Technical Yearbook 2024

NOVEMBER

Organise your store By Pieter Badenhorst

There are stringent regulations around the storage of chemical additives to ensure food safety. It is important that a cellar team adheres to these regulations at all times. This article provides the main guidelines for the orderly management of a cellar chemical store. Access control The room must be locked and only personnel who have been trained in handling the additives should have access to the specific store. The reason for this is twofold. Firstly, chemicals can pose a health risk for humans if not handled correctly. Secondly, sabotage is unfortunately also a possibility and must be prevented. The best way to lock a store is with a combination lock. It averts a situation where keys are missing or misplaced and have to be searched for. Layout • The store must be well-lit. If the store is dark, personnel will not be able to read the labels. Good lighting also makes it possible to immediately identify spillage and clean it properly.

• The store’s walls, roof and floor must be in a sound condition. The paint should not peel off and must be easy to clean. The roof should not leak and should not have any holes through which dust can enter and land on products. • The floor must be made from a material that is easy to clean and preferably should slope to a drain. This will prevent water puddles from forming and allow the floor to dry effectively after cleaning. The rinsing water should not flow to a stormwater drain, but rather to the cellar’s effluent plant. • The store must have well-designed, sturdy shelves that can handle the weight of stored products. • No bags or boxes should be placed on the ground. It should always be stored on pallets. Although the regulations allow the use of wood pallets, it is not recommended. Wood pallets can become wet and then get a worn appearance. It is also a breeding ground for unwanted micro-organisms. Plastic pallets are a better option for a chemical store. • Liquids must be stored under powders to prevent spillage onto the powder in case of a leak. Liquids should also be stored in a drip tray or container. If there is a leak, it will be contained to the tray and this will also make cleaning simple. • The store must have good ventilation. Some chemical substances can emit gasses and these gasses can be dangerous if they build up in a tightly enclosed space. • Each chemical substance should always be kept in a specific place. This place should be clearly marked and personnel should be informed that the product must be returned to its correct spot after use. • All bags, canisters and boxes should be stored at least 15 cm from the wall. This is to ensure ease of cleaning behind the products and identify when packaging is damaged and possibly leaking. • All bags that are only partially used, should be sealed properly with adhesive tape. Chemicals can spoil if not sealed properly after use and, as a result, will not have the desired effect in the juice or wine, or even lead to spoilage. Powders can also become moist and unusable and then should be discarded. Proper sealing of products also ensures that no dust or even insects can enter the product. A good practice is to have a roll of adhesive tape and scissors permanently available in the store, which makes it easy to reseal the bags.

DE GRENDEL

Chemical store door with a combination lock and shower.

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TECHNICAL YEARBOOK 2024