Maintaining proper footwear hygiene is an essential aspect of ensuring a safe and hygienic food processing workplace environment. While captive footwear programs with dedicated work shoes for food processing facilities have become a trusted way to keep pathogens out of production zones, it can be costly to implement and maintain. Also, captive footwear programs still rely on footwear hygiene methods that can be time-consuming and ineffective including manual boot scrubbing or door foamers to keep footwear sanitized while in the facility .
This all being said, for decades Meritech has worked with facilities to enhance their captive footwear programs or to replace them with our automated footwear hygiene solutions.
Enhancing captive footwear programs with "sanitize-in, scrub-out" automated hygiene
Meritech's "sanitize-in and scrub-out" method is an innovative approach to enhance captive footwear programs in food processing facilities. By preventing pathogens and allergens from entering or leaving production areas, this methodology ensures a safer and more hygienic working environment. To achieve optimal results, Meritech recommends using CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations with footwear sanitation enhancements, such as wetted boot dips or sole clean low moisture sanitizing pans, before entering production areas. During the automated hand wash, captive shoes have at least 12 seconds of contact time with the footwear hygiene solution, which effectively eliminates any potential pathogens.
Learn more about our footwear sanitizing enhancements
Once a shift is complete, Meritech recommends using a automatic boot scrubber with captive footwear to remove any product or debris that may have accumulated during the process. This ensures that the footwear is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before returning them to storage or locker areas. By implementing Meritech's automated footwear hygiene solutions, companies can be confident that their employees are working in a safe and hygienic environment, without the need for time-consuming and ineffective manual cleaning methods.
Why you should replace your captive footwear program with automated hygiene equipment
While captive footwear programs have been a popular method for footwear hygiene in many food processing facilities, they can be costly and time-consuming to implement and maintain. In industries with high employee turnover, the cost and time required for training staff on captive footwear programs can add up quickly. Additionally, traditional manual cleaning methods used in captive footwear programs can be ineffective at removing harmful pathogens and allergens from footwear.
By utilizing advanced technology to clean and sanitize footwear quickly and thoroughly, automated footwear hygiene solutions can significantly reduce the risk of cross-contamination in food processing facilities. This makes them a more practical choice for companies looking to maintain a safe and hygienic work environment while minimizing costs and training time.
Why Automated hygiene equipment is more effective
One of the primary advantages of our automated footwear hygiene solutions is that they are highly effective at removing harmful pathogens from footwear. In contrast, traditional captive footwear programs often rely on manual footwear cleaning methods that can leave bacteria and viruses behind. This is especially concerning in industries such as food processing, where the spread of harmful pathogens can have serious consequences.
Learn about our efficacy studies for our CleanTech® footwear enhancements
Our automated footwear hygiene systems use advanced technology to clean and disinfect footwear quickly and effectively. A combination of powerful brushes, water and sanitizing chemicals are used in our automated boot scrubber systems to remove dirt, debris, and pathogens from footwear. The process is fully automated, so there is no need for employees to spend time manually cleaning and disinfecting their footwear. This ensures consistent and thorough cleaning results across all shifts.
Learn how Ken's Foods incorporated Meritech's automated
boot scrubbers into their footwear hygiene program.
Why Automation saves time training and retraining staff
Our automated footwear hygiene systems also offer significant time savings compared to traditional captive footwear programs. With traditional captive footwear programs, companies often need to spend additional time training and retraining staff on how their captive footwear program works. In contrast, our automated footwear hygiene systems require minimal training and offer rapid results without the need for extensive instructions.
Compare common footwear hygiene methods
Another significant advantage of our automated footwear hygiene solutions is that there are many options to meet the specific needs of different facilities. The systems can be tailored to address different types of footwear materials and work environments. This flexibility ensures that companies can achieve optimal hygiene results while minimizing any disruptions to their operations.
For example, A company that is in need of both footwear sanitizing and hand hygiene should consider using one of our footwear sanitizing enhancements that connect to our CleanTech® Automated Handwashing Stations and guarantees pathogen removal from both hands and footwear in just 12 seconds. A company that needs high volume debris removal should consider our XBW 3.0 Automated Boot Scrubber that ensures footwear sanitation for 15-20 employees per minute.
See all of our footwear hygiene options
Our automated footwear hygiene solutions offer numerous benefits over traditional captive footwear programs. By utilizing advanced technology to clean and disinfect footwear quickly and effectively, our systems offer superior hygiene results and customization options. It is evident that automated footwear hygiene solutions ensure safe and hygienic work environments for the food industry.
Learn why automation is the superior choice for food safety hygiene
