20 replies to this topic

[Seafood Safety 2008]

Hi All,

My company has a SOP for Glass and Britlle Plastic Policy and we also conduct Glass and Britlle Plastic inspection on monthly basic. To my understanding, it is pretty adequate. However, a thrid party auditor requires us develop a inventory (form) the warehouse (such as processing areas, cooler and freezers). Does anyone have a generic inventory form for Glass and Britlle Plastic or any sample?

Thanks in advance

[GMO]

I don't have one with me (on maternity leave nowadays) but from what I think you're saying is you do a check on brittle plastics and glass but the third party is looking for a register?

All I would do is have a list of the items with what they're made of and a "yes / no" part to circle whether they are; a. present and b. intact. E.g.:

Date_____________ Auditor ______________

Item Location Glass / Plastic? Present? Intact? Comments
Window Warehouse wall Glass Yes / No Yes / No ________
Fire alarm High care wall Plastic Yes / No Yes / No ________


You can then print out the register to use as the record. The person doing the check then just circles "yes or no" on each one and adds comments if anything is missing or broken.

Hmm, that didn't come out how it looked on screen but I hope you get the idea.

Edited by GMO, 25 July 2010 - 06:32 AM.

[Food Safety]

Hi, GMO

I just found a register form in this forum and attach it. Is it the one you like to mention?

Thanks

Attached Files

•  QC027_5_Glass_register_audit1.xls   68.5KB   2842 downloads

[Simon]

Hi, GMO

I just found a register form in this forum and attach it. Is it the one you like to mention?

Thanks

Thanks Food Safety you saved me a search. There are more example documents in the forum if you take a look.

One thing to mention on this is once you have your inventory of glass and brittle plastic items you should consider for each item:

- where it is in the process
- the potential to break and contaminate product
- how noticeable any loss or breakage would be

This risk assessment should help you to determine how frequently you should audit each item.

[bacon]

I don't have one with me (on maternity leave nowadays) but from what I think you're saying is you do a check on brittle plastics and glass but the third party is looking for a register?

All I would do is have a list of the items with what they're made of and a "yes / no" part to circle whether they are; a. present and b. intact. E.g.:

Date_____________ Auditor ______________

Item Location Glass / Plastic? Present? Intact? Comments
Window Warehouse wall Glass Yes / No Yes / No ________
Fire alarm High care wall Plastic Yes / No Yes / No ________


You can then print out the register to use as the record. The person doing the check then just circles "yes or no" on each one and adds comments if anything is missing or broken.

Hmm, that didn't come out how it looked on screen but I hope you get the idea.

A registry is rather easy to come up with

AREA OF CONCERN: CORRECTIVE ACTION
___ Lights_______________________________________________________________________________________

___A. Bins (3)_____________________________________________________________________________

___B. Patch Table (6)_______________________________________________________________________

___C. General (35)_________________________________________________________________________

___ clock(1)______________________________________________________________________________________

___ plexiglass window (13)__________________________________________________________________________

___ steam hose temp gauges (5)______________________________________________________________________

___ insectocuters (4)_______________________________________________________________________________

___ Quality control________________________________________________________________________________

___A. vacuum gauge


However,

BRC Clause 3.8.1 having to do with Corrective Actions ( if "Non-conformities that are critical to product safety, legality or quality" are deemed "significant")
&
BRC Clause 4.6.5 Temporary Repairs (like tape over a cracked light cover) that is a problem for us.

If the issue cannot be fixed-as-you-go, there can be an excessive amount of paperwork (Corrective Action Work Orders that "demonstrate a permanent repair is planned within a defined timescale").

There is only so much one can fit on a form like additional: If damaged, Expected repair date: / Assigned to: / Signature:
But I've worked a little bit with Food Safety 's post to create something like this:

 (29) Glass-Brittle Plastic Register Audit - Cannery (weekly).xls   46.5KB   1824 downloads

I think this will capture 3.8.1 & 4.6.5

Cheers,
-Cory

[Simon]

Did the forms help you Quang Nguyen?

[Seafood Safety]

Hi, Simon and Baron

Thanks for your attention. I am not well clear about the register form for cannary, for example

1. plexiglass window (13): (13) means there are 13 items?

2. ___ Quality control______: means Quality control room/Department?

