Dairy flooring: How Bolidt serves the dairy industry

Booster Blog

dairy flooring

Dairy products are consumed and produced on a massive scale. This puts huge pressure on dairy farms and factories to meet the industry standards so as to keep the business moving smoothly. The conditions of hygiene necessary are similar to those of a medicine manufacturing department. Thus, standards must comply with requirements of BRC, FDA, and FSSC 22000. The bar is set very high. Of course, wherever possible there must be no holes, nooks or crannies for pests to settle into. Such a situation could bring disastrous consequences along with it.

Flooring is fundamental in reaching these standards. It’s the largest surface area and, thus, accounts for the most bacterial growth. A thorough cleaning schedule goes without saying. A high performance flooring, however, is just as crucial. On several levels, dairy flooring can enhance the quality of a facility.

Hygiene

Perhaps the most urgent element of dairy flooring is its capacity for hygiene. For the safety of the food and the continued production process, it’s a matter of vital importance.

Detailing

In our opinion, the success of dairy flooring is in the details. The thought and design put into the details can be seen at a glance. Without a seamless connection between drainage points and skirting boards, germs have the chance to germinate and multiply. We recommend making a seamless connection between the walls and floors to avoid right-angles and corners. Bolidt can achieve this through a coved skirting. A good flooring application leaves no space for the growth of bacteria. Bolidt also provide wall systems, leaving absolutely no grounds for bacteria to spread across surfaces.

Cleaning

In regards to cleanliness, the FDA states that floors should not be electrically charged. It makes the job of cleaning much harder, as dust particles group together. Though the FDA is an American institution, companies looking to export to America must comply to their standards. For this reason Bolidt are able to apply a special coating that allows virtually no voltage in the flooring.

Thus, the floor can be cleaned without worries of ESD. On top of this, Bolidt flooring is extremely easy to clean. Due to its synthetic, compounded nature, it is 100 percent pore-free, leaving no space for bacteria and making it a smooth, easy clean. We realize that each area in a dairy facility have different needs, thus, we provide a wide range of flooring solutions.

Durability

With the use of AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), as well as heavy equipment and machinery, the floor must be strong and reliable to ensure decades of smooth production. AGVs are continuously making the same tracks and thus challenge the floor with concentrated wear and tear.

The Bolidtop^® 700 flooring system is wear resistant and can actually withstand a pressure of 600 kilograms per square centimeter. The system’s thickness of 5 mm guarantees a great resistance to wear and tear and outstanding impact resistance.

Safety

Explosive danger

Though durability and hygiene are of extreme importance, just as vital is safety. Particularly in the dairy industry, explosions are a threat. Dust from the milk powder, if in the right (or wrong) conditions, can lead to explosive reactions.

Bolidt flooring can be electrically conductive, dissipating any static electricity. This removes the risk of electrostatic discharge (the process that creates lightning and thunder).

Whilst in a dairy factory it might not summon frazzling forks of lightning, it can disable electronic devices, rendering them useless and, in turn, bring production lines to a halt. On top of this, electrostatic discharge in an environment with dust (or milk powder) can pose a direct threat of explosions. Therefore, electronically conductive flooring is invaluable.

Bolidtop^® Stato 700 is not only ideal for areas with a risk of ESD and explosion, but also in areas with AGVs. The electronics of these devices can be affected and disrupted by electrostatic charges.

To further the safety of employees, areas are often colour coded. Clear distinctions are made between low, medium, and high risk areas. This gives workers a greater awareness of safety and cautions them to take care.

Antislip

The safety of the worker is also paramount in this environment. The dairy industry deals with many loose materials. Many substances come into contact with the floor. Thus, it’s extremely important to choose a floor that has a slip-resistant surface. This in turn can greatly reduce the risk of slips and falls among dairy personnel. Through decades of experience, we’ve developed the ideal anti-slip surface. Bolitop^® 700 offers a steady grip in both wet and dry conditions.

We continue to work with partners in the dairy industry all across the globe. To find out more about our work with dairy flooring, please see the dairy section on our website.