ACO’s drainage assessment service exposes hidden hygiene risks

ACO Building Drainage has introduced a new drainage system assessment (DSA) service in the UK, aiming to help food and beverage manufacturers identify hygiene vulnerabilities that often go unnoticed in factory environments.

The move follows global data from ACO showing that more than half of food facilities have drainage systems that were installed incorrectly, up to 80% of assessments reveal hidden hygiene risks, and every site inspected to date has shown floor cracks that compromise safety and compliance.

Drainage and flooring are critical hygiene control points, yet they are frequently overlooked during design, refurbishment or line‑change projects. ACO’s new service is designed to give manufacturers a structured, expert‑led evaluation of their drainage infrastructure, including flooring interfaces, wall junctions and cleaning practices.

Mario Finelli, head of key projects at ACO Building Drainage, said the service provides “a three‑step process of data collection, analysis and corrective action planning”, culminating in a detailed report and on‑site presentation. The aim is to give manufacturers clear, actionable recommendations that reduce contamination risks and support compliance with food safety legislation.

The DSA service is already established in several European markets, including Germany and the Czech Republic, where ACO’s teams commonly uncover issues such as blocked gullies, cracked resin floors around drainage points, missing foul air traps and the use of non‑hygienic or unsuitable drainage products. According to ACO, these weaknesses can harbour harmful bacteria, increase the risk of product contamination and expose businesses to fines, downtime or enforced shutdowns.

Finelli warned that damaged flooring and poorly installed channels also pose safety risks for employees, particularly in high‑traffic production areas. “This can all be avoided by undertaking a DSA,” he said. “Once potential problems are identified, our experts can make the recommendations needed to protect productivity, brand reputation and worker safety.”

The service is aimed at factories undergoing layout changes, equipment upgrades or hygiene‑driven improvements, offering manufacturers a structured way to strengthen their infrastructure before issues escalate.