3. Register form is also audit form which neeeds to be checked XXX a month? Is register form also inventory form?

Regards,

[Simon]

Hi, Simon and Baron

Thanks for your attention. I am not well clear about the register form for cannary, for example

1. plexiglass window (13): (13) means there are 13 items?

2. ___ Quality control______: means Quality control room/Department?

3. Register form is also audit form which neeeds to be checked XXX a month? Is register form also inventory form?

Regards,

That's not my document but I think it does mean 13 items and I think it means quality control area or department. I believe register can be taken the same as inventory or list of items; these should be audited at x frequency dependent on risk assessment.

[Bob Bottel]

Here is a user-friendly approach to the glass and brittle plastic inventory assessment. For a small plant.

Bob

Hi All,

My company has a SOP for Glass and Britlle Plastic Policy and we also conduct Glass and Britlle Plastic inspection on monthly basic. To my understanding, it is pretty adequate. However, a thrid party auditor requires us develop a inventory (form) the warehouse (such as processing areas, cooler and freezers). Does anyone have a generic inventory form for Glass and Britlle Plastic or any sample?

Thanks in advance

Attached Files

•  18 1 R - Glass and Brittle Plastic Inventory.xls   29KB   1624 downloads

[Simon]

Here is a user-friendly approach to the glass and brittle plastic inventory assessment. For a small plant.

Bob

Looks good Bob, simple.

Thanks for sharing.

Simon

[cazyncymru]

Looks good Bob, simple.

Thanks for sharing.

Simon

The BRC requires you to risk assess your glass audit / register

What i do is if it is in an area where if it breaks it will contaminate the product (sight glass on a tank) then it should be high risk and inspected daily, If it is in an area where if it broke it would contaminate the finished (enclosed) product, i inspect weekly. Thinks like OHL, Toilets etc i inspect monthly. Don't forget to include calculators and plastic rulers on the register. If you allow mobile phones in production areas you should include these too.

Caz x

[Seafood Safety 2008]

"Here is a user-friendly approach to the glass and brittle plastic inventory assessment. For a small plant"

Thanks Bob.

This form is simple but useful to me.

[NStanley]

Ok, I thought I would tack my question onto this thread rather than start a new one and hope for a reply.

I am formulating a glass and brittle plastic register/inventory that will double as an audit checklist for our site, I have so far included all glass or plastic items, such as machinary doors (perspex), light covers, emergency lights, control panel screens, thermometers, cool room fault lights etc, determined the risk associated with each item (high, med, low) then dependant on risk determined an audit frequency. That was the easy part.

My question though is how far do I take this list? Do you include things such as control buttons on machinery, emergency stop buttoms, conveyor belts (plastic chainlink type), calculators, knife handles, rulers etc. Where do you draw the line, where does it end?

So far I have come to the decision that the list is glass and brittle plastic and as such the these items I have decided are not brittle plastic and so I haven't included them....although thinking about it the ruler would be brittle plastic and perhaps should go on the list. I just don't see how a calculator could pose a risk but then again if I put these items on and classify them as low risk and audit less frequently then I suppose I am covering myself.

What are your thoughts....how far should we take it before it becomes ridiculous????

[Simon]

Ok, I thought I would tack my question onto this thread rather than start a new one and hope for a reply.

I am formulating a glass and brittle plastic register/inventory that will double as an audit checklist for our site, I have so far included all glass or plastic items, such as machinary doors (perspex), light covers, emergency lights, control panel screens, thermometers, cool room fault lights etc, determined the risk associated with each item (high, med, low) then dependant on risk determined an audit frequency. That was the easy part.

My question though is how far do I take this list? Do you include things such as control buttons on machinery, emergency stop buttoms, conveyor belts (plastic chainlink type), calculators, knife handles, rulers etc. Where do you draw the line, where does it end?

So far I have come to the decision that the list is glass and brittle plastic and as such the these items I have decided are not brittle plastic and so I haven't included them....although thinking about it the ruler would be brittle plastic and perhaps should go on the list. I just don't see how a calculator could pose a risk but then again if I put these items on and classify them as low risk and audit less frequently then I suppose I am covering myself.

What are your thoughts....how far should we take it before it becomes ridiculous????

I agree it can get ridiculous, to make the system holistic the register and auditing must be backed up by operator training and an effective loss / breakage reporting system.

For example if an emergency stop button disappears then the operator must tell a supervisor; to take this one step further you could build in a proactive inspection by operators at the start of shift or order. That way they are continually checking the high risk items (closest to process / product). I would also get rid of the brittle plastic rulers. Oh and what about spectacles and contact lenses.

