What Food Hygiene Auditors Look for in Factory Floors
The floor is one of the first things a food hygiene auditor looks at, and one of the hardest things to fix quickly if it falls short. Whether the visit is a BRCGS audit, a retailer’s technical inspection or an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) visit, the questions about flooring are broadly the same. Can it be cleaned properly? Does water drain away? Is it in good repair? This guide sets out what inspectors typically look for and how a well-specified resin floor helps you meet those expectations.
The principle behind every floor check
Food safety legislation and the main certification standards do not usually specify a particular flooring product. Instead, they set out outcomes. Floors in food handling areas are generally expected to be maintained in a sound condition, easy to clean and, where necessary, disinfect, and made from impervious, non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic materials. Where wet processes take place, floors should allow adequate drainage.
BRCGS and similar standards build on this with expectations about the factory environment, including floors that are suitable for the process, kept in good repair and drained so that water does not stand. Auditors then judge whether your floor achieves those outcomes in practice, taking into account your HACCP plan and the risk level of each area.
What auditors typically look for
A seamless, impervious surface
Joints, cracks, open grout lines and porous concrete all give bacteria and food debris somewhere to collect. Auditors will look for surfaces that are continuous and non-absorbent. A seamless resin floor removes most of these harbourage points, which is why resin systems are widely used across food production. Our food grade flooring page explains the main systems used.
Sound condition and good repair
A floor that was compliant when it was laid can stop being compliant once it starts to break down. Auditors typically note:
- Cracks, pits and delamination where liquid and debris can collect
- Loose or missing pieces of floor that could become a foreign body risk
- Worn areas around machinery, doorways and pallet routes
- Failed joints and seals, particularly around drains
Damage should be logged, risk-assessed and repaired. Temporary repairs are often accepted if they are recorded and scheduled for a permanent fix, but repeated findings on the same area suggest the floor itself is no longer suitable.
Coving at the wall-floor junction
The corner where the floor meets the wall is one of the hardest places to clean. A square junction traps dirt and is easily missed during washdown. Resin coving forms a curved, sealed upstand between floor and wall so it can be cleaned in one pass. Coving is commonly finished with a trim and sealed to wall cladding to close the joint completely.
Drainage and falls
Standing water is a common audit finding. Ponding creates a slip risk, spreads contamination and allows microbial growth. Inspectors will look at whether the floor has falls towards drains, whether drains are cleanable and in good condition, and whether water collects anywhere after washdown.
Good drainage design includes:
- Floor falls that direct liquid to channels or gullies
- Hygienic stainless steel channels and gullies that can be opened and cleaned
- Drain levels set correctly so the floor finish meets the channel without a lip
- Flexible, sealed joints between the resin floor and the drainage so water cannot get underneath
Our drainage service covers made-to-measure channels from Aco to food-grade stainless steel, designed alongside the floor rather than as a separate job.
Slip resistance
Wet production floors need to balance grip with cleanability. A floor that is too smooth is a safety risk, while a very coarse texture can be harder to clean. Auditors and health and safety inspectors will both take an interest in whether the slip resistance matches the conditions in each area.
Resistance to the process
Hot washdown, steam cleaning, food acids, fats, sugars and cleaning chemicals all attack weaker floors. An auditor may not test this directly, but the consequences show up as softening, staining, cracking and debonding. Heavy-duty polyurethane screeds are typically specified for these conditions because of their thermal shock and chemical resistance.
Examples from our own projects
At a food factory in Newcastle, the challenge was a difference in floor level between the existing building and a new extension. We bridged the height difference, mechanically ground the whole area, applied a damp-proof membrane and hand-laid a 6mm polyurethane screed for chemical, impact and slip resistance. The system was finished with 100mm resin coving to a stainless steel trim, and flexible resin jointing around the drains to keep the finish seamless and resistant to cracking.
Ponding around drainage is a problem in many hygiene-critical environments, not just food production. During our work at the mortuary at Stoke hospital, the previous floor held water around the drainage channel. Our team made sure the channel sat below the new floor level so the ponding would be eliminated.
Preparing for your next audit
If flooring has come up as a finding, or you expect it to, a few steps help:
- Walk the site after a full washdown and mark anywhere water remains.
- Photograph cracks, damaged coving and failed joints, and add them to your maintenance log.
- Check drains for lips, gaps and sealant failures.
- Prioritise high-risk and high-care areas for repair or replacement.
- Plan larger works around shutdowns, using fast-cure systems where downtime is limited.
Frequently asked questions
What flooring is acceptable in a food factory?
Food factory floors should be durable, impervious, non-absorbent, easy to clean and kept in good repair, with drainage where wet processes take place. Seamless resin systems such as polyurethane screeds are widely used because they meet these expectations and resist heat, chemicals and heavy traffic.
Does BRCGS require coving?
BRCGS focuses on outcomes rather than naming specific products, but wall-floor junctions must be cleanable and in good repair. Sealed resin coving is the most common way to achieve this, because it removes the square corner where dirt and moisture collect and makes thorough cleaning far easier.
Why is standing water a problem in food production areas?
Standing water spreads contamination, supports microbial growth and creates a slip hazard. Auditors typically expect floors to have adequate falls to drains so water clears after washdown. Persistent ponding usually points to poor falls, damaged floors or drains set at the wrong level.
How often should food factory floors be inspected?
Floors should be checked as part of routine hygiene and maintenance inspections, often weekly in production areas, with defects logged and repaired. A more detailed review before audits helps catch cracks, failed coving and drainage issues before they become non-conformities.
If your floors need attention before your next audit, Optimum Flooring Services Ltd can survey the site and recommend a hygienic, compliant solution. Call 01782 865099 or request a quote.
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