Cleaning the Basics
Making sure that everyday assets like tractors, trailers, ploughs and cutting machines are clean is just common sense. Doing so protects the asset keeping the unit in good condition and making them easier to maintain.
A quality high pressure washer remains the farmers’ tool of choice. Hot or cold there is no better way to keep vehicles, buildings, machinery and animal pens clean.
Most of the time cold water delivered at pressure will clean the majority of applications satisfactorily. There are times however, often when oil or grease are present, that only hot water will do the job. Cleaning with hot water has been proven to significantly reduce cleaning time and the associated labour cost. Whole life running costs, including purchase cost, labour, water, fuel and service elements demonstrate a saving of over 26% compared to cold water so it is well worth considering.
Nilfisk have an excellent range of hot machines which feature a highly manoeuvrable 4 wheel design. MH Models are fitted with a new boiler system independently certified to be more than 92% efficient. Nilfisk cold water options, originally designed for the demanding agricultural environment, extend to heavy duty, steel framed models. The Poseidon 7 is fitted with the renowned C3 ceramic piston pump and is perfect for the real heavy duty end of the sector.
Cross Contamination
Hygiene regulations insist on thorough cleaning of pens and trailers particularly in between transportation of different breed types. The trusty pressure washer utilising a suitable chemical disinfectant is the obvious choice. Make sure your pressure washer selection includes chemical dispensing functionality and a full range of lances and accessories for all applications.
Specific regulations apply to poultry farmers as the food poisoning bacteria campylobacter and other diseases can spread rapidly through the flock. The FSA advise that 80% of the 280,000 cases of food poisoning annually in the UK come from poultry. Good basic biosecurity is therefore essential and includes cleaning and disinfecting vehicle wheels, arches and steps before entry and exit to every site. A back up pressure washer and a good stock of chemical is essential in this scenario.
Cleaning Livestock
Bacteria survives very well in a livestock environment, particularly on hides and fleeces. The FSA’s Clean Livestock Policy, insists that livestock are clean prior to slaughter. Any animals failing the visual inspection will be moved to a holding pen and the farmer charged accordingly. Light pressure washing is kinder and quicker than clipping so pre-transport washing procedures are advisable together with clean trailers and bedding.
Similarly livestock destined for market or the show ring can be effectively cleaned with light pressure washing utilising an effective animal shampoo.
Packaging and Production Areas
It can be difficult to keep grading, packaging & production areas clean. Floor areas can be extensive with food spillages and packaging debris causing potential hazards for all concerned. Walk behind and ride on sweeping equipment can come into play here very quickly providing an efficient way to maintain standards.
Walk behind battery operated sweepers like the Nilfisk Floortec 350 will provide a good standard of clean but larger areas are better served by a ride on model with much increased productivity. The Nilfisk Floortec R360 is a robust machine with a 1000 mm sweeping path available in battery or petrol versions. It features a powerful vacuum motor and large filter for continuous dust free sweeping.
Egg production facilities are likely to need a scrubbing machine as opposed to a straight sweeper. Again walk behind and ride on models are available, a lot will depend on the area to be cleaned and the time allocated to do so. As with pressure washers the ability to wash and scrub with a suitable detergent is paramount.
Wet & Dry Vacuums
Wet and dry vacuums come into their own when faced with picking up large volumes of liquids and spilt crops including grain. Consider the size of the collection hopper when selecting the right machine for you.
Hazardous dusts are categorised into 3 classes, L – low, M – Medium and H – High in addition to an explosive dust classed as ATEX type 22. A specialist industrial vacuum manufacturer like Nilfisk supply a range of filters and machines to meet all requirements and regulations.
My advice – seek specialist advice. Dust from some crops is highly explosive, conduct a thorough risk assessment and request a site survey and demonstration from a good dealer. Cheap is not always best when the safe, legal operation of your facility depends on an acceptable level of clean.
We pride ourselves on recommending the right machine for your application so, If you would like to maximise your cleaning efficiency and lower your cleaning costs we offer a no obligation site surveys and demonstration as standard, with full installation and staff training supplied with every new machine purchased. Power Clean is also an approved Buy with Confidence Member of Sussex Trading Standards having over 40 years of experience in the cleaning industry.
