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Floor quality The floor in a hatchery is subjected to intensive use every day, as well as regular and thorough cleaning. Make sure the floors have a sufficient load bearing capacity per square centimetre to withstand heavy use by pallet trucks and heavy equipment. As many movements take place in and outside, the floor must provide enough grip, including when wet. It must also be durable enough to last for 20 to 30 years. To guarantee the safety of personnel, the floor must provide a certain level of slip resistance while still being smooth enough to allow thorough cleaning. The solution is a non-slip coating that prevents the risk of slipping without making cleaning difficult. It is also important to choose the right type of footwear to suit the floor surface. You can also apply an anti-microbial coating that kills bacteria on contact.
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Clean, and keep it clean Floors must be easy to clean and maintain. The surface of floors, walls and ceilings should be smooth and watertight. Cracks and holes are an ideal environment for bacteria. Light colours are the best background to show up dirt. Completely seamless, pore-free floors are recommended, as less dirt accumulates on this type of flooring and it is easy to clean. The setters are cleaned meticulously every 18 days, after transfer, while the hatchers and chick rooms are cleaned thoroughly every 3-4 days. The floor must therefore be resist-
ant to the most commonly used cleaning agents. Drainage systems are absolutely necessary, but they also encourage bacteria. Drains must therefore blend seamlessly into the flooring.
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The floor is one of the most contaminated parts of a hatchery. The floor acts as a breeding ground for a multitude of bacteria. The different zones in a hatchery all involve different demands on flooring. The clean zones are used to store disinfected eggs and include the setter rooms. The dirty zones are egg reception areas, chick storage rooms, and the places where items such as the hatcher baskets are cleaned.
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Clean floors and walls
Drain at the centre of the corridor in the incubation room. This allows cleaning water from all sides to be drained. A drain located in a corner presents the risk of dirt accumulating and poor drainage.
Floors must be able to withstand cleaning with a strong jet of water, as well as aggressive cleaning and disinfection agents.
A smooth floor must be easy to clean, but at the same time have enough slip resistance.
Seamless wall-to-floor transitions prevent dirt from accumulating in gaps. This particularly applies to corners.
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