3 replies to this topic

[dbentley]

Greetings, 

 

We are a food bank with a USDA inspected clean room to pack/repack poultry. Most recently, we have received fresh poultry parts in combo bins that are iced down from the poultry slaughter plant. We store the combo bins of poultry in a reefer trailer backed up to a designated dock door for easy access. The runoff from the iced combo bins drains out the holes in the nose of the trailer onto the concrete in the dock yard. We do not have any type of drainage to carry the runoff away. As a food bank, staffing is always at a premium and it takes a lot of labor to daily keep the dock yard hosed down into a storm drain. We have thought about using some sort of a containment system then have it pumped out frequently enough to not cause a sanitation issue. We have an AIB audit coming up and fear this will be an issue during the exterior inspection. Has anyone on the forum had to deal with a similar issue and if so how was it remedied?. TIA.

[GMO]

With my environmental head on, please do not hose food waste into storm drains.  Can you get a road sweeper round?  There are ones which "suck up" liquid from the ground.  This should be treated and disposed of properly to not cause an environmental hazard.  Perhaps the slaughter plant may have something you can use and support you with this as a charitable act?

[TimG]

Are you in a state that requires a certified stormwater manager?

BOD's have to be bananas.

For AIB, I can tell you it is very probable they will call this out. Does it smell? Is there slimy runoff? Is it at all a pest harborage (any bits they want to eat)?

[GMO]

Yes, agree this would be an AIB non con.  

 

It really depends for me how often you have this kind of issue.  You can hire things like this in the UK with an operator which would work if you don't have loads of liquid or if it's part liquid / part solid:

 

Road sweeper hire | Operated sweeper hire | JM Clark

 

A quick google I'm sure will find options close to you.  You would have to pay for disposal though of any waste.  They will not put it down your storm drain (or shouldn't).

 

You can get various ride on options etc.

 

But probably the best thing would be once you have cleaned this up before it becomes a pest risk, not to accept donations or waste from this site if it causes a site contamination for you.  Or if it's unavoidable, could you store any products of risk of run off inside?  Or even on bunded pallets which are then emptied appropriately?  I don't think allowing organic material to drain out of a vehicle feels right as a routine practice.  Especially where you don't have foul drains.