England 06/07/2013 – It may seem strange to think of something like food safety affecting the building materials used in business premises, but it appears that is exactly what is happening.
Enquires about hygienic wall cladding and demand for it has been growing steadily for several years. It started when the rules and regulations governing food safety and hygiene were updated.
The law now says – ‘wall surfaces must be maintained in a sound condition and be easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect’. The government offers further advice to food business owners on their food.gov.uk website. There they say – ‘This means that wall surfaces need to be made of materials that are impervious (i.e. do not allow fluid to pass through), non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic, and must be smooth up to a height appropriate for the work you do, unless you can satisfy your local authority that other materials are appropriate.’
Demand for hygienic wall coverings is not just coming from the food industry
Businesses that ignored this advice in the past have realised that they need to change their wall coverings if they want to keep trading, because the enforcement of these standards is now extremely strict. This has led many to go out and source wall claddings that are specifically designed to meet the standards laid out in the government’s advice.
Something Beplas, who specialise in making such hygienic wall cladding products, has greatly benefited from. They have seen interest in, and demand for; their products grow steadily over several years. However, not all of their clients are involved in food production. Many of their clients run businesses that are not related to the food industry at all. They are coming to them for hygienic wall coverings because they want to protect the health of their employees, by making sure that their work environment is easy to keep clean. They are installing Beplas wall cladding in their restrooms, and staff coffee and snack rooms. However, again, it is legislation, which has led them to do this, specifically health and safety regulations. These regulations requires firms to ensure that restrooms and staff food preparation areas to be kept clean and hygienic.