17 replies to this topic

[earthworminmysoup]

Has anybody had any success in controlling knife or blade issue. In a large organisation which is the better option

Mass issue to personnel who require? or area / department issue and shift control?

Does it work, can it work? who manages the day to day control

[mind over matter]

Has anybody had any success in controlling knife or blade issue. In a large organisation which is the better option

Mass issue to personnel who require? or area / department issue and shift control?

Does it work, can it work? who manages the day to day control

Are you talking about the risk of broken knifes/blades or simply accounting for issued knifes/blades?

[earthworminmysoup]

A knife register that manages the issue and replacement of knives or blades. I have a problem of potentially controlling around 200+ safety knives.

[Dr Ajay Shah]

You should look at delgetaing the duty in each section to the team leader and he/she should ensure that all staff follow the company knife policy. All you need to do is to check and verify that all knives from each section have been entered on the register including any broken knives and replacements with valid reasoning. This is what i have implemented in a processing facility with 80 staff.

[mind over matter]

A knife register that manages the issue and replacement of knives or blades. I have a problem of potentially controlling around 200+ safety knives.

First, use only the most robust blades to minimize failures. Second, make a log sheet to track the number of blades issued (to whom?), returned (by whom?), broken etc. Third, check issued blades before or every after work/shift.

If you have metal detectors in place, it would be of help especially in final packaging process.

[mind over matter]

A knife register that manages the issue and replacement of knives or blades. I have a problem of potentially controlling around 200+ safety knives.

First, use only the most robust blades to minimize failures. Second, make a log sheet to track the number of blades issued (to whom?), returned (by whom?), broken etc. Third, check issued blades before or every after work/shift.

If you have metal detectors in place, it would be of help especially in final packaging process.

[Amber McCreary]

I like the idea of using section team leaders as stated above. Breaking up the plant by lines and shifts should help ease the amount issued/controlled at any one time. Also engraving/labeling the knifes with numbers along with utilizing a log to issue knifes will help to ensure all are accounted for. We using a "blade breakage log" for broken and dull blade replacement. Maybe try posting a similar log in a common area so that the leaders are able to jot down findings as they go.

[SS2010]

HI,

What things should be considered in the knife policy,we havent got in our company,but i wanna create one!!

Ur advice will be appreciated!

You should look at delgetaing the duty in each section to the team leader and he/she should ensure that all staff follow the company knife policy. All you need to do is to check and verify that all knives from each section have been entered on the register including any broken knives and replacements with valid reasoning. This is what i have implemented in a processing facility with 80 staff.

[Dr Ajay Shah]

Hi SS2010,

You can have the various types of knives/blades that are being used on site as part of your policy. The knife register should have a column for all names of staff in that section followed by another column for "knives taken out" to processing room. another colums should have "knife In" follwed by comments if any for broken knife/blade and repalcement and one for signature by each person carrying knives.

i hope all this helps.

Regards

Ajay

[Kamwenji Njuma]

Hi All,

I think the issue of team leaders issuing knives is good.I have attached a daily knive issuing record tempelate which include team leaders checking the knives during production after every two hours and operatives signing off after end of production/returning the knife.In case of knife loss the production should be stopped and the knife searched until found and the operative warned to take care of the knife.

Regards,
Kamwenji

Attached Files

•  Daily Knives issuance Record.xls   22.5KB   1073 downloads

[earthworminmysoup]

Thanks everyone, I have implemented all recommendations above at some point or other over the past few years and still struggle to control. I think a more localised blade issue is the way forward and as suggested above I feel the area / shift / line manager / team leader need to be accountable.
The final part, I fear will be the most difficult as we all know, the people down on the production lines just wanna make as much stuff as possible as fast as possible. A comprehensive training brief or presentation will need to be signed and getting the Operations Manager on board is the first step.

I was looking initially at issuing each employee with a knife and making them responsible for it. Engraving the blade, registering etc... as per normal. When I looked into it in more detail I realised that the number of personnel requiring knives was enormous, and with the added factor of staff turnover and temporary workers during peak periods it appeared an even bigger headache. I feel the consensus from all here is to control smaller numbers in smaller areas - once again thanks all.

[mind over matter]

How about establishing procedure for actions cased by lost or broken blades based on FMEA? Perhaps it is applicable in this case.

[earthworminmysoup]

I like the idea of it, never used it before. I might give a body a little project

How about establishing procedure for actions cased by lost or broken blades based on FMEA? Perhaps it is applicable in this case.

[Foodworker]

I don't know the number of staff in your factory or what they use their knives for, but with 200+ knives in circulation I don't believe that you will ever fully control them.

It is a different situation if the knives are used for preparing meat or vegetables for instance, but you state that they are safety knives. This would suggest that they are used for non direct product processing.

If this is the case, I would approach it from a different direction and reduce the number of knives and limit them to those who really need them. You will meet resistance, people become protective about their knives and say that they can't do their job without them. In some cases this will be true, but in many it will not.

In factories where I have been faced with this problem, we had a knife amnesty and took them away from people. (We also at the same time, found an astonishing variety of knives around the site - machetes!)

When they wanted a knife, they had to ask for one so we knew who truly needed them. In the end, the number of knives issued dropped to about 10% of the original amount.

Having 200+ knives is risky for product safety but also from a personal health and safety perspective.

[YFoodSafety]

Dear Kamwenji
The "Daily knives issuance Record" is a good tool to manage the problem, but i think that you should include the knives cleaning and sterilization control as an mandatory topic in this record for the re-use of contaminated, fall-down, replaced ,,etc knives.
Regards,
Youssef

[Tony-C]

I don't know the number of staff in your factory or what they use their knives for, but with 200+ knives in circulation I don't believe that you will ever fully control them.

Having 200+ knives is risky for product safety but also from a personal health and safety perspective.

Why can't you control 200 knives?

If you have a big chicken processing factory?!??! you might want 200 knives. Is it not the systems and procedures that are important not the number?

Regards,

Tony

[earthworminmysoup]

I think your correct in your statement Tony, and it is very true that pre-requisites such as this can be managed. The issue I believe is one of culture.

Ina meat processing plant or other plants where knife use is inherent to the processing of the product, or indeed the main type of equipment used then the philosophy of Knife control is ingrained in the culture of the business.

Where this is not the case the impact of, or results of poor knife control are not quite at the top of the agenda.

Why can't you control 200 knives?

If you have a big chicken processing factory?!??! you might want 200 knives. Is it not the systems and procedures that are important not the number?

Regards,

Tony

[QAD_Rebisco]

hello everyone,

 

     Does anyone have a established REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE when a broken/damage knife or blade occur?.

 

thank you!

 

- QAD_Rebisco