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Are beard nets for moustaches required?

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ebb30

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Posted 13 October 2016 - 07:40 PM

I completely understand.  If you allow mustaches what's the risk, is your process enclosed, is your product high risk?  What are the repercussions from a personnel stand point.  Is there a length limit, is there rule for maintaining the mustache.  Who will enforce the rule?  Is the rule open to interpretation (will one shift lead enforce it different than another).  We viewed all these things as headaches and decided to go with a more blanket across the board policy.

 

Well I am actually being quite sneaky about this and some of our other issues. Traditionally our HACCP and food safety team is made up of our managers but really only QA does the actual hazard analysis. This time I am using FSMA as an excuse to shake things up a bit and the food safety team includes volunteers from the production floor. They will each be in charge of a particular area and they will do a hazard analysis on that particular area. We will go over what everyone wrote as a group when everyone is finished. Naturally QA is in charge of the final result and there will be questions about micro etc. I'm sure, but this way people from the production floor can see how much of a hazard certain things (such as JEWELRY and HAIR) can be. I figure if they come up with it (or I guide them toward it), they will be more likely to comply or at least not put up as much of a fight. And if they find that mustaches or arms must be covered up at all times, then I can have a better case to present for the plant manager as well. Has anyone else done something like this? Did it work out? 



OG Bean

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Posted 13 October 2016 - 07:48 PM

Well I am actually being quite sneaky about this and some of our other issues. Traditionally our HACCP and food safety team is made up of our managers but really only QA does the actual hazard analysis. This time I am using FSMA as an excuse to shake things up a bit and the food safety team includes volunteers from the production floor. They will each be in charge of a particular area and they will do a hazard analysis on that particular area. We will go over what everyone wrote as a group when everyone is finished. Naturally QA is in charge of the final result and there will be questions about micro etc. I'm sure, but this way people from the production floor can see how much of a hazard certain things (such as JEWELRY and HAIR) can be. I figure if they come up with it (or I guide them toward it), they will be more likely to comply or at least not put up as much of a fight. And if they find that mustaches or arms must be covered up at all times, then I can have a better case to present for the plant manager as well. Has anyone else done something like this? Did it work out? 

 

I've been able to get soooo much accomplished by saying it's because of FSMA. :ninja:



ebb30

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Posted 13 October 2016 - 08:13 PM

I've been able to get soooo much accomplished by saying it's because of FSMA. :ninja:

YES! Some people are upset by all the changes, but I have a feeling QA departments are celebrating throughout the country  :yay:  :lol2:



Susank

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Posted 14 October 2016 - 12:42 AM

Always an interesting topic for quality professionals, and from the sounds of it push back in all companies seems to be the same - arm hair, eyebrows, eyelashes...

 

When talking to rational people I tell them its about reducing the risk, as we cant control the risk fully by covering eyebrows, eyelashes etc (although we did when I worked in Pharma, but that's another risk category again).  Covering all facial hair on the lower half of the face reduces the risk.  Wether that's a beard, flavour savour, moustache or some big ol mutton chops, the outcome is a beard net is required.   I general follow up with a comment along the lines of would your eating/drinking experience be enhanced by finding a short, thick curly hair in your drink/food?  And would you be likely to purchase that item again?

 

In regards to length I apply the rule of thumb that if I can grab your facial hair - a beard net has to go over it.  I must admit I am highly amused when I audit suppliers etc and see a 5mm length in their policy.  One day Im going to have the guts to ask them to show me how they measure compliance to this.  One day....



Andy_Yellows

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Posted 14 October 2016 - 07:22 AM

Our certification body doesn't ask for mustaches to be covered, the standard we work to is "Beards will be covered by a beard snood". Which then raises the question 'what constitutes a beard?' As a stubble wearer myself I wouldn't call my facial hair a beard in everyday life but in a food room/factory different opinions fly around. We get around it by having the policy statement: "Any facial hair that is deemed excessive my management must be covered by a beard snood". That way it becomes totally at the discretion of myself and of the senior management whether someone should wear one or not. Hairnets for all remains policy but the subjective nature of the beard/facial hair debate leaves us some wiggle room.

 

Andy


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Big Wally

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Posted 14 October 2016 - 12:33 PM

Our policy is if your mustache remains above your corners of the mouth no net is required. This has served us ok to date, but we will see what the future holds. We are a packaging facility.



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SQFconsultant

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Posted 15 October 2016 - 11:24 PM

It's not in the code - however, I haven't seen a GMP for employees yet that did not include covering facial hair and it seems to me that mustaches are hair - therefore they get covered.


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mgourley

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Posted 17 October 2016 - 01:13 AM

At some point you just have to laugh.

Moustaches are hair, therefore they need to be covered. Beards are hair, therefore they need to be covered. In the grand scheme of things, how much different is a moustache from a beard?

What constitutes a beard? Is it he guy that did not shave yesterday or is it the guy that has been cultivating that look for 20 years?

Eyebrows are hair.. so they need to be covered, right?

Arms have hair, so they need to be covered, right?

 

Let's just dress our employees in tip to tail suits so that no possible hair contamination is possible.

 

If you have over two days stubble, wear a beard net.

 

End of argument.

 

Marshall





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