Why Properly Sealing Pipe Penetrations Matters in Hygienic Processing Facilities
Within a hygienic processing area, every aspect of the facility will impact product safety, cleanability and compliance. Often, equipment selection is treated with much thought and care and pipe layouts are thought out carefully, but pipe penetrations are often neglected. But if they are not designed and maintained properly, these openings where pipework crosses walls, ceilings and floors can be significant sources of potential contamination.
The improper sealing of the pipe creates pockets, seams and areas that are hard to clean, which harbour the accumulation of moisture, dust and microorganisms. All of this can make it difficult to manage sanitation and pose risks over time, and can culminate in expensive maintenance problems. Maintaining a sanitary environment is crucial for food and/or beverage, dairy, pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturers and food pipe penetrations are an important factor to consider.
The Risks of Improper Pipe Penetrations
Piping running through walls and ceilings can allow for an opening that is easily contaminated if a sanitary sealing solution doesn’t run through it. Any openings can allow entry of water, insects or trash buildup.
These are even more important in the sanitarily controlled facilities. Auditors and inspectors often examine the architects’ designs for facilities for issues that may influence whether a facility can be cleaned or the safety of the products that are processed in the facility. If the surfaces of pipe penetrations are left with exposed sealants, deteriorated caulk or other surfaces that cannot be easily cleaned, your pipe penetrations may cause concern for inspection.
Hygienic Design Principles for Pipe Penetrations
A hygienic pipe penetration should have no gaps, be moisture-proof and have smooth surfaces that are accessible for cleaning. The objective is to provide a smooth transition between the pipe and surrounding construction that will allow for the regular sanitation activities to be carried out with a minimum of harborage areas.
New hygienic sealing systems are built around the processes they are used in. These are solutions that use not only caulk, but also permanent seals that will hold up to repeated washdowns and high chemical cleaning, while creating sanitary spaces.
It’s critical to review a pipe sealing solution method for sealing pipe openings all over the works, while taking into account cleanability, compatibility, longevity and the speed of installation. Comprising stainless steel parts and sanitary elastomers are great choice to thwart corrosion and meet sanitary standards.
Benefits of Dedicated Hygienic Sealing Systems
The hygiene/strict protection penetration seals have a number of benefits over conventional constructions. First, they are professionally finished and will lend a finished look to help with the facility’s general cleanliness requirements. Conventional sealing methods have numerous crevices that are eliminated with smooth surfaces.
In second place, the purpose of these systems is to last long. Purpose-built hygienic penetration solutions, unlike caulks and sealants with potential to deteriorate with time and environmental exposure and multiple cleaning cycles, can retain integrity.
On the other hand, with proper sealing at penetrations (thirdly), maintenance requirements can be lowered. Facility teams have less time and resources to spend repairing the failed seals and sanitation issues, and are able to dedicate more time and resources to higher value activities.
Supporting Compliance and Food Safety Goals
Good hygienic design isn’t limited to processing equipment! All parts of the facility need to work towards creating a clean and sanitary atmosphere. The performance of the smaller components of sanitation, such as pipe penetrations, can add up and make a big difference.
If the manufacturer is looking to enhance their facility’s cleanability, minimize contamination risks and ease up the maintenance, they should assess their piping transition issues across their facility. Appropriate sealing of pipe penetration is an effective way to assist overall food safety and food quality goals and to alleviate future problems.
In hygienic processing environments, every detail of facility design affects product safety, cleanability, and regulatory compliance. While equipment selection and piping layouts often receive significant attention, pipe penetrations are frequently overlooked. Yet these openings, where piping passes through walls, ceilings, and floors can become major sources of contamination if they are not properly designed and maintained.
The Risks of Improper Pipe Penetrations
Within a hygienic processing area, every aspect of the facility will impact product safety, cleanability and compliance. Often, equipment selection is treated with much thought and care and pipe layouts are thought out carefully, but pipe penetrations are often neglected. But if they are not designed and maintained properly, these openings where pipework crosses walls, ceilings and floors can be significant sources of potential contamination.
If piping penetrates through a wall or ceiling without some sort of sanitary method of sealing the opening around the piping, the opening will likely contaminate the space inside of the wall or ceiling. Any space can be a portal for nuisance or pest infestations or for water intrusion. In washdown areas, chemicals used for washing away dirt and water can settle or be retained near the penetration allowing microorganisms to grow.
Hygienic Design Principles for Pipe Penetrations
These are even more important in the sanitarily controlled facilities. Auditors and inspectors often examine the architects’ designs for facilities for issues that may influence whether a facility can be cleaned or the safety of the products that are processed in the facility. If the surfaces of pipe penetrations are left with exposed sealants, deteriorated caulk or other surfaces that cannot be easily cleaned, your pipe penetrations may cause concern for inspection.
Any pipe penetration should be hygienic, meaning that there would be no gaps, no moisture would enter, and all surfaces would be smooth, clean and easy to clean. The objective is to provide a smooth transition between the pipe and surrounding construction that will allow for the regular sanitation activities to be carried out with a minimum of harborage areas.
New hygienic sealing systems are built around the processes they are used in. They do not just use any temporary sealers or materials, but rather develop a long-lasting, sanitary, and repeat washdown-resistant seal that will resist harsh cleaning chemicals.
Sealing pipe penetrations around a facility can be approached in a number of ways, all of which should be considered for cleanability, material compatibility, durability and installation ease. Comprising stainless steel parts and sanitary elastomers are great choice to thwart corrosion and meet sanitary standards.
Benefits of Dedicated Hygienic Sealing Systems
The hygiene/strict protection penetration seals have a number of benefits over conventional constructions. First, they are professionally finished and will lend a finished look to help with the facility’s general cleanliness requirements. Conventional sealing methods have numerous crevices that are eliminated with smooth surfaces.
Second, long duration is a component of these systems. Purpose designed hygienic penetration solutions can resist the aging caused by repeated cleaning and the environment. This is not viable with caulks or sealants.
Third, if penetrations are properly sealed they can make maintenance requirements lower. The use of the Seals saves facility teams important time, and reduces sanitation issues that result from bursting seals, which helps them concentrate on more valuable actions.
Supporting Compliance and Food Safety Goals
Good hygienic design isn’t limited to processing equipment! All parts of the facility need to work towards creating a clean and sanitary atmosphere. A very small thing, pipe penetrations, can make a big difference when counting at sanitation performance.
If the manufacturer is looking to enhance their facility’s cleanability, minimize contamination risks and ease up the maintenance, they should assess their piping transition issues across their facility. Appropriate seal pipe penetration is an effective way to assist overall food safety and food quality goals and to alleviate future problems.
If you would like more information on hygienic penetration design, check out CSI’s guide on proper sealing of penetration areas to sanitary processing environments.
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