Food Industry
Cleaning Chemical Risks
Effective cleaning is required in food production facilities to ensure high standards of hygiene can be maintained.
For effective cleaning a number of energy sources can be employed:
- Thermal energy
- Mechanical energy
- Chemical energy
- Time
This article will look at the chemical energies employed in cleaning processes.
An increase of 10°C will double the rate of chemical reactions involved in the cleaning processes. This increased chemical activity can also increase the severity of any chemical injury received, due to the increased chemical penetration, should an operative come into contact with cleaning chemicals.
Chemical Reactions in Cleaning Processes
Hydrolysis - proteins and carbohydrates
This process splits the larger molecules into smaller units allowing them to be water soluble. This takes place at extreme pH – either acid or alkali
Saponification – fats / oils / greases
This process is designed to break the triglycerides down into glycerol and soap which are both water soluble. This process uses alkalis.
Chelation
Mainly for the removal of scale. Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron deposits are insoluble and will form scale on surfaces, providing an ideal site for soil deposits to form. Chelates will bond these ions into “water soluble cages” for removal.
Oxidation
This process is carried out by chlor-alkali cleaners and often used to remove colour deposits. Oxidation is the loss of electrons in a chemical reaction and the change in structure of the residue makes it easier to remove.
Cleaning Products
Detergents remove soil. They may contain a wide variety of components dependent on the type of soiling to be removed, the water hardness, the temperature of the cleaning process and the material of the surface to be cleaned.
Disinfectants kill bacteria
Sanitiser – a term often used to describe a cleaner that removes soil and kills bacteria
Whilst these cleaning chemicals are formulated for use in food premises steps must be taken to ensure food is not cross-contaminated with the detergents and disinfectants. HACCP processes will identify the hazards and the critical control points to be monitored to ensure compliance.
Operator safety is also vital when handling cleaning chemicals. Contact with chemicals may arise during manual handling, delivery, decanting, piping in or dilution processes, manual cleaning processes, maintenance processes and plant breakdowns. COSHH processes will be employed to ensure the most suitable chemical is used and eliminate as many risks as possible. Engineering controls, safe systems of work and PPE should be reviewed to ensure these are effective and practical.
However, an effective response is imperative should these systems fail and an incident occurs.
Chemical injuries arise when a chemical contacts the tissue of the skin or the eyes. The same reactions that we employ for our cleaning processes will take place with our tissues. For example, alkalis will cause saponification of the fats in our skin or eyes and cause liquefactive necrosis. This cellular destruction will cause a chemical lesion (burn). The longer a chemical remains in contact with the tissues the deeper it will penetrate and the more severe the injury will be.
Any contact with corrosive chemicals requires a rapid response to flush the chemical from the surface to limit penetration and cellular destruction.
Diphoterine® emergency washing solution both flushes the chemical from the surface and binds the chemical aggressor, halting the chemical reactions, and the development of a lesion.