What jewellery would be considered medical?

Imagine a jewellery policy allowing one single plain wedding band and one single pair of sleeper earrings to be worn with special dispensation given to employees for wearing medical or religious jewellery only on a case by case basis depending on the rational and the potential for the jewellery item to cause product contamination. If special dispensation is given a document is raised with details (who, what, why) and a photograph included.

My question is what jewellery would be considered medical?

Thanks,
Simon

Imagine a jewellery policy allowing one single plain wedding band and one single pair of sleeper earrings to be worn with special dispensation given to employees for wearing medical or religious jewellery only on a case by case basis depending on the rational and the potential for the jewellery item to cause product contamination. If special dispensation is given a document is raised with details (who, what, why) and a photograph included.

My question is what jewellery would be considered medical?

Thanks,
Simon

Hi Simon,

As far as I know medical jewellery would be a Medic Alert Bracelet or a Medic Alert necklace.

Ditto to the PP. I would accept jewellery which is for emergency purposes so Medicalert http://www.medicalert.org.uk/ I wouldn't accept things like copper wristbands which I think some people think helps arthritis.

I've never had the situation where someone has needed to have a medicalert in a factory but what I'd probably ask them to do would be to inspect (and record the inspection) at the start and end of shift.

Imagine a jewellery policy allowing one single plain wedding band and one single pair of sleeper earrings to be worn with special dispensation given to employees for wearing medical or religious jewellery only on a case by case basis depending on the rational and the potential for the jewellery item to cause product contamination. If special dispensation is given a document is raised with details (who, what, why) and a photograph included.

My question is what jewellery would be considered medical?

Thanks,
Simon

Our GMP policy permits MedicAlert bracelets only - and we specify the type - they must be the solid bracelet style, not a linked chain type. They also have to be 'close fitting' (for personal safety reasons rather than food safety). We do not permit any other jewellry - not even wedding bands. If a visitor comes who cannot remove their wedding band they have to wear latex gloves for the duration of their visit.

We allow medic alert bracelet/necklace and wedding bands, but no earrings of any kind and no religious bracelets. If we allowed that, every employee would say their bracelet is for religious purposes.

I work for a consultancy and management compliance company advising on h&s h&h etc etc

We have written into their staff handbook/rulebook that no visible piercings allowed, no jewellery, no watches with inset stones allowed, with regards to medical bracelets, we allow them if kept in their pocket and marked on their job cards to that effect and documented.

For the case of catering we consider that this is ample. However, a wedding band has to be jewel free. To have gloves over a ring that cannot be removed is surely against regulations anyway, which is why a strict rule needs to be inplace. The amount of people who can suddenly remove jewellery when told to do so or they will be sent home without pay, is amazing.

We allow medical alert bracelets and necklaces e.g. if a diabetic or allergic to penicillan because the safety of the employee is paramount and Health & Safety is the only thing that ever should be allowed to be put ahead of Food Safety; still this has to be approved on an individual basis by Occupational Health in conjunction with Quality Manager

Nothing allowed for religous or cultural reasons as obviously not a H&S issue; also anything of the new age type bracelets which are supposed to give balance and harmony (or something like that) are also not permitted

Fantastic advice and very helpful.
Thanks to you all.

With regards to cultural allowances, H&S issues are paramount, but you need to be aware of causing yourself issues with staff being able to take you to a tribunal over the non allowance of having them allowed. This has happened and can be enforceable against multi cultural beliefs.

With regards to cultural allowances, H&S issues are paramount, but you need to be aware of causing yourself issues with staff being able to take you to a tribunal over the non allowance of having them allowed. This has happened and can be enforceable against multi cultural beliefs.

Probably an HR advice job on that front. I have heard of sikh wedding bangles being permitted. I would think if you can prove the jewellery does present a greater risk than a plain band wedding ring you'd have some kind of defence but obviously best to avoid the tribunal in the first place. If you have union representation on site, it might be a good idea to include them in the decision re religious jewellery.