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Greenhouse hygiene measures 

Greenhouse hygiene is very important, and a crucial aspect of it is the use of greenhouse disinfectants. Upon entering a greenhouse, it is common to find a hygiene station where you can disinfect your hands. However, it is a misconception that hand disinfection alone is sufficient to eliminate bacteria and prevent crop contamination. In reality, greenhouse hygiene needs to extend beyond just hand disinfection. In this article, our experts give greenhouse hygiene solutions by explaining proper and complete hygiene when entering a horticultural company.
Hygiene station in greenhouse
Dirk Timmers
Specialist Hygiene & Disinfection | June 13, 2023 | 4 min. reading time

Cleaning and disinfecting your hands

The key point in this article is that you should realize that cleaning and disinfecting are two separate concepts, but for proper hygiene practices, they cannot be separated from each other. In order to effectively disinfect your hands, they must first be cleaned. When you clean your hands with soap, you remove the existing layer of dirt and grease. This step is crucial because by removing this layer, a greenhouse disinfectant can then effectively reach the persistent bacteria on your hands. If you do not clean your hands first, the disinfectant won't be able to reach them, as it cannot penetrate through the layer of dirt and grease.

For greenhouse hygiene, it is important to follow a two-step process: cleaning your hands with soap to remove dirt and grease, and then applying a suitable greenhouse disinfectant to kill any remaining bacteria. This comprehensive approach ensures that your hands are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, minimizing the risk of contamination in the greenhouse environment.

Disinfecting the interior of greenhouses

In today's rapidly advancing horticultural industry, technology and innovation have revolutionized greenhouse interior disinfection practices. From automated spraying systems to advanced fogging techniques, embracing modern solutions can significantly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of disinfection processes. Keeping the greenhouse interior clean and sanitized is essential for protecting plants from disease risks. Unclean environments provide favorable conditions for pathogens and pests, leading to reduced crop quality, yield losses, and increased production costs. Disinfecting the greenhouse interior helps break the disease cycle, reducing the likelihood of contamination and creating a healthier growing environment for your crops.

Video 

In the video below, experts discuss the optimal use of the hygiene station, including the proper use of greenhouse disinfectant. Watch the video to learn how to maximize the effectiveness of the hygiene station for maintaining optimal greenhouse hygiene.

Optimal greenhouse hygiene in five steps

When bacteria or other plant pathogens get in to the crop, this could cause major problems. To avoid this, you want to create a hygienic situation so that employees or other visitors can't spread these bacteria in the crop. With a hygiene station you ensure the best possible hygiene in the greenhouse. With the hygiene station, you go through five steps: wash hands with soap, dry the hands, disinfect the hands, clean shoe soles and disinfect shoe soles.

Please note that these five steps ensure optimal hygiene, but depending on your goals, hygiene steps can also be omitted.  

1. Soaping hands 
The first step is the soaping of the hands. For soaping, you can choose individual dispensers beside the sink, but also for a unit that soaps hands. The advantage of a unit is that persons are ‘forced’ to soap their hands, because the unit is equipped with a turnstile and will not open until after soaping, so you can’t skip this step. This reduces the possibility of the penetration of bacteria in the crop. 

2. Washing and drying hands 
After soaping of the hands, it must be washed in the sink. By washing your hands, remove the grease and dirt. To do this as well as possible, you need to wash your hands according to the protocol. You can optionally choose to fix this protocol to the sinks. Then make sure you dry your hands well. This is the fastest with the aid of an automatic hand dryer.

3. Disinfecting hands 
When the grease and dirt layer is removed, you can disinfect your hands. For this you can choose individual dispensers or a unit. The advantage of a hygienic gateway is that the hands are disinfected with the aid of nozzles that automatically spray on the top and the bottom of the hands with disinfectant. 
4. Cleaning sole 
For the shoe soles the same applies as for the hands, first they need to be cleaned, and then disinfected. Cleaning the shoe happens when someone walks on the bristles of a unit. 

5. Disinfecting soles
In order to remove the bacteria from the soles of shoes, the soles can be disinfected after cleaning. This is especially important for persons come inside the company with shoes they also wear outside; they can take different bacteria from the outside to the crop.


Different types of hygiene stations

In addition to hygiene when entering the greenhouse, it is also important to think about hygiene when leaving the greenhouse. For example, do you want your employees to wash and disinfect their hands, or to polish their shoes before going on break? There are different types or hygiene stations. For example a double hygiene station, a cart disinfection station, a hygienic station compact or just a hand soap unit. You can view here different types of hygiene stations. By thinking about this in advance, the units can be tailored to your preferences. 

