Feed & Grain
Food manufacturers are faced with many types of obstacles when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. While dust and general maintenance are well-known challenges for milling facilities, by-products of production like liquids and oils create hazardous conditions on and around processing equipment. Municipal sewer discharge, vegetable oils and other wet materials can create slippery conditions and put employees in harm’s way.
Regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and OSHA require food production facilities to maintain certain standards and processes for on-site safety. An efficient, thorough process for immediately addressing oil spills is important for preventing accidents and protecting the company from incurring fines or penalties.
Should an oil spill occur, industrial vacuums with wet collection capabilities and outfitted with ergonomic, oil resistant accessories can play an important role in clean-up. Things to consider:
- The “waterlift” or suction power of the vacuum. For the collection of dense liquids, high waterlift can be more crucial than airflow (or cfm) to contain the spill quickly.
- Overfill prevention such as a liquid sensor or float valve. This can prevent material from leaking and damaging the vacuum motors and filters and/or spill onto clean surfaces.
- Easy draining or pump out methods to streamline oil disposal. Tip-and-pour systems eliminate heavy lifting while those that collect and discharge products at the same time shorten the cleaning process.
For more information on wet/dry industrial vacuums for the food industry, visit www.foodprocessingvacuum.com or www.nilfiskindustrialvacuums.com.
Part 3 on combustible dust preventative maintenance coming soon! And, just in case you missed it, you can read part 1 about general maintenance in grain mills.
