Hello all! First post here, but I have been reading for a while.
My facility is doing a big push on ergonomics and making jobs easier for our associates. A recent observation has arisen that the wash-down hose stations we use in the our RTE areas are difficult to maneuver and have the potential to cause injury with associates removing and returning the hoses on waist height wall hanging hooks. Average hose is 100' long, some areas have longer hoses. We use both hot and cold water. An idea suggested was to replace these with "hose reels"...Which I am leery in installing since if they are not properly maintained, these could become harborage sites for trapped material and potential pathogens.
My question to you guys - Are any of you using hose reels in your facilities? Success or are you having issues? Can anyone offer suggestions to what kind of reels work better? There are so many types out on the market and I am not sure where to really begin looking as I have zero experience in using hose reels in a RTE environment. We produce packaged frozen desserts, specifically non-dairy ice cream products.
Thanks,
~ ICman