Flooring in Australian food and beverage manufacturing facilities are governed by strict regulatory requirements to ensure safety and hygiene. Floor surfaces in food facilities need to be non-slip to eliminate slips and falls, look appealing, and be easy to clean.

Bacterial growth is a common challenge on commercial floors, especially in food manufacturing and processing environments; therefore, flooring choice is a fine balance between slip resistance and ease of cleaning. These requirements make floor selection a hard process, but once chosen, the flooring needs to be maintained to ensure it stays looking good without compromising performance.

Floors are subject to a lot of abuse in food factories. The floor can get damaged from heavy objects falling on the surface, resulting in the concrete getting exposed. It’s important to repair the cracked floor at the earliest since concrete is porous and can potentially harbour bacteria.

After a flooring project is complete, ask for repair kits in the colour of your floor. This will allow for an easy repair job if and when you notice damaged concrete.

Maintaining a strict cleaning routine is essential for ensuring your floors keep their new look and stay hygienic. Before beginning your cleaning regimen, check with your flooring partner for advice on the correct cleaning procedure for your floor.

Not all floors can handle hot water. Depending on your choice of flooring, some will wear quickly if pressurised hot water is used to clean it.

Prior to choosing your floor, make sure it is compliant with the legislation, as outlined below. This will ensure you are starting off on the right foot.

From Food Standards Australia:

10.Floors

(1) Floors must be designed and constructed in a way that is appropriate for the activities conducted on the food premises.

(2) Subject to subclause (3), floors must:

(a) be able to be effectively cleaned;

(b) be unable to absorb grease, food particles or water;

(c) be laid so there is no ponding of water; and

(d) to the extent that is practicable, be unable to provide harbourage for pests.

Architecture & Design Team

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