58 replies to this topic

[MOOCHIE]

This has got me so mad that i have to get other like minded peoples thoughts, or is it just me being over the top.
I'm a QA Manager in a small potato packing factory, we don't grow the potatoes we bring them in, wash them, grade them, package them and despatch.

The boss brought his wife for a visit today, nothing wrong with that i hear you say, but she didn't come alone, she brought the family dog with her, and thought nothing of taking it for a walk around the building inside and out. I voiced my concerns to my boss (whose wife, dog and business it is) he didn't think there was a problem, tried again to explain how wrong it was, his response 'my dog, my factory'.

Believe it or not we are BRC accredited, mainly down to my hard work (if i do say so myself) most of the time i feel i'm here just to pacify the customers and to get the blame when it all goes wrong

So my question is am i being over zealous with regards to the mut, i have a dog myself but wouldn't dream of bringing him to work

[Jayqc]

This has got me so mad that i have to get other like minded peoples thoughts, or is it just me being over the top.
I'm a QA Manager in a small potato packing factory, we don't grow the potatoes we bring them in, wash them, grade them, package them and despatch.

The boss brought his wife for a visit today, nothing wrong with that i hear you say, but she didn't come alone, she brought the family dog with her, and thought nothing of taking it for a walk around the building inside and out. I voiced my concerns to my boss (whose wife, dog and business it is) he didn't think there was a problem, tried again to explain how wrong it was, his response 'my dog, my factory'.

Believe it or not we are BRC accredited, mainly down to my hard work (if i do say so myself) most of the time i feel i'm here just to pacify the customers and to get the blame when it all goes wrong

So my question is am i being over zealous with regards to the mut, i have a dog myself but wouldn't dream of bringing him to work

Moochie, I feel your pain! as this has happened to me in the past and I got the exact same response from the company boss, I had never prayed to have an unannounced visit from the EHO or a customer before but I did that day, not sure how the boss would have got around having the dog there and I suppose its just as well it didn't happen but I would have liked to see the boss explain!

[MOOCHIE]

Moochie, I feel your pain! as this has happened to me in the past and I got the exact same response from the company boss, I had never prayed to have an unannounced visit from the EHO or a customer before but I did that day, not sure how the boss would have got around having the dog there and I suppose its just as well it didn't happen but I would have liked to see the boss explain!

To make matter worse, we export to Norway and they require a certificate from Defra who have to come and inspect the load, i was just escorting the guy to his car when the dog was being taken for its walk, the thing is its not the boss who has to explain but me. These ex sales men who run food factories who've got no idea when it comes to food safety, cross contamination, all they know is how to sell the product not how or what it takes to get it that way.
I'm sorry for my constant moaning and i know this forum isn't about me bitching about my boss, just had to let of steam with people who understand

[GMO]

No. No way should a dog be on site, not even in the car park IMO but you know that.

When I used to work for a major food manufacturing company with sites worldwide, they used to have in their policy "cats shall not be used as a method of pest control" I laughed at that thinking "no-one would think it would be acceptable to bring a cat on site surely?" but I guess dogs are ok?! Well cats make me sneeze anyway...

[stsqf]

Oh my...! My sincere apologies to those who have to work for these "ex-salesman" mindsets... I guess I don't have it so bad after all and should be thankful that our upper management doesn't have their head in the sand THAT deep! You definitely make a point that I think anyone that works in food safety understands.... THEY are not the ones that have to answer to the auditors/inspectors/customers, etc - if they did (even just once) they may develop a better understanding of where we are coming from!

Best of luck to you Moochie!

[Jason H.Z.C.]

Hi MOOCHIE,

This is the life. Boss hired you and issues salary to you, doesn't he?

Best regards,

Jason

[Dr Ajay Shah]

Dogs and Cats should be prohibited and that is generally the law in most countries I thought. I did not expect this to happen in developed countries such as UK. DOGS and CATS should also come under allergens as some people are allergic to the hair!!

I had to audit a site where they manufactured feed for animals and I noticed a cat and straight away I had to issue a Major CAR and luckily for the client the CAT died so the CAR was closed out without them having to do anything.

Pray that the same happens to you as long as another dog or cat does not appear on the premises.

Good luck to you Moochie.

[MOOCHIE]

I'm declaring Friday as a 'bring your pet to work day',
thanks to everyone to replied its nice to no i'm not the only one who has troubles.
And to answer Jason, yes he did hire me and pays my salary but its me who has to deal with the complaints when it all goes wrong.

take care people

[DAVE84]

Moochie,

I would add a word to your statement. He hired you to do your job, not to close your eyes and let the boss do what he wants. God knows if you have outbreak than whole thing will come on your head not on the boss/............. Correct?


