Hygiene Tool Storage – what’s right for you?
Storage of cleaning equipment is a hot topic within the food industry and quite rightly so! Global food safety standards, including that operated by BRC, include the requirement for appropriate cleaning tools storage.
BRCv8: 4.11.6 – ‘Cleaning equipment shall be cleaned and stored in a hygienic manner’.
Failure to comply with these requirements may result in a non-conformance.
From my experience, looking after the hygiene tools which clean your site makes sense and has significant benefits.
These include;
- Helping to increase your cleaning standards,
- Reducing product rejections,
- Improving cleaning efficiency,
- and ultimately maintaining your brand image.
I regularly visit various customers who manufacture fantastic products from artisan bread to aeroplane wings and I’m frequently asked “which tool storage solutions would I recommend for their site?”
My answer is either a hygienically designed wall bracket or a robust shadow board – both solutions are very effective and help to create a clean, tidy and organised working environment for any business to thrive.
So what would I recommend? Below I have detailed tool storage solutions available from ourselves at Vikan which are designed to increase cleaning efficiency, reduce hygiene tool damage and cross-contamination;
Shadow Boards
- Fixed or mobile versions available
- Fully colour-coded. Available in a version with coloured shadows or a version with coloured background
- Makes tools easily accessible
- Robust and durable construction
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Easy to see which tool goes where
- Provides instant management and auditing overview (in line with 5S principles)
Bucket Bracket
- Perfect for storing Vikan’s 6L (5688x) or 12L bucket (5686x) to hang when filled
- Or Vikan’s 6L 5688x; 12L 5686x; and 20L 5692x buckets, up-side-down after cleaning
- A small hook on the bracket allows for lid or brush storage, ensuring optimal hygiene levels
- Robust, durable and hygienically designed
- Constructed from Stainless Steel
- Easily fitted to provide an accessible cleaning station or storage solution
- Not colour-coded
Tips below will help you make an informed decision on the tool storage most suitable for your site:
- Understand the ‘flow’ of your operation in detail – When designing your cleaning procedures, ensure your storage accommodates only the tools required for cleaning each specific area of your site. Learn more about how the 5S principles of Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardise, and Sustain can improve your operational efficiency.
- Tight for Space? A tool bracket or a mobile shadow board might suit your requirements more than a wall mounted shadow board.
- Look for Hygienic Design – Our stainless steel and shadow board options are designed with hygiene in mind making them easy to clean and maintain.
- Double Storage – Mobile shadow boards can be double-sided so you can hold non-food contact hygiene tools on one side and food contact hygiene tools on the other – Effective and efficient.
- Only One Colour – For best practice, only have one colour of hygiene tool on each tool bracket holder or shadow board – this prevents any potential cross-contamination issues.
- Glass breakages and Allergen Spills – Shadow boards are great for storing emergency spill kits. Position the shadow board prominently near a potential hazard for easy access when required.
- Stainless Steel Hooks are recommended for tool storage on shadow boards, they are hard wearing and prevent hygiene tools from slipping from the shadow.
- Working in a Damp Environment? All our storage solutions will stand up to the rigors of being foamed and washed on a daily basis compared to cheaper alternatives.
- Last but not least Equipment Storage – To prevent hygiene issues it’s always a good idea to follow these guidelines:
- Equipment should be stored head down to prevent contamination running down the handles and cross-contaminating from there to the hands.
- Similarly, the head of equipment should be stored with their heads distant from other equipment handles.
- Equipment should be arranged on the rack/board in a way that prevents equipment above dripping contamination onto hygiene critical surfaces of the equipment below.
- Our shadow boards can be quite tall, so make sure that smaller equipment is placed within easy reach.
