Installing a generator is the easy part. What decides whether the programme holds is the work around it: the task list, the written procedures, the training, and the verification that proves it is being done. This page is the implementation plan we use, in the order it happens.
About claims on this page
EcoloxTech generators produce a hypochlorous acid solution on site. They are regulated by the EPA as devices, are not registered disinfectants, and we make no efficacy claims for them or for the solution they produce. The only EcoloxTech product with disinfection claims is HOCl-AS200 (EPA Reg. No. 101112-1), used according to its label. Research cited here describes published studies of hypochlorous acid and electrolysed water under their own test conditions; it is not a claim for any product.
1. Site survey
- Water: hardness, iron, chlorine demand, pressure and flow; the softener and filtration the system needs.
- Location: a ventilated area with drainage, power and clearance, close enough to the work to keep distribution simple.
- Distribution: the route to each point of use — tank, pumps, drops, hose stations.
- Constraints: production windows, wash-down zones, hygienic-design requirements for anything inside the process area.
2. Task inventory and classification
List every sanitation task with its area and zone, surface, current product and concentration, method, contact time, frequency, volume and owner. Then classify each one: move to generated solution, keep on a registered product because the claim must be documented, or fix with cleaning rather than chemistry. This document drives sizing, the SOP set and the business case.
3. Install and commission
- Water treatment, generator, tank, pumps, outlets and labelling.
- Commission: set the output for each area, measure free available chlorine and pH at the generator and at the farthest outlet, and record both as the baseline.
- Confirm that strength at the point of use matches strength at the generator; if it does not, fix the distribution before writing the SOP around it.
- Record the commissioning readings, the set points and who signed them off.
4. Write the SOPs
One page per task. Each answers seven questions:
| Question | What goes in the SOP |
|---|---|
| What and where? | Surface or equipment, area, zone |
| When? | Frequency: between uses, at changeover, end of shift, weekly |
| Cleaned how? | Detergent, mechanical step, rinse |
| Which solution? | Generated solution at the set point, or the registered product and its label directions |
| Applied how? | Spray, wipe, foam, flood, electrostatic, fog or dose |
| How long? | Contact time, and whether a drain, rinse or air-dry follows |
| Verified how? | Strength and pH check, visual, ATP or swab frequency, and where it is recorded |
5. Build the schedule
| Frequency | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Every shift | Pre-op strength and pH check per outlet; zone 1 clean and sanitise; drains; footbaths |
| Daily | Zone 2 surfaces; floors; ATP on rotating points; salt or brine level |
| Weekly | Disassembly cleaning of nominated equipment; cold-store surfaces; environmental swabs to plan |
| Monthly | Filter check or change; deep-clean rotation; review of strength logs and verification trends |
| Quarterly | Service; test-equipment calibration check; SOP and training review; re-run the ROI against actuals |
6. Train the people who will run it
- What the solution is, and why it is never mixed with other chemicals.
- How to draw solution, test strength and pH, and what to do when a reading is out of range.
- The sequence that matters: clean first, apply at strength, keep wet for the contact time, drain or dry.
- Storage, container labelling and tool segregation by zone.
- Handling brine or acid inputs, for whoever refills the system.
- Where the SDSs are and what they say; first aid.
- Who to call when the generator faults, and what not to open.
Record the training, with names, date, topics and signature.
7. The verification plan
Agree, before the change, what will show it worked: baseline ATP and environmental swabs in the pilot area, the same points afterwards, acceptance criteria, and who signs it off. Keep monitoring (strength and pH) separate from verification (ATP, swabs, record review) in the paperwork, because auditors ask about both.
8. The first 90 days
| Milestone | What to check |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Strength at every outlet against the set point; staff confidence; anything that does not fit the SOP |
| Week 2–4 | Verification results in the pilot area versus baseline; salt and water use; any material or equipment concerns |
| Day 30 | Roll-out decision by area; SOP updates; first review of logs and corrective actions |
| Day 60 | Full roll-out progress; training gaps; distribution issues; incumbent product still needed where |
| Day 90 | Trend review, ROI against actual salt, water, power and service; update the food safety plan and chemical list |
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Usual cause | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Strength lower at the outlet than at the generator | Long runs, storage time, sunlight on a tank or line, or organic contamination | Shorten storage, shade the tank, check line cleanliness, re-test at both points |
| Output drifting over weeks | Feed-water hardness scaling the cell | Check softener and filters; service the cell per the manual |
| Verification results worse after the change | Cleaning step weakened, contact time cut, or set point too low for the soil load | Re-check the sequence before changing the chemistry |
| Staff not testing | The test point is inconvenient or the log is awkward | Move the test kit to the draw point; simplify the log |
| Smell complaints | Over-concentration, poor ventilation, or mixing with another product | Verify the set point; check nothing else is being used on the same surfaces |
| Corrosion or discoloration | Prolonged contact on sensitive materials | Check compatibility, add a wipe or rinse step for those surfaces |
The document set
- Task list and classification.
- SOP per task, with set points and contact times.
- Commissioning record and set-point change control.
- Strength and pH logs; ATP and swab records; corrective actions.
- Training records; maintenance and filter records.
- SDSs for solution and inputs; HOCl-AS200 label; FCN 1811 if relied on; generator manual.
- Validation evidence for the change.
Printable templates for most of these are in the free HOCl Compliance Pack.
A worked SOP: slicer, zone 1
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Task | Slicer S-02, blade guard, in-feed and out-feed — slicing room, zone 1 |
| Frequency | At changeover and end of shift |
| Step 1 — dry pick-up | Remove product debris mechanically; dispose to waste |
| Step 2 — dismantle | Remove blade guard, in-feed tray and out-feed chute per the maintenance card |
| Step 3 — clean | Foam with detergent at the specified concentration; scrub seams, hinges and the blade housing |
| Step 4 — rinse | Potable water; confirm no detergent residue |
| Step 5 — sanitise | Apply generated solution at the set point in the area schedule; keep visibly wet for the contact time |
| Step 6 — drain / dry | Drain and allow to air dry; reassemble clean, dry parts |
| Step 7 — verify | Strength and pH at the draw point; ATP on the four agreed points; record both |
| Records | Strength log, ATP log; corrective action if any point fails |
Designing distribution
The most common reason a good system underperforms is that solution is inconvenient to get. If the nearest draw point is two rooms away, people will carry buckets, reuse solution and skip the test. Plan the drops with the sanitation team, not from a drawing: one at each wash-down station, one near the slicing and packing areas, one by the cold store, and a fill point for sprayers and foamers. Keep runs short, shade any tank, and label every outlet with its contents and set point. A tank buys peak capacity from a smaller generator, but it also adds storage time — so size it for the peak you actually have, not the largest tank that fits.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the whole implementation take?
A survey and install can be done in days; a controlled roll-out with pilot, verification and SOP rewrite usually runs 30 to 90 days.
Do we have to stop production?
Installation is normally scheduled into a maintenance or sanitation window. Roll-out happens area by area during normal operation.
Who should own the programme?
Whoever owns sanitation — usually QA or the sanitation manager — with trained operators and controlled set points.
What if a task does not transfer?
Leave it on the incumbent product and record why. A programme that is honest about its exceptions survives audits better than one that is not.
Can you write the SOPs for us?
The audit produces a written recommendation including draft procedures for the tasks it covers; your team owns and approves the final documents.