[Charles.C]

Dear Nstanley,

Suggest the use of a 4-class risk matrix. *smile*
Can then lump all items considered "insignificant" (= < low risk) and documentarily exclude them from routine audit requirement. My guess is that some people do this for low risk already ? Just like HACCP.

Rgds/ Charles.C

[NStanley]

Doh....glass and contact lenses. It really can get out of hand can't it.

Actually I have a cunning plan that deals with glasses and contact lenses. In our GMP policy it is stated and employees are made aware during food safety and quality induction training that any glasses must be held in place with an attacheds string/cord around their neck to avoid them falling off completely and it is up to the individual employee to ensure at the beginning and end of each shif that their glasses including screws are intact and contact lenses are still in place. If glasses are no longer intact (ie. lost a screw) or a contact lense has fallen out then these are reported to myself and corrective action taken and recorded accordingly.

I roughly counted up emergency stops and control panel stop/start buttons last night and come up with 87 e-stops and 147 stop/starts....I'm sure glad I'm not the one that has to check them.....oh wait a minute....I am the one!!!!!!!!!!! The joys of working in a family owned and run business, I am a QA team of 1 and most of our employees are contractors that wouldn't give a hoot and most of them don't speak english so that makes it hard to initiate a start up checklist for these things.

I passionately dislike anything made of plastic

[Simon]

Doh....glass and contact lenses. It really can get out of hand can't it.

Actually I have a cunning plan that deals with glasses and contact lenses. In our GMP policy it is stated and employees are made aware during food safety and quality induction training that any glasses must be held in place with an attacheds string/cord around their neck to avoid them falling off completely and it is up to the individual employee to ensure at the beginning and end of each shif that their glasses including screws are intact and contact lenses are still in place. If glasses are no longer intact (ie. lost a screw) or a contact lense has fallen out then these are reported to myself and corrective action taken and recorded accordingly.

I roughly counted up emergency stops and control panel stop/start buttons last night and come up with 87 e-stops and 147 stop/starts....I'm sure glad I'm not the one that has to check them.....oh wait a minute....I am the one!!!!!!!!!!! The joys of working in a family owned and run business, I am a QA team of 1 and most of our employees are contractors that wouldn't give a hoot and most of them don't speak english so that makes it hard to initiate a start up checklist for these things.

I passionately dislike anything made of plastic

I wonder how many times an emergency stop button has contaminated food, not very easy to swallow I imagine.

Health & Safety has got a bad name because of nit picking rules, implemented by ill informed people who do not make a sound judgement of risk. This is a serious question is checking that emergency stop buttons are still on the machine and intact every day, every shift taking food safety too far?

[Tricia]

Hi,

 

I am just looking for some clarification on the requirement within BRC on glass and brittle plastic- Do you need a map to show physical location of glass and brittle plastic, or can use a check-list type format that just calls out how many of each risk item you have?  

 

I work for a plastic packing company and we are working to certify in Verision 4

 

Thank you for any help!

 

Tricia

[Tina Studenka]

Good morning,

Who typically performs the Glass and Brittle Plastic audit? Currently, I am the one checking four different checklists and some are 4 pages long! I am Regulatory Compliance here in our human and animal health supplement manufacturing company. It can be overwhelming and easy to overlook some things from month to month. I am curious to know who generally checks these items each month and if I can move the responsibility to the maintenance department. What are your thoughts?

 

Thank you!

 

[Gelato Quality Lead]

Good morning,

Who typically performs the Glass and Brittle Plastic audit? Currently, I am the one checking four different checklists and some are 4 pages long! I am Regulatory Compliance here in our human and animal health supplement manufacturing company. It can be overwhelming and easy to overlook some things from month to month. I am curious to know who generally checks these items each month and if I can move the responsibility to the maintenance department. What are your thoughts?

 

Thank you!

 

Hi Tina,

 

The important part would be ensuring that it gets done and that whoever is going it has the required training and is recording as required. It is easiest for me to include it in my monthly GMP inspection, which I (quality lead) conduct. The inspection is long since it includes a monthly check of pretty much all GMPs, but it is easiest for me to organize my work schedule by doing it all together.

 

Hope this is insightful.

[Tina Studenka]

Thank you for your help. Way late response. :) Have a good weekend!