Cleaning stations are a central element in the global logistics chain for food, feed and chemicals.
Yet, in many organisations, they are still regarded as mere technical service providers – not as a security-relevant interface. This is a dangerous misconception.
In times of growing geopolitical tension, targeted acts of sabotage and increasing product safety requirements, cleaning stations are part of the critical infrastructure.
They carry direct responsibility for the integrity of products that ultimately end up on dinner plates, in animal feed, or in sensitive industrial processes.
However, what happens if something goes wrong at this point – or if there's no way to prove that everything was carried out properly?
The international association ENFIT – International Association Supply Chain Safety has warned for a long time of serious security gaps and has called on cleaning stations to redefine their role - no longer just as technical service providers, but as essential actors within a critical infrastructure that must be actively protected.
Missing documentation – high risk
In daily operations, cleaning stations often lack legally verifiable documentation showing the condition of the transport container after cleaning.
Visual inspection through the manhole may be standard practice – but it is subjective, undocumented and useless in a legal dispute.
Even more critical - in many cases, it's unclear how many seals are actually required, whether the driver applies them correctly, or whether the container has the necessary seal positions.
Responsibility is often passed entirely to the driver – but what if the driver acts improperly? The cleaning station can neither detect nor prove otherwise.
The risk increases significantly when cleaning is carried out on the instruction of the transport company.
In the event of a complaint, the cleaning station remains liable – but without documentation, it has no means of defence.
ENFIT guideline and bulkvision: The digital safety net for cleaning stations
To close these security gaps, ENFIT and technology provider bulkvision have developed a digital safety concept tailored specifically to the needs of cleaning stations.
At the heart of the solution is a blockchain-based cloud platform that connects all actors in the supply chain – both upstream and downstream. Manufacturers, cleaning stations, carriers, warehouses and recipients can now communicate directly and access relevant process information in real time.
Benefits for cleaning stations:
• Legally verifiable photographic documentation of the container interior after cleaning using a specialised test unit developed by ENFIT;
• Management and documentation of digital security seals, including quantity, position and time of application;
• Automatically generated, tamper-proof ENFIT digital cleaning certificate, accessible via QR code;
• Digital transmission of cleaning orders directly from the dispatcher to the cleaning station – drivers no longer need to fill out forms or provide cleaning details on site.
This removes responsibility from the driver. It reduces potential for errors, relieves staff and significantly improves process safety.
Legal protection and defence against claims
Digital documentation makes every cleaning process transparent and traceable. In the case of a complaint, the cleaning station has solid proof. When was the cleaning done? What condition was documented? Which seals were used? What instructions were given?
Especially in cases where a vehicle is refused loading on the grounds that it was not clean, the cleaning station can prove through bulkvision documentation that the container was in good condition at the time of the handover – regardless of what may have happened later on.
Conclusion
Cleaning stations carry central responsibility in the safe logistics chain for food, feed and chemicals.
Those who rely solely on visual checks, driver declarations, or handwritten forms risk not only reputational damage in the event of an incident – but also significant liability costs.
The combination of the ENFIT Guideline and the bulkvision platform offers, for the first time, a way to implement objective, digital and legally secure safety standards – from cleaning verification to seal management.
This is a professional step into the future – and an effective protective shield for cleaning stations, their customers and the entire supply chain.
Cleaning stations critical – but unprotected
