Installing Food-Grade, Anti-Slip Flooring in a High-Volume Biscuit Factory

The Challenge: Delivering Seamless, Heat-Resistant and Hygienic Flooring for High-Volume Biscuit Production

A major UK baker and biscuit manufacturer, with factories throughout the country, produces millions of biscuits and cakes each year for global distribution while providing a safe workplace for hundreds of staff. During refurbishment works across several sites, the company required a long-term flooring solution capable of meeting the demanding realities of modern food production.

As with all bakeries, oils, fluids and fine powders including flour and sugar can be spilt and cause floors to become slippery. Fine particles can also become trapped between the floor screed and the substrate, meaning a monolithic, seamless screed was essential. Ingredients used in bakery and confectionery facilities, including oils, sugars, syrups and natural food acids such as lactic, citric and acetic acids, can corrode inferior surfaces such as concrete, tile grouting and vinyl joints. Over time, this deterioration can harbour bacterial growth and put hygiene compliance at risk.

In addition to resisting corrosive substances, the flooring system needed to cope with extremely hot temperatures and reflective heat from ovens without cracking. It also had to endure heavy wheeled traffic, machinery, equipment and high volumes of footfall, while tolerating aggressive and frequent cleaning regimes. Aesthetically, the customer required a finish that would update the appearance of older factories into modern food production environments, incorporating coloured zonal areas and line marking to support health and safety procedures.

Arguably the toughest challenge was reducing disruption to business operations. Installation had to be carefully phased, with some works undertaken while production continued safely in adjacent areas. A fast-curing, low-odour solution was therefore essential to minimise downtime and maintain operational continuity.

The Solution: Polyurethane Screed Flooring for Food-Safe, Heavy-Duty Performance

To address these requirements, Sherwin-Williams was appointed alongside Ancorite Surface Protection to assess and specify an appropriate long-term flooring system. FasTop™ TG69, a high-performance polyurethane floor screed, was selected for its proven durability in demanding food manufacturing environments.

Sherwin-Williams Flooring Product Manager Jeremy Waterhouse said: "We are always confident that FasTop TG69 will provide the durability required as a long-term food factory flooring solution. It has been proven over the years in diverse environments where it is subjected to severe impact and aggressive cleaning processes."

Installed at a minimum thickness of 6mm, FasTop TG69 provides compressive strength that significantly exceeds that of ordinary concrete, delivering exceptional robustness in areas subject to heavy impact and continuous traffic. Its seamless, monolithic construction eliminates joints and crevices where debris or bacteria could accumulate, directly supporting hygiene standards within biscuit and cake production facilities.

The system is certified as food safe and non-taint by HACCP International and approved by Campden BRI, ensuring that the flooring would not compromise the quality of baked products. Textured variants of FasTop TG69 have been independently tested using the TRRL Pendulum method promoted by the Health and Safety Executive, confirming low slip potential in both wet and dry conditions.

In addition, FasTop TG69 offers resistance to thermal shock, aggressive cleaning chemicals and substances commonly encountered in bakery environments. Its low odour and suitability for fast-track installation programmes allowed the project team to phase works carefully, reducing disruption and enabling production to continue wherever possible.

The Results: A Modern, Zoned, Anti-Slip Flooring System Installed with Minimal Disruption to Bakery Operations

The completed installations delivered a vibrant, consistent flooring finish across multiple factories, transforming ageing production spaces into modern, clearly defined food manufacturing environments. Coloured zonal areas and line markings were incorporated to demarcate operational spaces and reinforce health and safety compliance.

Beyond visual improvement, the flooring provides significant practical benefits. FasTop TG69 withstands high temperatures, reflective oven heat, heavy machinery, sustained impact and intensive foot traffic without compromising performance. It also resists harsh cleaning agents used within Clean-In-Place processes, including caustic soda, nitric acid and phosphoric acid, maintaining structural integrity and hygiene over time.

Crucially, the installation was completed with minimal disruption to ongoing operations. By staging the works and protecting adjacent areas, food production was able to continue safely throughout much of the refurbishment period. The result is a seamless, hygienic and highly durable polyurethane screed system that supports large-scale biscuit manufacturing with long-term reliability, enhanced safety and improved environmental performance.