Regards
Dave

[MOOCHIE]

Moochie,

I would add a word to your statement. He hired you to do your job, not to close your eyes and let the boss do what he wants. God knows if you have outbreak than whole thing will come on your head not on the boss/............. Correct?


Regards
Dave

Thanks for that Dave
Couldn't agree with you more, he expects me to uphold policies and procedures, yet he thinks they don't apply to him

[Jason H.Z.C.]

Sorry Moochie,

I recall my sentence, actually I also had the similar experince during my QC career. compromise or seriously talking with the boss? It is a single option question. From you argues here I know you chose the fighting option, and I support to you very much.

However, on the other hand it is obvious you boss did not accept your fighting this time. So employed by a wise and open-mind boss is the best thing to all employees.

By the way, some boss hire QA/QC personnel only for dealing with the certification/audits/complaints etc., but not truely for improving quality(Just my personal views)

Hoping in the future your boss will be wiser on this kind of issues .

Best regards,

Jason

[MOOCHIE]

Sorry Moochie,

I recall my sentence, actually I also had the similar experince during my QC career. compromise or seriously talking with the boss? It is a single option question. From you argues here I know you chose the fighting option, and I support to you very much.

However, on the other hand it is obvious you boss did not accept your fighting this time. So employed by a wise and open-mind boss is the best thing to all employees.

By the way, some boss hire QA/QC personnel only for dealing with the certification/audits/complaints etc., but not truely for improving quality(Just my personal views)

Hoping in the future your boss will be wiser on this kind of issues .

Best regards,

Jason

Jason
As much as what you're saying is true, i feel i wouldn't be doing my job if i didn't fight for what i know is the right thing, bearing in mine it is the law.
I was employed for my experience and my intergrity and i'm not prepared to compromise either,

And as for my boss being wiser in the future, aint never gonna happen

moochie x

[QLD]

its one thing having to explain mouse droppings along an outside wall to an auditor....... but I'm not sure how I could explain a dog present ?

[Charles.C]

Dear Moochie,

One suspects that you may well be a closet dog-lover.

I can slightly upgrade yr scenario.

One factory i audited had a MD who actually greeted all his visitors in the main office accompanied by his poodle. However he did refrain from taking the dog into the production area since it was rather wet. Unintentional evasion of a total dogastrophe.

Regards / Charles.C

[HJD1272]

I am on your side. It takes a lot of hard work to gain accredation. The powers to be above do not understand what is involved and
they believe its just a bunch of paperwork. They would be concerned if an inspector was there and they were stripped of their
certificate and then they cannot sell potatoes anymore. Only when there is a problem are they concerned with "paperwork".

This has got me so mad that i have to get other like minded peoples thoughts, or is it just me being over the top.
I'm a QA Manager in a small potato packing factory, we don't grow the potatoes we bring them in, wash them, grade them, package them and despatch.

The boss brought his wife for a visit today, nothing wrong with that i hear you say, but she didn't come alone, she brought the family dog with her, and thought nothing of taking it for a walk around the building inside and out. I voiced my concerns to my boss (whose wife, dog and business it is) he didn't think there was a problem, tried again to explain how wrong it was, his response 'my dog, my factory'.

Believe it or not we are BRC accredited, mainly down to my hard work (if i do say so myself) most of the time i feel i'm here just to pacify the customers and to get the blame when it all goes wrong

So my question is am i being over zealous with regards to the mut, i have a dog myself but wouldn't dream of bringing him to work

[Jason H.Z.C.]

Jason
As much as what you're saying is true, i feel i wouldn't be doing my job if i didn't fight for what i know is the right thing, bearing in mine it is the law.
I was employed for my experience and my intergrity and i'm not prepared to compromise either,

And as for my boss being wiser in the future, aint never gonna happen

moochie x

In China there is an allusion: If you can not make population change their nature, go to change yourselfe to fit for population or leave the population.

By the way MOOCHIE,

I have a suggestion for dealing with this issue. Setting an seperate visiting path for visitors. Is it feasible?

Best regards

Jason

[Dr Ajay Shah]

Hi Jason H.Z.C,

One cannot have a separate path for visitors which includes access for dogs on food processing sites. This is absolutely an absurd suggestion.

Is this what one would do to get around the issues in China??

[MQA]

I feel for you, Moochie.

I know that frustration! - With owners that don't really understand the concept behind food safety and food quality. It's great you're getting some support here in this forum .

May I share my little story: the ex-wife of the owner dumped her cat at the food premises. She clearly no longer wanted the cat! It took weeks before the cat finally disappeared (we believe it finally died as the poor thing turned quite feral). The cat was hovering around the outside of the premises and it was quite difficult to catch.