Tips for greenhouse interior disinfection

Selecting the appropriate disinfection solutions is crucial for effective greenhouse interior disinfection. Factors such as crop type, disease pressure, and application method should be considered when choosing disinfectants, equipment, and protocols. Consult with the experts at Royal Brinkman to identify the most suitable disinfection solutions for your specific greenhouse requirements, ensuring optimal effectiveness and efficiency.

Greenhouse hygiene station maintenance 

A good hygiene station is essential in reducing the risk of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a greenhouse. It provides effective cleaning and disinfection of hands and shoe soles, preventing the entry of harmful microorganisms into the greenhouse. Hygiene stations are used multiple times a day by employees and visitors as they enter and exit the greenhouse. Therefore, regular cleaning and maintenance of these hygiene stations are of utmost importance.

By cleaning the hygiene stations regularly and keeping them clean, the chances of crop contamination and the introduction of infections are significantly reduced. Using appropriate greenhouse disinfectant during the cleaning process ensures thorough disinfection and helps eliminate any potential pathogens that may be present on the surfaces of the hygiene stations. Proper maintenance of the hygiene stations, including regular cleaning with greenhouse disinfectant, plays a vital role in maintaining a hygienic environment within the greenhouse and safeguarding the health of the crops. Our specialist wrote an article about 'Cleaning a hygiene station | What to do?'

Lucas Semple
Lucas Semple - Under Sun Acres, Leamington, Ontario experiences:

"Hygiene helps keep our facility safe"

Contact form
Can't find your answer? Fill out the contact form and our specialist Dirk Timmers will get back to you. On weekdays, even within 24 hours.

Greenhouse hygiene measures 

Greenhouse hygiene is very important, and a crucial aspect of it is the use of greenhouse disinfectants. Upon entering a greenhouse, it is common to find a hygiene station where you can disinfect your hands. However, it is a misconception that hand disinfection alone is sufficient to eliminate bacteria and prevent crop contamination. In reality, greenhouse hygiene needs to extend beyond just hand disinfection. In this article, our experts give greenhouse hygiene solutions by explaining proper and complete hygiene when entering a horticultural company.
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Dirk Timmers
Dirk Timmers
Specialist Hygiene & Disinfection | June 13, 2023 | 4 min. reading time
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Hygiene station in greenhouse
Topics in this article

Cleaning and disinfecting your hands

The key point in this article is that you should realize that cleaning and disinfecting are two separate concepts, but for proper hygiene practices, they cannot be separated from each other. In order to effectively disinfect your hands, they must first be cleaned. When you clean your hands with soap, you remove the existing layer of dirt and grease. This step is crucial because by removing this layer, a greenhouse disinfectant can then effectively reach the persistent bacteria on your hands. If you do not clean your hands first, the disinfectant won't be able to reach them, as it cannot penetrate through the layer of dirt and grease.

For greenhouse hygiene, it is important to follow a two-step process: cleaning your hands with soap to remove dirt and grease, and then applying a suitable greenhouse disinfectant to kill any remaining bacteria. This comprehensive approach ensures that your hands are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, minimizing the risk of contamination in the greenhouse environment.

Disinfecting the interior of greenhouses

In today's rapidly advancing horticultural industry, technology and innovation have revolutionized greenhouse interior disinfection practices. From automated spraying systems to advanced fogging techniques, embracing modern solutions can significantly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of disinfection processes. Keeping the greenhouse interior clean and sanitized is essential for protecting plants from disease risks. Unclean environments provide favorable conditions for pathogens and pests, leading to reduced crop quality, yield losses, and increased production costs. Disinfecting the greenhouse interior helps break the disease cycle, reducing the likelihood of contamination and creating a healthier growing environment for your crops.

Video 

In the video below, experts discuss the optimal use of the hygiene station, including the proper use of greenhouse disinfectant. Watch the video to learn how to maximize the effectiveness of the hygiene station for maintaining optimal greenhouse hygiene.

Optimal greenhouse hygiene in five steps

When bacteria or other plant pathogens get in to the crop, this could cause major problems. To avoid this, you want to create a hygienic situation so that employees or other visitors can't spread these bacteria in the crop. With a hygiene station you ensure the best possible hygiene in the greenhouse. With the hygiene station, you go through five steps: wash hands with soap, dry the hands, disinfect the hands, clean shoe soles and disinfect shoe soles.

