Safety Guidelines At Your Brewery

A brewery can be a more dangerous place than many people expect. With all the chemicals needed for cleaning, large pieces of brewing equipment, and high temperatures everywhere, breweries deal with serious safety concerns. There are a few key safety guidelines to keep in mind at your brewery if you want to reduce the risk of harm as much as possible.

ALWAYS KEEP FLOORS FREE OF LIQUID AND DEBRIS

Slipping on an unclean floor of a brewery is a common cause of injury. It doesn’t help that brewery floors are prone to accumulating messes. Whether it’s spilled beer or a shattered bottle, even something small on the floor could unintentionally harm someone who’s not paying attention. Sealing your brewery’s floors is crucial, but so is promptly and thoroughly cleaning up spills.

STORE CLEANING CHEMICALS SEPARATELY

Brewing equipment needs more than simple soap and water to clean effectively and remove anything stuck on tight. These cleaning chemicals can be highly toxic to ingest or inhale, especially if used incorrectly or mixed with the wrong ingredient. Label all cleaning agents clearly and store them in separate areas to prevent them from combining. You also don’t want to risk someone picking up the wrong chemical for cleaning.

FLUSH HOSES AND CHECK FITTINGS OFTEN

One very important safety guideline breweries need to remember is to regularly flush and clean hoses and fittings. These pieces of equipment are some of the hardest working parts in the operation, making them vulnerable to buildup and contaminants. A simple rinse won’t fully clean your hoses, and the fittings should always have someone’s eye on them to make sure they aren’t developing any unsafe contaminants.

FULL CLEANING CYCLES ARE CRUCIAL

There are no shortcuts when it comes to cleaning in a brewery. Every time someone skips over a cleaning step or forgoes them entirely, you’re creating a hazardous workplace and possibly a hazardous product that might hurt someone else. All brewing equipment needs to go through an extensive cleaning process, including sanitization, caustics, and hot rinses, in order to be safe. A full keg washing system is usually the best call for ensuring your kegs are ready for the next batch of beer.

All of these safety guidelines come down to diligence and paying attention to what matters the most.