping tenance.

Machinery should be checked regularly. Worn parts

should be replaced as soon as practical. This not only ensures UNL Extension publications are available online
that production is maintained but also prevents debris from at http://extension.unl.edu/publications.
worn or broken parts entering the product or contaminating
the production line. Index: Foods & Nutrition
Paint should not be used on any food contact surface. Paint Safety
flakes and peels, and can easily find its way into food products. Issued December 2007

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