Please note that these five steps ensure optimal hygiene, but depending on your goals, hygiene steps can also be omitted.  

1. Soaping hands 
The first step is the soaping of the hands. For soaping, you can choose individual dispensers beside the sink, but also for a unit that soaps hands. The advantage of a unit is that persons are ‘forced’ to soap their hands, because the unit is equipped with a turnstile and will not open until after soaping, so you can’t skip this step. This reduces the possibility of the penetration of bacteria in the crop. 

2. Washing and drying hands 
After soaping of the hands, it must be washed in the sink. By washing your hands, remove the grease and dirt. To do this as well as possible, you need to wash your hands according to the protocol. You can optionally choose to fix this protocol to the sinks. Then make sure you dry your hands well. This is the fastest with the aid of an automatic hand dryer.

3. Disinfecting hands 
When the grease and dirt layer is removed, you can disinfect your hands. For this you can choose individual dispensers or a unit. The advantage of a hygienic gateway is that the hands are disinfected with the aid of nozzles that automatically spray on the top and the bottom of the hands with disinfectant. 
4. Cleaning sole 
For the shoe soles the same applies as for the hands, first they need to be cleaned, and then disinfected. Cleaning the shoe happens when someone walks on the bristles of a unit. 

5. Disinfecting soles
In order to remove the bacteria from the soles of shoes, the soles can be disinfected after cleaning. This is especially important for persons come inside the company with shoes they also wear outside; they can take different bacteria from the outside to the crop.


Different types of hygiene stations

In addition to hygiene when entering the greenhouse, it is also important to think about hygiene when leaving the greenhouse. For example, do you want your employees to wash and disinfect their hands, or to polish their shoes before going on break? There are different types or hygiene stations. For example a double hygiene station, a cart disinfection station, a hygienic station compact or just a hand soap unit. You can view here the different types of hygiene stations. By thinking about this in advance, the units can be tailored to your preferences. 

Tips for greenhouse interior disinfection

Selecting the appropriate disinfection solutions is crucial for effective greenhouse interior disinfection. Factors such as crop type, disease pressure, and application method should be considered when choosing disinfectants, equipment, and protocols. Consult with the experts at Royal Brinkman to identify the most suitable disinfection solutions for your specific greenhouse requirements, ensuring optimal effectiveness and efficiency.

Greenhouse hygiene station maintenance 

A good hygiene station is essential in reducing the risk of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in a greenhouse. It provides effective cleaning and disinfection of hands and shoe soles, preventing the entry of harmful microorganisms into the greenhouse. Hygiene stations are used multiple times a day by employees and visitors as they enter and exit the greenhouse. Therefore, regular cleaning and maintenance of these hygiene stations are of utmost importance.

By cleaning the hygiene stations regularly and keeping them clean, the chances of crop contamination and the introduction of infections are significantly reduced. Using appropriate greenhouse disinfectant during the cleaning process ensures thorough disinfection and helps eliminate any potential pathogens that may be present on the surfaces of the hygiene stations. Proper maintenance of the hygiene stations, including regular cleaning with greenhouse disinfectant, plays a vital role in maintaining a hygienic environment within the greenhouse and safeguarding the health of the crops. Our specialist wrote an article about 'Cleaning a hygiene station | What to do?'

Lucas Semple
Lucas Semple - Under Sun Acres, Leamington, Ontario experiences:

"Hygiene helps keep our facility safe"

Contact form
Can't find your answer? Fill out the contact form and our specialist Dirk Timmers will get back to you. On weekdays, even within 24 hours.
Dirk Timmers
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Why is working hygienically important?
Although disinfecting of the greenhouse will prevent undesired diseases and pests, it is important to also consider possible diseases spread by people, machines and tools.


How do I set up a hygiene plan?
To handle a working method that is as hygienic as possible, drawing up a hygiene plan is advised. This will help your business to be able to control and guarantee business hygiene as best as possible. Our specialist explains.

How do you establish a hygiene protocol for visitors?
To prevent problems with bacteria, fungi and viruses, it is important to use a hygiene protocol with visitors as much as possible. The hygiene protocol is therefore part of a company's general hygiene plan. By requiring visitors to take hygiene measures, the risk of contamination is reduced.