Nilfisk Advance - Keeping your Food and Drug Plants Clean

Updated: May 10, 2022

Nikfisk Advance Keeping Food and Drug Plants Clean

Cleaning is a must in the food and drug manufacturing business. Not only do recalls pose an ever-present danger, but the CFDA, FDA, USDA, OSHA, and even insurance companies can impose massive financial fines on businesses that don't take basic precautions to keep their clients and employees safe. Today's environment emphasizes the importance of being clean. The best method to satisfy all applicable legal requirements while ensuring both food and worker safety is to have a broader approach to your cleaning procedures.

The main concern for food applications is floor maintenance, where power sweepers and scrubbers are frequently used to clean these sites' floors. But what about hard-to-reach or high places? These demanding situations demand distinct equipment and technology. For getting into those hard-to-reach areas, Nilfisk CFM products are a perfect solution.

Below is a 3-step process to help food and drug manufacturers stay compliant when it comes to cleaning their facilities.

Step 1: Know your Industries Local, Provincial, State, of Federal cleaning compliance requirements

Regulations are in place to protect the public. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements might cost you a significant sum of money. Even minor violations may result in fines of thousands of dollars and additional inspections, as well as the hassle of being audited. Government authorities have been known to issue fines totaling millions of dollars in the case of major breaches, and the FDA has authority over CFDAs and some local governments have the ability to suspend operational licenses. The total cost of a recall is around $10 million in direct expenses alone. The bottom line is that any investment you make in maintaining compliance will always be less than the cost of non-compliance.

Here are examples of things they are looking for:

  • Preventing pathogen contamination
  • Preventing allergen cross-contamination
  • Following Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs)
  • Maintaining sanitary conditions in meat and poultry establishments
  • Preventing slip, trip, and fall accidents
  • Keeping dust accumulation to a minimum

Step 2: Identify Cleaning Tasks and Equipment for All Areas of Your Facility

There's a term for monitoring zones, also known as swabbing zones, in food and pharmaceutical production facilities that are used to keep track of the cleaning process. It sorts areas into categories based on the potential for germ infections. The zone classifications, as well as some Nilfisk equipment utilized in each zone, are listed below.

Zone 1: All direct food contact surfaces
(conveyor belts, oven racks, worktables)

Nilfisk S Series

The S Series is designed to tackle a wide range of industrial cleaning problems. These vacuums feature sturdy construction with several breakthroughs, such as a membrane switch keypad with LED indicators that display filter status, among other things. A manual filter shaker is included for quick cleanup of the main filter, as well as an extended handle for simple push/pull transportation and an accessory storage tray. More standard features include a hand grip on the top to secure items while vacuuming, and a cord holder at the bottom of the machine. Optional features include the Longopac® collection system, a tool caddy, level sensors and other accessories for a variety of applications. The S2 and S3 are available in either 50-litre or 100-litre collection capacity.

Zone 2: Non-food contact surfaces
(exterior of equipment, floors, and ceilings in the production area-areas directly adjacent to Zone 1)

Tools assisting in this cleaning by Nilfisk Advance:

Nilfisk VHS110

  • Single Phase ClassIIDiv2 certified
  • High performances
  • Absolute filtration for very fine dust
  • 37L stainless steel removable container
  • Stainless steel version
  • Compact dimensions
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to service

Zone 3: Areas surrounding Zone 2
(warehouses, hallways leading to the production area, employee locker rooms)

Tools assisting in this cleaning by Nilfisk Advance:

Nilfisk 118

The Nilfisk 118 is the first in the Nilfisk industrial vacuum line. It's compact and simple to use, with a large main filter that prevents early clogging and a filter shaker that removes dust from the main filter without opening the machine.

Nilfisk SC6000

The Nilfisk SC6000 riding floor scrubber has 30% more run time and productivity than the competition in its class, allowing it to clean even the biggest, most difficult locations rapidly, effectively, and at a low cost of ownership. It comes with our most advanced cleaning technologies, including an EcoFlexTM detergent management system for green cleaning and a DustGuardTM misting system for complete dust control in a cylindrical (36”) version.

Zone 4: Areas surrounding Zone 3
(offices, cafeterias, hallways, loading docks)

Tools assisting in this cleaning by Nilfisk Advance:

GD930 HSP 120V 4 GAL HEPA VAC

The Nilfisk VP930 is a well-known and well-liked workhorse for large cleaning. The dependable companion for demanding cleaning tasks in hotels, schools, enterprises, and hospitals is the Nilfisk VP930. With a dust bag capacity of 15 liters, it's robust and stable. Airflow patterns are optimized by the ingenious design, resulting in the greatest energy savings among leading vacuums. This offers one of the quietest professional vacuum cleaners on the market because to this. The result is fantastic suction power with exceptional durability. This is why our consumers keep coming back to buy the Nilfik VP930 year after year.

Cleaning outdoor areas (front entrance, loading dock):

SW5500 46B 366 AH W/BATT PKG

The SW5500 industrial sweeper is easy to use, highly productive, and will help you save money on sweeping by working in a small space.

The SW5500 Rider Sweeper offers everything you'd expect in a sweeper and more. This sweeper will increase your productivity while lowering costs, regardless of the size of the floor you're cleaning or the amount of space you have to clean.

Step 3: Select A Partner That Can Provide a Comprehensive Cleaning Solution

Leavitt Machine is the partner that can help you create a safer, more productive workplace. We take a consultative approach to develop a comprehensive solution that meets your requirements and yields a safer, more productive facility.

Our mission is to improve:

  • Productivity – Clean faster with less resources
  • Health and Safety – Meet global safety standards for a cleaner, safer workplace
  • Effectiveness – A more comprehensive cleaning solution
  • Risk – Safer workplace that complies with regulations
  • Cost of Ownership – Durable products that use less fuel costs, extend run time and lower service costs
  • Downtime – Clean more space in shorter amounts of time, without interruption to your processes

The Process is step by step for success:

  • We will arrange a visit to your facility
  • Perform site assessments and evaluate current cleaning equipment
  • Demonstrate equipment at your facilities