4 replies to this topic

[trubertq]

Hello peeps,

I was asked this morning about a way of capturing data regarding the movement of staff within the production area. The suggestion was a swipe card around their neck and then they would have to type in a code for the job they were logging into next. I don't like the idea of anything hanging round their neck, it's hard enough to keep 'em from wearing jewelry, and the typing of a code sets of alarm bells from a cross contamination point of view....

I am wondering if anyone here has come across such a thing. This company are involved in a programme introducing lean manufacturing and this would be part of what they would have called 'Time and Motion' in the old days, before the war.....



Any insights from a food safety point of view would be gratefully accepted.

BRC V6 audit Wednesday 22nd @ 9.00 am.... can we get and A?, Will we pass at all.....?, Will I have a job after Thursday?.... for the next instalment watch this space....


Trudy

[shea quay]

How much do you have to spend?

I remember having a sales guy come over from the UK a few years back in a previous job with a fairly cool barcode scanner. The idea was we would tie everything into it. Each machine would have a barcode that staff would scan after cleaning, all traceability details would be scanned, all dispatches, it would prove inspection staff were carrying out their regular duties at the correct times (imagine the systems security guards have), it could even prompt staff to wash their hands when entering the high care area or after using the toilet. Essentially, it would cut out the need for a massive volume of paperwork by staff and, in theory, cut out stupid errors. We didn't invest as the technology at the time as the machines were too bulky and expensive, but who knows what with the technology they have these days with their twitters and microwave ovens and rap music. I think we bought a monorail instead. Sorry I can't remember the name of the company he was with, but I would imagine you could programme software from most barcode scanners to do most of what you want.

I agree with you foreign body and cross contamination concerns though. We allow staff to carry locker keys and security swipes in their pockets in the production areas for practical reasons (we do not advertise this to auditors) but there are always the idiots who lose them. Is there any specific European or national law banning the use of brain implants?

As for your fancy "time and motion", where I work now has a window from my office into production. Time passes and I try to remain motionless.

[trubertq]

Bar codes???? This is Ireland remember... we have just about mastered the Steam engine.... fighting and ridin' is all we're good at according to the Olympics.

I think bar codes were mentioned alright but there would still need to be codes inputted manually avec le digit, and that's the bit that worries me. 99% of said digits may be clean but there will always be the one down the back whose digit lives in places it's better not to think about.....


A window..... hmmmm you must work for one of them multi-nationals.... is there glass in it??? Has it been risk assessed?



Have you been risk assessed, and your root cause analysed.......

[wijit]

This may be both too late, and nothing like what you're looking for, but could something as simple as a signing in and out system not do until you drag the place into the next century? So long as it is going from one production area to another, and the risk definition is stated on the form (assuming medium/high risk) I'd suggest this would be reliable enough.

[GMO]

You can get proximity sensors nowadays so no need for swiping or having it on display. It's a bit big brother though.

Alternatively though if you do want to go for the barcode option, having them clip it onto a lanyard onto a belt under their coat might be a safer option.