CAGE PROCESSING in Animal Facilities - Felasa

For reasons of odour, exhaust air of the steam sterilisation process (coming from the vacuum pumps) shouldbe discharged to atmosphere through a second, separate pipe. The same is recommended for exhaust air ofH 2O 2/ PAA locks. The type of air discharge opening as well as its proximity to surrounding buildings must bewell considered in order to avoid a recirculation through air conditioning intake vents or open windows, alsowhen weather conditions are unfavourable.The manufacturer must provide the customer with information on:• volume flow in m 3 /h,• exhaust air temperature,• exhaust air humidity,• connection dimensions.When pipes suffer high pressure loss, the customer should consider installing an additional fan at the end ofeach affected pipe.The different amounts of exhaust air (general exhaust air coming from the processing centre, exhaust air comingfrom machines or from handling bedding) must be taken into account in order to maintain the desiredrelative room air pressure.Note: Special care in the choice of the material of building exhaust air duct which have contact with H 2O 2isessential.5.2.8 Heat dissipationHeat emitted by the machines must be dissipated. If the heat is dissipated by extraction of air, fresh air mustbe fed back in in order to avoid overheating (> 50 °C) in the service room. When designing the capacity of theventilation system, not only the heat of the machines is to be considered, but also the heat coming from theitems to be processed.The manufacturer must provide the operator with information on:• heat emitted by the machines (eg. in kW).5.3 Construction dimensions, load-carrying capacity, and pitThe manufacturer must provide information on the installation dimensions, weight and operational weight ofeach processing machine so that room dimensions, structural load of the slab and ceiling can be calculated.This also applies for the minimum dimensions and loads of the transport route (façade opening, halls leadingto the installation site, etc.). A potential replacement of machines at a later time, after the building is finished,must also be taken into account.It is recommended for the operator to equip machines with floor level access with a watertight pit. The edgesof the pit must be sealed with non-rusting reinforcements. The pit must be designed according to manufacturerinstructions with a pit drain and odour trap. A common pit depth ranges up to 250 mm.The manufacturer must provide the customer with information on:• required pit dimensions, including position of drain.5.4 Maintenance access and service roomFor maintenance work inside the machine, the access for engineers and maintenance personnel specified bythe manufacturer must not be obstructed by additional installations (e.g. ventilation ducts, pipeworks, cabletrays). In walk-in service rooms, a light and socket with protection category IP54 must be installed.5.5 Dispensing station for process chemicalsProcess chemicals can be dispensed centrally or locally. When selecting a local dispensing system, the tradingunits should be placed next to the washer or in the service room. For deliveries of large containers, theaccess doors should be of sufficient size (barrel and pallet dimensions must be considered).The advantage of central dispensing stations is that they can provide different washers with process chemicalsfrom one large trading unit. Usually, dispensing stations are situated in a separate room that should be wellCage Processing in Animal Facilities · 4th issue · 2013 41