The Importance of Manual Cleaning During Decontamination

For any food or drink service areas, the importance of hygiene is a major priority and a legal responsibility. As a supplier of food one should be ensuring that these areas are pathogen and allergen free, to ensure the food produced is safe for customers to consume.

In the event of an outbreak of a food pathogen such as Listeria or a virus such as Covid 19 a decontamination of the premises should be employed. 

Decontamination Procedure

1. Check you have all Cleaning Tools and PPE needed for procedure.

2. Make sure all Tools and PPE are clean and ready for use.

3. Check you have all your Chemicals and Dosing Systems(fit for purpose) and they are not damaged or out of date.

4. Review your colour coding for your Food Safety Management System.

5. Ensure all training has been given to all staff concerned.

6. List all your areas and what equipment/materials will be required, i.e. Kitchen - Sink, Drain, Pipes, Taps, Surfaces, Tables, Chairs, Floor, Walls, Ceiling, Lights/Fittings, Shelves, Crockery, Cutlery, Cookware, Windows and Curtains/Blinds.

7. All Air Conditioning, Sanitary Systems, Water Systems, Laundry/Dish-Washing Systems & Hand-Washing/Drying are all serviced and in working order.

Because unclean surfaces & areas can become breeding grounds for pests & microbes, it is essential that disinfection is a part of the cleaning procedure.

Vikan cleaning tools help towards keeping your premises to a regulated standard along with your cleaning chemicals.

After cleaning, remember to clean-down all your used cleaning tools and store them appropriately.

Your cleaning chemicals should be stored as instructed on their labels.