Panther Protective Coatings was contracted to design, manufacture and install a new 550m2 floor for the kitchen, food preparation areas and cool rooms at the BCI Minerals Mardie Salt Mine, 90kms east of Karratha.
Constructing and installing the new floor at the mine in WA’s remote outback presented some logistical and technical challenges, but Panther Protective Coatings was more than equal to the task.
Key considerations included minimising the cost, duration and site disruptions of the project whilst ensuring that the flooring solution met the highest standards of food safety and occupational health. The Panther Protective Coatings team also had to factor in the possibility of inclement weather at the site when they were planning the optimum flooring solution.
Modus operandi for the new commercial kitchen floor
As a long-time provider of attractive, resilient and robust epoxy floors to businesses across the spectrum of industry in WA, Panther Protective Coatings understands the unique needs of each of our customers.
In order to reduce the cost of the project, minimise downtime on site and avoid the possibility weather-related delays at the mine site, our team decided on a modular and offsite construction process for the new polyurethane cement floor system.
The Mardie Salt Mine project was completed in two stages.
Phase 1 – manufacturing the epoxy floor
The first phase involved the manufacture of the epoxy flooring in modular sections at Panther Protective’s facility in Perth.
The hard-wearing epoxy screed was expertly cast with falls in the large channel gates. Liquid spills and frequent cleaning are everyday realities in a commercial kitchen, so it was imperative that the new floor was designed and manufactured with the appropriate falls to ensure fast and efficient drainage.
The team also raised and ramped the floor to meet the threshold height at the mine and finished it off with 100mm of Epoxy Arrowhead coving. This curved border meant there would be a seamless and sealed transition at the junction between floor and wall when the new floor was installed, assisting with pathogen control and making cleaning more efficient and effective.
Phase 2 – installing the epoxy floor
Once all the modules had been constructed to the required technical specifications, Panther Protective then arranged transport of the materials and installation equipment from Perth to the remote mine site along with a team of highly skilled floor installation specialists.
The 550m2 floor was then installed in the commercial kitchen, food preparation area and cool rooms by connecting the modular units by way of specially designed joints. This design was necessary to allow for the natural movement of floors as a result of the harsh environmental conditions on the mine.
The installation team also performed on-site repairs to some small cracks which had occurred during transportation to ensure the surface remained 100% waterproof, durable and fully compliant with safety and quality regulations.
Why was epoxy flooring chosen for this commercial kitchen?
Flooring is a vital aspect of any food processing facility’s compliance to Australia’s strict regulatory standards and the qualities of epoxy flooring make it the ideal choice for these demanding environments where microbial growth, hygiene and personnel safety are among the many daily challenges.
Strong, durable and long-lasting epoxy flooring can withstand temperature extremes, heavy foot traffic, impacts from moving machinery, food spills and food acids, high-pressure water or steam cleaning and strong chemicals.
Benefits of epoxy floors in a commercial food preparation environment include:
- HACCP compliance
- durable and long-lasting
- seamless, waterproof barrier against any build-up from dirt and bacteria
- ability to withstand chemical and acid exposure
- flexible design to enable appropriate falls for fast and efficient drainage
- ease of maintenance
- anti-slip
- can be custom-designed to include line markings and floor signage
Why Panther Protective?
Panther Protective Coatings is Perth’s most trusted commercial kitchen and factory flooring specialist and our epoxy floors meet the strict standards set by the Australian Government.
We have been manufacturing and installing epoxy flooring systems for food and beverage environments since 1999 and have a proven track record for product quality, outstanding workmanship and service excellence. We believe it was these strengths – plus our solutions-driven approach and ready availability to service customers in regional and remote areas of WA – that earned us the Mardie Salt Mine flooring contract.
