Hygienic and safety guidelines for the design of small-scale sausage factories

Abstract The aims of this report is to produce guidelines for the design and construction of buildings and facilities used for small-scale traditional sausage factories, in order to combine maximum efficiency with code requirements for food handling (D.L.vo 26.05.1997 n. 155) and work environment safety (D.L.vo 19.09.1994 n. 626). Said goal is achieved by mean of a complex planning procedure (integrated design) based on a preliminary study of the manufacturing process. The integrated design is the basic plan for finding, describing and sorting the different functional areas (the functional design), which is then combined with the requirements for food handling (HACCP rules) and job environment safety (D. Lvo 626/94 and related more recent laws), in order to obtain a complete and broad estimate of all risks connected with sanitation and safety in a sausage factory (global safety design). Particularly important in a workplace where sharp tools are widely used and product aging in a healthy environment is a key factor. The complete estimate of risks can be attained by developing the following procedures as listed: 1) find the risk sources in the manufacturing process; 2) clarify what kind of risk is related to the specific activity; 3) evaluate the magnitude of each factor of risk; 4) find planning solutions to alleviate and/or eliminate the risks. Is important to highlight that a building designed as a manufactory facility, has more reasons to exist then just house equipment and machines, being actually an innovative container of advanced technology and important factor itself of the manufacturing process, which has to be performed in a functional manner, on a management point of view, as wells as in a safe and healthy environment. Such goals can be obtained during the planning/designing phase, choosing the right building materials (insulation, interior finishes, ...) and equipments (air conditioning of the workplace).