Smart Facility Design: Curbs, Platforms, and Harborage Control
Introduction
Food safety audits don’t just focus on processes; they scrutinize the physical environment of your facility. Poorly designed curbs, platforms, and evidence of harborage points can create sanitation challenges, increase contamination risks, and lead to audit failures. As a design-build engineering firm specializing in food manufacturing plants, we know that smart facility design is the foundation of compliance and operational excellence.
Why Smart Facility Design Matters
Regulatory standards like USDA, FDA, FSMA, and GFSI require facilities to minimize harborage points where bacteria, pests, and debris can accumulate. During audits, inspectors look for:
- Improper curb and platform construction.
- Hard-to-clean areas.
- Harborage points behind equipment or under platforms.
1. Curb Design: Controlling Water and Debris
Curbs play a critical role in maintaining sanitary conditions by containing and directing water to prevent contamination from spreading throughout the facility. When curbs are poorly designed, water can pool in unintended areas, creating an environment conducive to microbial growth, and increasing the risk of audit failures. Transitions from the curb to floor and curb to walls are critical design elements that require proper attention to ensure long-term durability and food safety. To ensure compliance and efficiency, curbs should be continuous and sealed, eliminating gaps where water or debris could be collected. Proper height and rounded edges are essential for directing washdown water while allowing for easy cleaning. Material selection is equally important; non-porous, corrosion-resistant options such as stainless steel or urethane-coated concrete provide durability and ease of cleaning. For example, one facility that upgraded to seamless urethane curbs saw a 30% reduction in sanitation time and improved audit scores, demonstrating the impact of thoughtful curb design.
2. Platform Design: Accessibility and Cleanability
Platforms elevate equipment and provide personnel access to the production line, but poor design can create hidden contamination zones. Effective platform designs prioritize accessibility and cleanability. Stainless steel open grating, non-slip decking, and sealed tubular supports help reduce harborage areas. Open grating may be used in non‑product areas such as walkways or crossovers not located near or over food contact surfaces. Platform materials of construction should be non‑porous.
Adequate clearance beneath platforms supports thorough cleaning and slip‑resistant surfaces can improve worker safety. Facilities can improve cleanability and reduce audit non‑conformances by installing stainless steel platforms with non‑porous open grating in areas not over product and food contact surfaces.
3. Sanitation and Safety Design: Eliminating Harborage Points
Harborage points such as gaps, cracks, and inaccessible spaces are a major concern during food safety audits because they provide areas for pests and bacteria to thrive. Eliminating these points requires a combination of smart design strategies. Sealed joints using continuous welds or sanitary seals prevent microbial growth, while rounded edges simplify cleaning by removing sharp corners where debris can accumulate. Integrated drainage systems are also essential, ensuring that water flows toward drains rather than pooling under equipment or platforms. Facilities that redesign structures to eliminate hollow members and incorporate these principles can have a dramatic reduction in pest harborage and improve compliance with FSMA standards.
Benefits of Smart Design
- Improved Audit Outcomes: Facilities with hygienic design pass audits more easily.
- Reduced Cleaning Time: Accessible, cleanable surfaces save labor costs.
- Enhanced Safety: Slip-resistant platforms and proper drainage reduce worker injuries.
Partner with Experts
Austin integrates sanitary design principles into every project. From curbs and platforms to harborage control, our solutions help food manufacturers meet regulatory requirements and maintain a safe, efficient facility.
Ready to prepare for your next food safety audit? Contact us today to learn how our design-build expertise can optimize your facility for compliance and performance.
View Our Other Sanitary Design Blogs:
Structural Integrity: Floors, Cracks, and Freezer Heave
Overhead Hazards in Food Facilities You Can’t Ignore: Ceilings, Piping, and Condensation Risks
Surface Sanitation in Food and Beverage Facilities: Floors, Walls, and Coatings
Drainage Design and Maintenance in Food Safety Audits
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ED WRIGHTFood, Meat, and Poultry SMECall 470.299.1032 | Email Ed | View Profile |