2.1.3 Food Safety and Quality Management System

Hiii

SQF Code,Edition 7.1- Module 2 Guidance document says that Food Safety Manual must be in a language and a form that is understood by all relevant employees.

Most of the employees in our facility understand Spanish.

Does it mean that I have to convert all policies,procedures,PRPs etc in Spanish?

Please advice.

Thanks 

DT

I was always told that you need to accommodate all employees.  Is spanish the primary language?

I live in Montreal, Quebec, and according to the law all documents have to be done in French and if necessary in English, but  the reality is that I end up making them in both languages; I guess that you are in USA and you do not have such a law, but if you want the people to follow your guidelines, you have to make them in the language that they will understand, so you are better off making them in both languages.

For experience I know that it is difficult, specially if you do not speak Spanish;  try to use Google translator, but have it check for a Spanish speaking person since you can end up with a funny translation that nobody will understand, nevertheless that translation will be a start point for the person that will help you.

Good Luck

Doris

No.It is not.But few food workers understand spanish language only..

You should have things labelled with Spanish - use a trusted employee as a translator - google translate isn't...human....yet. 

I'm pretty sure that everything that is relevant to their position that they may need to use in relation to their job will have to be labeled and translated in Spanish.  How can they follow a procedure if they can't read and understand it?

Yes, anything releated to an individual's job. Pictures can also work as long as you can prove employee competency. 

Work instruction, safety signs etc   need to be in one or many  language to accommodate all your workforce if they do not understand English. Polices and procedures need to be in Main language what ever it is  either English or french . 

Here in England i have to write work instruction and safety signs in English, Polish and Lithuanian to accommodate all of our operators  as few of them just don't understand any single word in English. But all my polices and procedures are in English only as I dont know any other language and Google translation is not reliable. 

I have had to pay to have procedures and signs translated into Burmese and Nigerian because of personnel who were only competent in those languages. 

Thank You all for your guidance..

It is a great help :smile: