Washroom Hygiene
Bakery Washrooms that encourage hygiene
Food safety is of primary concern in the baking industry and since there is a great deal of manual handling of baked goods, it is absolutely vital that your washrooms proactively promote hygiene and encourage employees to follow hygienic practices.
It is astounding to see the washroom facilities in some bakery operations, considering that the rest of the facility is spotless and hygienic. Without a doubt, a dark and unappealing washroom will discourage your staff from observing personal hygiene procedures, regardless of the other rewards or threats used to encourage hand-washing and hygiene.
At the very least the washroom should be well-lit, well-ventilated and spotlessly clean. Broken tiles, chipped and stained basins, leaking taps and wet, ragged and dirty towels will not motivate staff to use the facility frequently.
Ensure the walls and basins are smooth to promote easy cleaning and prevent injuries, that the taps are in working order and that there are always sufficient paper towels for drying hands. Add some cheer by painting the walls in a vibrant colour, adding curtains and putting up hand washing and hygiene posters that constantly reinforce the importance of hand washing and provide guidelines on proper hand washing.
This is also the ideal place to put up a chart tracking improvements in employee hand-washing and hygiene practices, perhaps measured by counting dispensers or swab testing.
For the best results, automation is the name of the game. From self-closing doors to automatic taps, soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers, the less surfaces staff members touch in the washrooms, the better, as this will prevent recontamination after washing.
If automated equipment is not practical or within budget, opt for low touch taps and dispensers. Alternatively, a bottle of sanitising spray should be made available at each wash station to sanitise taps and basins before use, and staff should be trained to use paper towels to close taps and doors after washing to prevent recontamination.
While this may sound a little obsessive, bear in mind that the surface areas of taps are high risk for contamination and can have microbial counts often 10-20 times higher than toilet seats.
Success also depends on how convenient and pleasant the hand washing experience is. If staff members have to queue to wash their hands in cold water with chemical soaps that burn and irritate the skin, and then dry their hands on a wet, used towel, participation is likely to be zero.
Ensure that there are a sufficient number of hand washing basins, with hot and cold potable water, mild yet effective soap, and sanitary hand drying paper towels in the washroom. The hot water should be 35°C and have a flow rate of 8 to 10 litres per minute. If hot water is not an option, choose a soap that will lather well in cold water. Add a few nailbrushes – they are 300 times more effective in cleaning fingernails than simply washing.
The entire washroom, as well as all the accessories, must be kept spotlessly clean, sanitised and hygienic at all times, or any progress made in encouraging good hygiene practices among staff members will be fruitless.
Food safety training plays an important role in assisting companies to equip staff with the necessary skills to implement, maintain effective Food Safety and Quality Management Systems.
There are a number of companies that offer various hygiene solutions like washroom hygiene, hygiene consumables, deep cleaning, food safety training and pest control for your bakery or food service business.
PHT SA – Personnel hygiene
With our passion and expertise in hygiene and food safety we advise on all hygiene-relevant points in personnel flow: from access control at change rooms and canteens up to all the necessary hygiene equipment in the workplace.
Customised solutions for food facilities of all sizes and the appropriate hygiene technology for al needs
In the food industry and in companies with hygiene-sensitive areas, maintaining personnel hygiene through appropriate hygiene technology is fundamental.
PHT creates tailor-made hygiene solutions and supplies the appropriate hygiene technology – whether during new construction or conversion of existing facilities. Our systems are easy to maintain while offering after sales service and spare parts, energy efficient and stable, but also offer the highest level of occupational safety.
Easy to clean and extremely durable change room equipment for every workday
A good personnel hygiene plan requires well-considered change room equipment, which provides for a strict separation of civilian and white clothing or objects already at the planning stage. Similarly, important is the sanitizing of (reusable) footwear, clothing and aprons by means of specific drying and disinfection devices.
Pescatech™ – the trusted name in Food Safety. We have been around since 1995, a professional brand of Hygiene Product Specialists ensuring your establishment received the best food safety measures.
We assist SA’s biggest-name companies transform their food hygiene processes and equipment, by to offering a range of the most technologically advanced products and brands in South Africa’s food processing industry.
Our washroom hygiene range includes Air fresheners, hand disinfectant, hand dryers, hand soap, cleaning kits and paper towels to name but a few.
Industroclean – Since 1968, Industroclean has been a leader in commercial cleaning products, delivering hygiene solutions to a range of leading South African businesses.
Our wide product offering has every surface in your business covered, ensuring high hygiene standards. We produce a collection of incredibly effective cleaning chemicals. We also stock some of the world’s most admired cleaning machinery and offer spares, servicing, maintenance, and training.
Entecom – For over sixteen years, Entecom has been assisting businesses with Food Safety and Quality System certification using our consulting and training support services designed to equip staff with the necessary skills to implement, maintain effective Food Safety and Quality Management Systems. We provide solutions to make compliance easier, faster and more affordable because compliance is essential for the success of every food business
We are a dedicated team, committed to improving Food Safety and quality standards and help companies do things smarter. We believe that with better systems and more food safety know-how you can make food safer by working smarter
Empact Group / Supercare – Supercare by Empact Group offers contract and specialised cleaning for a wide range of commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, transport and retail environments.Supercare by Empact Group delivers outstanding hygiene and pest management solutions to the highest standards of excellence to all industries and environments.
Blendwell Chemicals – Blendwell Chemicals is now a part of Prime Cleaning Suppliers Gauteng and we are able to offer you a much wider range of products. We continue to manufacture of cleaning chemicals including our food-safe cleaning products as well as our certified eco-friendly cleaning products.
Our food safe cleaning products have been developed to meet world-class standards of food safety. They have been specially formulated to treat food areas within the best hygiene and sanitation practices.
Our H-range cleaners are Intertek and SANS-approved, and Halaal-certified.
Glenchem – GlenChem is a manufacturer and distributor of a complete range of detergents, disinfectants and specialised chemical products, recognised amongst the best available with a proven track record.
We’ve been focussed on chemical solutions and building relationships since 1972. So with great pride we say that in 5 decades, we have never lost focus on these corner-stones of our business.
Bidvest Steiner – Bidvest Steiner provides various hygiene solutions like washroom hygiene, hygiene consumables, deep cleaning, and pest control. We conveniently sell these Bidvest Steiner products online.
Bidvest Steiner Hygiene range in Classic White, Stylish Silver, Stainless Steel, or Volcanic finish, and embark on your hygiene journey by selecting the Bidvest Steiner Hygiene dispenser range that fits with your business’ aesthetics and offers you advanced Bidvest Steiner Hygiene solutions.
Blue Mountain Hygiene – We supply a comprehensive range of cleaning chemicals, dispensing systems, accessories and services to a wide range of customers.
Whether you are in charge of hygiene for a restaurant, hotel kitchen or housekeeping, school buildings, food production plant, supermarket or deli, or offices, we can assist.
Columbus Cleaning Services – Columbus proudly manufactures a wide range of high-quality cleaning chemicals.
Our ranges are specifically developed for the home, hospitality, medical and professional cleaning industries. We also offer a comprehensive bio-degradable range, in our quest to continually improve our ecological footprint.
Make Columbus your one-stop for all cleaning sundries – from mops and brooms, buckets and trolleys, floor pads and brushware – we stock a wide variety of products to complement our world-class cleaning products and machinery.
Goscor – Goscor Cleaning Equipment stocks a comprehensive range of quality commercial and industrial cleaning equipment.
From small vacuum machines and ride-on sweeper/scrubbers to large vacuum trucks and road sweepers – the largest and most comprehensive range of quality cleaning equipment is stocked under one roof.
Hychem – Hychem is a leading supplier of cleaning and hygiene related chemicals and accessories into the Southern African market.
With over 30 years experience in the industry, we understand the challenges our customers face and are able to offer products and services to meet these needs.
Our focus is on uncompromising provision of high quality and reliable products, together with adding value through training, support, dilution equipment and servicing, thereby assisting customers optimise their resources at the most cost-effective rate.
Kimberley-Clark – Kimberly-Clark has a long history of providing products that improve the health, hygiene, and well-being of people everywhere.
The safety of our consumers is our number one priority, which is why we take our responsibility for developing safe and effective products seriously. All of our products undergo thorough internal and independent safety evaluations that support our confidence in the quality and safety of our products.
Lindol Hygiene – Lindol Hygiene Services (Pty) Ltd, a leading Hygiene Services company in the Western Cape, identified this industry as a value-added service to their existing clients
We are confident that we could meet all your hygiene and Healthcare requirements and provide a service second to none services.
