11.2.7.3 - Insect Proofing Overhead Dock Door
Hey everyone -
We just finished our initial certification audit for SQF Food Safety 8.0 today. Score received was a 99%, just one minor. Sounds awesome, but it's one doozy of a minor -
Basically, we suffer from pretty extreme old building and too-small-for-operation building syndrome. Our warehouse receiving and shipping is all done through a giant overhead ground-level dock door - approximately 20 feet across, 15 feet tall opening. Our owner looked into converting it to a dock a few months back, but that would end up costing $150,000. (Easily 1/3 the value of the building and out of reach for our operation).
So, understandably, we were dinged on 11.2.7.3
11.2.7.3 External doors, including overhead dock doors in food handling areas used for product, pedestrian or truck access shall be insect-proofed by at least one or a combination of the following methods: i. A self-closing device; ii. An effective air curtain; iii. An insect-proof screen; iv. An insect-proof annex; v. Adequate sealing around trucks in docking areas
It's too tall for an air curtain (We're pretty sure, unless someone knows otherwise), an insect-proof screen doesn't help because we need to receive in and out of it multiple times a day.
Our auditor had suggested maybe curtain strips would get by as a correction on the outside of the overhead door (potentially viable but doesn't seem like a good long term solution with snow and wind) and we are calling some local overhead door contractors in to get ideas from them - but I figured I would toss it out and see if anyone else has had to solve an issue similar to this. Or just maybe...have some ideas?
It's a bit of a bummer because it's feeling like a big hurdle to overcome. We knew it would be an issue as it doesn't meet code, so we had addressed sanitizing the truck wheels in and out, covering anything nearby it in case of rain/snow, covering pallets in and out during inclement weather, have curtain strips at all other entrances to the warehouse from the plant - but hadn't considered the insects.
I'm hopeful we'll be considered for an extension on this one, but we need a plan before we can even see if that'll happen. Thoughts?
you should build an annex with a curtain to folds down and back so that trucks can back up and into it without dayight showing.
yes and no - your door is pretty big - so it sounds like an annex is needed - its like an extension square with an area for the truck to back into it - the gel curtain or boom curtain above rides up and down depending on the height of the trailer.
your door is not too big for an air curtain, a reputable company can manufacture and install one that works for your opening
https://berner.com/i...es/air-curtain/
http://www.candoor.c...ir-curtain.aspx
http://www.tmi-pvc.c...n-air-door.html
The Annex idea is a good one, but spending that kind of money will depend on how long the company is going to be in that location. If its 10 more years, absolutely, if it's only 2 more.....thats a hard sell
Overhead door companies also make screen roll up doors....just FYI we use this as our facility is crazy hot during production...........it allows the movement of fresh air while maintaining a pest free zone. The speed at which these open and close is not always fixed..........then can be adjusted to close and open really rapidly
DO NOT hang the plastic barrier strips like you see in a hockey arena---they are a B**** to keep clean and then you will just have created a new issue
And there is also another option, this one is used by a past development client of ours that processes shrimp right off the boat - talk about buzzing around outside - yikes! They found a company that installed a blow down system that metters out a very small amount of insecticide (harmful only to flies and insects.) It cost them $7000 per dock door and was accepted by Auditor as an effective fly barrier. It is coupled with an automatic flexible nylon screen with bottom get boom for effective sealing to the floor.