Although most businesses operating within the meat and food processing industries have strict hygiene procedures in place and washdown procedures are part of everyday operations, often the finer details involved in washdown can be missed.

Washdown hoses are frequently exposed to harsh cleaning chemicals, fats and oils which can shorten the hose’s life span. And if hoses are coiled on a hook or stored on the floor, dirt and debris can also build up on the hose. Additionally, animal fats are notoriously aggressive and can cause hoses to fail before the end of their natural life span, and when hoses are repeatedly in contact with these fats, the hose can quickly become compromised.

If hoses are not stored or managed properly, they can also become an ergonomic or occupational health and safety hazard. Most Australian industry standards mandate that ‘hoses when not in use shall be stored on reels or racks’. Storing your hose on a hose reel keeps the hose up off the floor, clean, tidy, not tangled and always easy to find. The hose itself can be washed down at the end of your clean-up procedure ensuring fats, cleaning chemicals and dirt are rinsed away and your hose is kept in good condition for as long as possible (for more tips see our recent article on extending the life of hoses).

ReCoila also imports a range of high quality stainless steel spring rewind hose reels perfect for use in food processing industries. Our stainless steel hose reels are strong, reliable and hygienic, and can handle pressures up to 400 bar. The reels are supplied bare (if you need a hose assembly we can arrange that for you) and are suited to air, cold water or hot water. A heavy duty mounting system enables the hose reel to be fixed to the wall, the ceiling or under your workbench or butcher block.

We’ve also got a number of Australian made reels that are well suited to the broader food processing industries, including manual hose reels in stainless steel, polypropylene spring rewind reels for hot water washdown (such as our HWG1215 hot wash reel), hose reels for food and liquid transfer, nitrogen hose reels for use in wineries and drinking water hose reels.