Protecting meat processing facility from the spread of viruses

The meat processing Industry has been affected by the spread of viruses within its premises. During the Covid 19 outbreak many facilities experienced mass outbreaks that affected their production capabilities as many were forced to shut down for a period of time or reduce operations. We were contacted by Toennies meat processing facility to help find a solution for theses problems

The challenge

In the meat processing Industry there is a big focus on ventilation technology for the prevention of virus outbreak. Due to a lack of standards in the Industry around ventilation there is very little guidance around what are the clean air requirements of a facility Scientific studies have shown that recirculation of air, around a facility, which can cause the spread of viruses. These studies have shown that in areas of poor ventilation the virus can remain in the air for up to 3 hours. In this facility, the production area used sufficient supply air. The temperature in the production areas needed to be maintained between 6-10 degree Celsius, which was controlled by the air circulation system. The room utilised recirculated air, this meant that the air in some areas was reused in other areas.
During a virus pandemic this system needed to be addressed and a balanced hygiene approach needed to be taken. The challenge to Camfil was to create a solution that helped ensure the clean air introduced to the facility both protected the health of the employees as well as ensuring that the low energy consumption initiatives that were in place were also optimised.

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The solution

In addition to the general precautions that need to be taken during a pandemic - such as face masks to be worn, social distancing to be observed and work place partitions to be installed - the company wanted to focus on the air quality and how it can help protect their workforce.
To ensure that the air was cleaned to the required standards (to protect the companies employees), high performance filters needed to be used. High efficiency filters would help capture the airborne viruses and ensure that the HVAC system utilised would have reduced risks.

Meat processing companies require clean air to reduce the particulate levels within the facility to both improve production room conditions and to protect against the spread of airborne viruses. The reason for this is the viruses use airborne particulates to travel and less particulates will reduce this opportunity. As a solution Camfil were able to offer our CC6000 and CC 2000 range of air cleaners that were equipped with H14 HEPA filters.

Testing and results

After the technical design and installations of these patented air cleaners, a team of experts, including Occupational hygienists and occupational physicans for a recognised university - carried out testing on site for several days using cold smoke and particle measurements. The systems were wall and ceiling mounted to allow for good airflow and even distribution of air across the production floor.

THE RESULTS:

The use of Camfil air cleaners has removed the airborne microbes and particles sufficiently to ensure a safe production environment for both the personnel and the processes involved. The tests proved the reliable and optimal performance of the air cleaner solution as part of the pandemic prevention scheme. This system allowed the factory to become operational again after a virus outbreak in the facility.

Air quality assessment