Tag Archives: maintenance

Don’t Be in a Brush Rush…

Ah, the beauty and purity of a new cleaning tool. Freshly removed from any packaging, and unsullied by the elements: nothing but possibility ahead of it. Whether you enjoy opening new tools as much as I apparently do, or you are more in the “pop it open, because there is a ton of stuff to do” camp, there are a few tips that our friends from Remco have provided to get the best out of your new cleaning tool. These simple steps help to ensure safety before the first use.

How to Prepare a New Cleaning Tool for Use
New cleaning tools—especially those sealed in plastic pouches like the ones from Vikan® and Remco—often look like they’re ready for use right out of the bag. It’s easy to assume these tools can start sweeping, mopping, and brushing right away, however, as most in the food industry know, looking clean isn’t the same as actually being clean. Here are a few steps that must be taken to ensure all new tools are ready for use in food production plants:

Remove Any Labels
Vikan® and Remco both apply labels directly to some of their products, as do many other cleaning tool manufacturers and distributors. Ideally, these labels will peel off easily, especially when they’re dry. If there’s a problem removing a label or there’s residual stickiness, simply use a washrag with warm water and soap, or use a sponge soaked in vinegar to remove the label and any adhesive left behind. It’s easier to peel labels when they’re dry, but a little extra effort may be needed for particularly stubborn adhesives. It’s essential to remove the label and adhesive fully, as the sticky residue can be a trap for debris and bacteria.

Clean the Tool
New tools may seem clean, but they’re produced in factory environments that do not have the same rigorous sanitation requirements as food manufacturing facilities. Put new tools through an industrial dishwasher or hand wash them, depending on what the plant’s HACCP plans call for during the tool’s regular usage. Either cleaning option may help remove any remaining label residue, along with preparing the tool for its first use. Don’t make the mistake of assuming a broom or a squeegee that will be used in a low-risk environment is “clean enough” when it comes out of the package. The tool should still be cleaned.

Sanitize for High-Risk Conditions
Decide how clean a tool should be before use, follow HACCP plans for how they’ll be cleaned during their regular usage. If a tool will be used in a high-risk environment, it should be sterilized before its first use, ensuring any microbes that may have contaminated the item before it arrived to you are fully destroyed. If a tool is going to be used in a low or medium-risk facility, simply cleaning and sanitizing the tool should be enough for it to be used safely.

Dry the Tool
No tool is clean without having been dried first. Whether by hanging it or by putting it through an industrial dishwasher’s drying cycle, tools must be dry to be considered clean. This helps prevent mold and other microorganism growth and ensures the tool is ready for use.

Once these steps are complete, the tools are ready for their designed purposes in food processing plants. Remember to maintain tools by keeping them free of debris and cleaning them frequently. Regular maintenance—starting with these first steps—will keep tools hygienic and help them last longer.

Nelson-Jameson carries a wide selection of color-coded products, including the full line of Remco products. Contact us today to learn more about the many ways Nelson-Jameson and our industry partners can help you get the tools you need on your pathway to creating safe, quality food.

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Knowledge at Your Fingertips

Resources made available with Nelson-Jameson’s Learning Center! This educational learning library was created to encourage our customers to seek out information, when applicable, to aid them in making informed purchasing decisions within the food, dairy, and beverage industries. By providing this free resource for anyone to use, our goal is to have you feel comfortable and confident in the products you purchase.

An intriguing aspect of our Learning Center is that the information we are providing is supplied to us by manufacturers, and industry associations. It is our goal to relay to you the most up-to-date information for your convenience. The information within this resource falls into several categories: Laboratory & QA/QC, Packaging & IngredientsProcess & Flow ControlSafety, and Sanitation & Maintenance. Within each of these 5 areas, there is a range of subtopics that we determined were important for our customers to expand their knowledge on. Here is a brief overview of each of these sections:

Laboratory & QA/QC: We offer food safety products and solutions that help the food and beverage industries protect the quality of their products by utilizing proven, methods-based laboratory procedures. Learn more about Hydrating 3M™ Petrifilm Plates, pH Electrode Selection Guide, pH Testing Tips, and Nelson-Jameson pH Buffers, and more.
Packaging & Ingredients: Food safety begins with quality ingredients and packaging. Learn more information about our wide line of food and dairy ingredients, Choosing Cheese Packaging, Selecting Cultures & Coagulants for Taste & Texture, and Packaging Films.
Process & Flow Control: Keep food and beverage production running smoothly. Learn more from these resources designed to help meet your unique food, dairy, and beverage needs, such as Hose Maintenance Tips, Gaskets, Pump Maintenance, and Filtration Ratings.
Safety: In the food, dairy, and beverage industries, it is important to protect employees from injury and food product from possible contamination. To protect your assets, learn more about Noise Reduction Ratings, Protective Clothing Materials, Footwear Sizing, and peruse our Glove Selection Guide.
Sanitation & Maintenance: Keep your plant clean and safe with quality sanitation and janitorial products. Learn more about Broom Bristle Options, Insect & Pest Control, and Disinfectant Mats™.

