Construction managers must connect, communicate, and collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders throughout the engagement, such as corporate engineers, leadership teams, building staff, and project managers. While sanitation is always a priority in any facility, CAPEX projects in a food plant demand heightened urgency regarding cleanliness. In addition to typical stakeholder meetings and daily updates, a CM will align closely with the plant's sanitation manager to ensure the very highest hygienic standards are upheld throughout construction.
Before the project launch, the sanitation manager and CM should work together to outline a plan for these three mission-critical components:
Arrival of Equipment
Most CAPEX projects require an extensive range of equipment shipped into the worksite. The sanitation manager and CM should work together to develop a compliant plan to inspect machinery and tools coming into the plant. The strategy should include a protocol to determine if equipment needs to be uncrated outside of the facility, with a sanitation professional there to inspect for contaminants and pest activity. There should also be an established practice for cleaning the equipment outside of the building first.
For equipment brought in with a tractor-trailer, the sanitation manager and CM should create a routine for inspecting the truck before securing it to the building to avoid contamination. Once the crates and the truck have been carefully examined, it can then be attached to the loading dock for equipment removal.
Equipment Cleaning and Sanitation
It’s also essential to determine the necessary sanitation protocols for all new equipment. It’s important to remember that the contractors on site are not professional cleaners. The most effective way to manage the process is to have a dedicated member of the sanitation team direct and oversee all efforts. The construction manager can also assist, helping to delegate assets for the cleaning based on the delivery and project schedule as well as promoting proactive communication with all essential stakeholders.
Equipment Installation
As machinery and tools are moved into the building, it’s also important to develop an installation strategy that ensures products are delivered in the safest way possible. The sanitation manager and CM should carefully consider installation practices based on the building footprint to develop an effective final protocol that eliminates contamination and other unnecessary risks to adjacent work areas.
Perry Construction specializes in CAPEX projects for food-based facilities of every size. Contact the team today to learn more about how our CMs align resources with sanitation leaders for a compliant and successful engagement.
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