The Often-Missed Foundation – Building Fabric
Walls and Kerbs. If water can sit in it, behind it, or beneath it - Listeria will live in it.
Hygiene & Cleanability
The junction between walls and floors is a classic dirt trap if it’s a sharp 90° angle. Wall kerbing creates a smooth, curved transition, which:
• Prevents food debris, liquids, and bacteria from building up
• Allows washdown systems (hoses, foams, steam) to clean effectively
• Reduces the risk of biofilm formation
Bacterial & Pest Control
Poor wall-to-floor detailing can:
• Harbour pathogens like Listeria
• Create entry points for pests
Sealing
Proper kerbing seals the junction, making it far harder for bacteria or insects to settle in or migrate between zones. It also:
• Stops water seeping behind wall panels
• Protects wall substrates from rot, corrosion, and mould
• Helps maintain proper drainage and floor falls
Protection Against Impact & Damage
Poor wall-to-floor detailing can:
• Acts as a physical barrier against low-level impacts
• Prevents chipping, cracking, and delamination of wall finishes
Jamie Cook, Director, Kemtile
Case Study: Listeria contamination zones embedded in the building fabric
Location: Northern Scotland
Sector: Dairy
Challenge: The client identified recurring Listeria contamination risks within a critical dairy processing area. Investigations revealed that the root cause was not operational practice, but structural hygiene failures within the building fabric.
Site Survey
We discovered that the existing drainage system was over 15 years old and consisted of: non-stainless surface channels, cracked and damaged channel joint and plastic underground pipework, poor falls and standing water, limited access for effective cleaning. These factors created ideal conditions for bacterial harbourage and made compliance with food safety audits increasingly difficult.
Understanding the Situation
The client required a solution that would eliminate Listeria harbour points, withstand high water temperatures and aggressive cleaning regimes, be installed with minimal production downtime and fully comply with building control and hygiene standards.
The Solution
Kemtile delivered a phased drainage replacement programme, allowing the factory to remain operational throughout the works. We handled surface drainage, supplied and installed a new hygienic stainless steel drainage system, replaced damaged plastic underground pipes with fully welded stainless-steel pipework, reprofiled the surrounding floors to improve falls and water flow – all completed to latest building control and food industry standards.
Results
After we finished the work there were zero Listeria positives in post-installation swabbing, a significant reduction in environmental risk scores, improved audit outcomes, faster and more effective cleaning cycles and reduced maintenance callouts.
Client Feedback
“The phased approach allowed us to continue production while addressing a critical food safety risk. The new stainless system has transformed our cleaning effectiveness and given us confidence in our hygiene controls.”
traps and replacing them with modern hygienic systems, you can deliver a longterm solution, tackle immediate contamination issues and safeguard the future. Engineering controls are critical to effective food safety”
Akeel Ahmed, Business Development Manager,
Kemtile
Contact Kemtile for a free Flooring Health Check
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