FEATURE
they weren’t yet a perfect solution from a hygiene point of view. There were still some ingress points where the 3Ds could collect. There was still a possibility of water infiltrating an unsealed system. And wherever water collects inside a system it soon becomes stagnant – and a breeding ground for dangerous microorganisms.
WHAT’S THE ANSWER? So the secret code for barriers that could truly be called hygienic was a difficult one to crack. Hygienic facilities required an absence of ingress points, sealed joints, water resistance, a tolerance to wash-down chemicals and the wipe-down, non- toxic surfaces that did not corrode, flake or require repainting. All these factors had never before been combined into a single barrier system.
Design Engineer at A-SAFE, Tom Costello commented: “Old polymer- based barriers definitely performed better than standard steel for sensitive environments, but the old-style products weren’t the ideal solution in these areas.
“From our point of view, we knew we had to somehow solve the issue of dirt and debris collecting in ingress
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points and water infiltrating the product. So over a two-year period we developed complex hygiene seals and reduced water ingress points through the use of strategically placed rubber seals.”
“FEAR OF
CONTAMINATION IS A CONSTANT THREAT – ONE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE A
FULL-SCALE SHUTDOWN OF AN ENTIRE FACILITY.”
The new hygienic barrier system, released in 2015, was called iFlex. Existing A-SAFE customers, such as Thomas Roh, the Occupational Safety Specialist at confectionery experts, Ritter Sport weren’t resting on their safety laurels and were highly expectant of the new system: “We highly appreciate the quality of A-SAFE products. They are easy to install and very durable. Barriers that were installed eight years ago in our transit area show no signs of erosion. This is an area with lively forklift
traffic where the barriers are often hit. Since the installation of A-SAFE barriers damages are decreased in the building and at our facilities. Now we are looking forward to the new iFlex Barrier Range, of which we have heard a lot recently. Especially for us as food manufacturers, the hygiene sealing of the new barriers is particularly important.”
Since the launch of iFlex, a host of blue chip companies have benefited from the specific hygiene advantages of the system, including United Biscuits, The Body Shop, Sainsbury’s, Nestlé, McCain Foods, Mars, L’Oreal, KP, Dr Oetker, Coca-Cola and more.
The hygienic supply chain is an ever-improving, ever more sophisticated part of food, drink and pharmaceutical logistics. Intelligent companies are constantly focusing on tweaking best practice and asking for more from their suppliers. And where hygiene is concerned, iFlex proved that any barriers can – and must – be overcome.
A-SAFE have designed a check-list for safety barrier purchasers in hygiene-sensitive environments.
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