Altro provides the complete solution

By Richard Kahn

Safety considerations are paramount in food preparation areas, not only for regulatory compliance, but also to avoid injuries and lost productivity. Installing secure and hard-wearing flooring is important in many areas of a property, but as Altro CEO Richard Kahn explains, it should be part of a much broader view of risk management.

“We start at the front of the chain with consultancy services, working with end users and architects to ensure that they have the right product. Then we ensure sourcing of that product and offer service right through the chain of contractors and distributors. Few manufacturers can occupy that space.”
-Richard Kahn, CEO

Safety flooring is a vital part of any food preparation area. The reason for this is largely linked to the realisation that accidents at work can be costly, although they can be easily prevented.

'If you just take the UK, there were around 28,000 major injuries in the workplace last year, which cost the National Health Service £150 million,' says Altro CEO Richard Kahn, '11,000 of those were slip and trip injuries, some of which happened in the hospitality sector. Across all business sectors, there is a £500 million-a-year cost in lost production from workplace accidents.

Altro is a leading manufacturer and supplier of interior surfaces, including safety flooring and hygienic wall cladding, designed to minimise risk in food preparation areas such as commercial kitchen and food and beverage processing plants

In part, the demand for its products is driven by the need of businesses to comply with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system that covers food safety, but this is just one piece of a bigger picture of safety and hygiene in the hospitality sector.

'All food preparation areas need to meet the requirements of HACCP standards, and all our products are accredited to those standards. But beyond that we ask people to step back and take responsibility for safety in a broader context that includes the physical, emotional and environmental concerns of workers,' says Kahn.

'To minimise risk - especially in catering areas - all our slip-resistant flooring and Altro Whiterock wall cladding is fully impervious. As a manufacturer of flooring we are unique in our product focus, not least because we provide an integrated package of hygienic wall cladding and flooring, offering protection for your staff, guests and business,' he adds.

As safety flooring becomes a feature of more public areas, including lobbies, servieries etc., it is important to consider its appearance as well as its performance.

'We have tried and tested products but we also put product innovation at the forefront of what we do. Improved aesthetics are more important in the working environment. Ease of maintenance and installation are also vital, and we focus on that kind of functionality. But as the use of safety flooring moves into corridors, laundries and public areas, it is also important to consider aesthetics,' says Kahn.

'We start at the front of the chain with consultancy services, working with end users and architects to ensure that they have the right product. Then we ensure sourcing of that product and offer service right through the chain of contractors and distributors. Few manufacturers can occupy that space,' notes Kahn.

Its presence right through the buying chain alongside its consultancy skills, high performance products and comprehensive approach to risk management have fuelled Altro's rapid penetration into the food and drink sector as a partner that not only understands safety, but also how businesses must balance cost with design.

Further information

www.altro.com