In the food and beverage production industry, pipework is not just infrastructure. It is a critical part of your compliance and food safety controls.
Whether you are preparing for a routine review or a formal audit under BRCGS, SALSA, or HACCP, your process pipework must clearly demonstrate hygiene, integrity, and traceability.
🔮Now, those are not Harry Potter spells, but they are key sources of certified regulatory and safety standards in the food industry…
🪄BRCGS = Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards, a widely used food safety certification scheme.
🪄 SALSA = Safe and Local Supplier Approval, a UK standard designed for smaller food producers.
🪄 Whilst HACCP = Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, the internationally recognised system for identifying and controlling food safety risks.
📃To help you prepare, here is a practical checklist you can save and use to quickly assess whether your system is ready for inspection.
✅ Pipework Audit-Ready Checklist
1️⃣ Weld Quality
☐ Are welds smooth, continuous, and free from pitting or porosity?
☐ Has orbital welding been used where appropriate?
☐ Are internal welds ground and polished to hygienic standards?
☐ Is there evidence of discolouration or sugaring internally?
Auditors expect hygienic welds that remove places where bacteria can hide.
2️⃣ Documentation & Traceability
☐ Are material certificates (e.g., 3.1 certification) available?
☐ Do you have weld maps and welder qualifications on file?
☐ Are inspection and pressure test records complete?
☐ Is there a maintenance and modification log?
If it is not documented, it effectively did not happen, especially under GFSI recognised standards.
3️⃣ Surface Finish
☐ Does internal pipework meet the required Ra surface finish values?
☐ Are surfaces free from scratches, corrosion, or product build-up?
☐ Is passivation documented where required?
☐ Are external surfaces cleanable and well-maintained?
Surface condition directly affects how easily systems can be cleaned and how contamination risks are controlled.
4️⃣ Valve Connections
☐ Are hygienic fittings correctly installed and aligned?
☐ Are there any dead legs exceeding recommended limits?
☐ Do valves fully drain in their installed position?
☐ Are seals and gaskets food-grade and in good condition?
Poor valve configuration is one of the most common issues raised during audits.
5️⃣ Supports & Brackets
☐ Are pipe supports securely fixed and corrosion-resistant?
☐ Do brackets allow for thermal expansion where required?
☐ Is there sufficient spacing to prevent sagging?
☐ Are support designs hygienic and easy to clean?
Structural integrity supports both safety and hygiene compliance.
6️⃣ Correct Slopes for Drainability
☐ Is pipework installed with the correct slope for full drain down?
☐ Are there any unintended low points in the system?
☐ Has drainability been verified during commissioning?
☐ Do CIP systems fully evacuate product and cleaning solutions?
Standing liquid = contamination risk. Drainability is non-negotiable.
🔎 Common Audit Red Flags
•Unlabelled pipework
• Missing certification documents
• Dead legs introduced during system modifications
• Inconsistent surface finishes after repairs
• Areas that cannot be accessed for effective cleaning
💡Why This Matters
For food and beverage manufacturers, pipework is part of the food safety management system. When it is designed, installed, and maintained correctly, it protects product quality, supports compliance, and helps safeguard your brand reputation.
A proactive inspection today can prevent costly non-conformances tomorrow.
🔹Planning a system review or upgrade? Browse the KMH pipe and ducting systems available from ITS to support hygienic, audit-ready installations: https://www.industrialtradingsolutions.com/brand/kmh/
or contact us for more information 📞01675 620914 | 📧sales@industrialtradingsolutions.com
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