At Nelson-Jameson, we strive to make our customers’ lives easier by providing products, solutions, and technical expertise when needed. Whether it’s figuring out how to clean a tank properly or learning about broom bristle options, Nelson-Jameson is your one stop shop—Click here to view our Learning Center and learn more about our areas of expertise!

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Tech Tip: Hose Maintenance

Prevent premature washdown hose wear and failure. Washdown hoses are often subjected to physical abuse while in service. Select a hose that meets or exceeds the application it is intended for. Consider temperature, pressure, and environmental concerns such as abrasion and chemical resistance. Every plant should have a maintenance/inspection plan in place to ensure the longest possible life of the hose.

Be sure to consider these steps in your plan:

  • Store hose properly when not in use.  Hose racks or reels are highly recommended to keep hoses off the floor and out of harms way. Pay attention to humidity, temperature, ozone and sunlight. Storing out of direct sunlight, in a room with moderate humidity and a temperature range of 50 to 75°F is recommended.
  • Always shut off the water supply to the hose when not in use and open the nozzle to relieve the pressure before storing.  Leaving water in the hose subjects it to constant pressure and will shorten the life of the hose.
  • Don’t pull the hose by the nozzle – this puts undo stress on the connection point.
  • Avoid exceeding the hose’s rated bend radius. Kinking of the hose can create weak spots in the hose wall. Consider using hoses with internal springs or kink guards to prevent kinking directly behind the coupler.
  • Never exceed the rated temperature and working pressure of a hose assembly.
  • Routinely inspect hose for wear and damage. Look for external damage – stiffness, discoloration, cuts, cracks, kinks, blisters, excessive abrasion and exposed or broken wires.
  • Regularly inspect fittings.  A hose should be removed from service if any fitting movement or damage is found that could prevent it from operating as intended.

Giving careful consideration to hose selection, care, maintenance and storage can provide optimum return on your investment. For more information contact our Process & Flow Control department at 800-826-8302.

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Product Focus: Nilfisk Vacuums, Explosion-Proof Industrial Safety

D07F8194While sitting and reading this, you can probably look around and find something dusty. Maybe it is the top of your screen or the top of your keyboard. Dust can be annoying. Dusting is a necessary annoyance. It may be hard to think of it as a critical hazard, though. However, “dust” takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to plant maintenance. If you are one of the 30,000 U.S facilities at risk for combustible dust explosions, dust may be a significant threat to your employees and your operation.

According to Nilfisk Industrial Vacuums, “Regardless of industry or material, combustible dust can be formed from milling, sanding, grinding, crushing, cutting – or simply handling product in powder form.” One might not realize the potential danger combustible dusts possess and or even what exactly is considered “combustible.”  For example, grain dust, perhaps a harmless sounding material to the layman, is “nine times as explosive as coal dust.” Such insights should cause us all in the food industry to step back and think about the safety of our employees, our operations, and the materials that surround us. Unfortunately, the threat extends beyond explosions, too. In fact, dust can cause fires as well, which are “the most common dust-related incidents.”

If you are curious or want to know more about combustible dust explosions and precautions used to prevent such occurrences click here.

Presently, Nilfisk and Nelson-Jameson, Inc. are working together to bring you a line of vacuums to combat this threat. Nilfisk’s line of Explosion-Proof Electric and Pneumatic Vacuums are built to take on combustible dust, helping to improve sanitation and assisting in complying with OSHA standards.  You can see these two lines of vacuums and numerous other Nilfisk vacuums and accessories in this catalog. Nelson-Jameson product managers can also assist you in finding the right vacuum and accessories for your facility. Give us a call today at 1-800-826-8302 to order or for more info.

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Tech Tip: Preventive Maintenance for Insect Electrocutors

FlySetting up a Preventive Maintenance Program for your insect electrocutors is the best way to ensure that your units are working to their full potential. Ideally, you would choose a month each year for your PM program to be done on the units. It is suggested that this is in the beginning of the year or Spring, with a new insect season.

The PM program should include checking the bulbs for their effectiveness, and making sure there are no other issues with the unit. Fluorescent bulbs that are used in insect electrocutors have an effective life span of 7000 hours or about 9 months. For your convenience, all of our Shat-R-Shield® or Insect-O-Cutor® bulbs come with year labels on them. This aids in your PM program as you are able to tell from a distance what year is labeled on the bulb, and whether it is time to be changed.

Even though a bulb may still be lit, does not mean it is attracting insects, so changing out yearly is recommended. For more information, visit our Learning Center.

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