I had to constantly remind the staff members to be more vigilant in keeping all doors closed and ensuring the germ-infested creature did not enter the food premises. Cats are much more difficult to capture than dogs.

I hope you find ways to deal with your frustrations and are able to make your boss fully comprehend the real concept behind food safety and quality. It's not just about the external audit and that piece of paper (certificate) we sometimes call The Sales Pitch.

[Charles.C]

Dear Ajay Shah,

I understand yr comment but the ideal, global, QA option of representing an irresistable force overwhelming an immovable object does not always exactly happen in many real-life situations.(Thousands of auditors murmuring 'thank you' ? ).

It's OT but -

One of the worst examples I hv ever seen of a FS breakdown was a growing area for molluscs located exactly adjacent to the “waste” line exit of the same producer/harvester. A perfectly closed cycle you might say. Unfortunately I was also the first receiver of the (uncountable) Salmonella loaded finished product. End of connection.

I think the dogs had been driven out by the flies.

Rgds / Charles.C

[MOOCHIE]

Hi Jason H.Z.C,

One cannot have a separate path for visitors which includes access for dogs on food processing sites. This is absolutely an absurd suggestion.

Is this what one would do to get around the issues in China??

I agree that idea is totally ridiculous, the idea is to keep dogs or any other animals/pets of the premises not give them there own right of way, jacket potato with a side order of dog poo, for some reason don't think it will be a hit.

And to answer the question of if its so bad why don't i leave, i signed a 1 year contract which doesn't end until August and the boss has already said he'd sue if i was to early. I have a wonderful boss, have you noticed.

Moochie x

[GMO]

I agree that idea is totally ridiculous, the idea is to keep dogs or any other animals/pets of the premises not give them there own right of way, jacket potato with a side order of dog poo, for some reason don't think it will be a hit.

And to answer the question of if its so bad why don't i leave, i signed a 1 year contract which doesn't end until August and the boss has already said he'd sue if i was to early. I have a wonderful boss, have you noticed.

Moochie x

Put your objections to anything you disagree with in writing; keep copies and take them to the CAB, it might be the contract isn't enforceable considering your boss' attitude.

[Charles.C]

Dear Moochie,

And to answer the question of if its so bad why don't i leave, i signed a 1 year contract which doesn't end until August and the boss has already said he'd sue if i was to early. I have a wonderful boss, have you noticed.

I'm not in the UK and I don't like to be disbelieving but i find this unbelievable. Surely the right to choose yr place of work is unchallengeable regardless of any signed contract.? (just like signing a warantee on new purchases not nullifying yr legal rights).
Or are you paid 7 months in advance or something equally unusual?

Rgds / Charles.C

[Jason H.Z.C.]

Hi Jason H.Z.C,

One cannot have a separate path for visitors which includes access for dogs on food processing sites. This is absolutely an absurd suggestion.

Is this what one would do to get around the issues in China??

Hi Dr Ajay Shah,

Presence of pet on the site is also not allowed by Chinese law, because of the cross contamination issues. What I mean is to construct a totally segregated path by using the organic glass to be the wall.

The isolated path would be constructed from the entrance of the site and totally physically segregated from the raw material storage room, production and packing rooms etc.

Because I never see Chinese factories constructed isolating pathway dedicated for visitors.(it is a huge project I think). So I also am not sure of this suggestion.

By the way, Chinese way to deal with pet presenting on site is as similar as the way to dealing with cigarette ends on site. i.e. Pet/smoking is always not allowed to be presented on site.

Thank you for negative conclusion, I have given up such dreaming

Best regards,

Jason

[cosmo]

Hi Moochie,
Since you are contracted until August.. maybe issue a few CARs for the dog in the plant.
After all what is the worst your boss can do... sack you for doing your job... and if he does, check to see if it is a breach of contract, then sue him.

[Abdul Qudoos]

Hi moochie,

Think for it- your job is like 'policeman ' in food premises, how policman deal if they break the rule, how he penalize,

one thing it applies how to be polite with boss and deal with the matter, keep in mind at the same time you shouldn't neglect anything which affects directly or in-directly to the system,

Food safety an quality is major concern all around the world, even big bosses knows how to tackle that's why they hired to improve the system.

The best thing to overcome the global problem is to include it in the policy 'the pets are not allowed during the factory visit', include it in visitors policy form and poster's at the entrance (see attachment) and policy should be signed by the top management to obey the rules strictly.

At the beginging it will be difficult to handle but later on you may feel better improvement in the system.

Attached Files

•  Pets_Not_Allowed.png   22.97KB   5 downloads