SOP's: Can procedures overlap for Cold and Ambient products?

Hi all,

I am currently in the process of writing SOP's for the company I work for (from scratch. No SOP's had been written prior to me joining, just very brief procedures to fulfil PRP requirements). We are working towards being prepared for BRC accreditation for Storage & Distribution (a long way away yet!).

We import and distribute a range of products, including chilled high risk/high care products (cheese and charcuterie) and ambient products (such as dried pastas, antipasti, flours, preserves, etc.)

Now my question regarding formatting and SOP's in general. Should I write separate procedures for, for example, Goods-in, to cover the chilled products and the ambient products? Or can I write it in the same document but in different sections for the different types of products?

What would be the best way to approach this?

My only experience prior to joining here is with ambient, low risk products so the SOP's I have experience with only needed to cover one type of product.

I would like to avoid writing reams as I will be using the SOP's for training and I am aware that our operatives might lose interest if the SOP's are too long.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks very much.

Danielle

Now my question regarding formatting and SOP's in general. Should I write separate procedures for, for example, Goods-in, to cover the chilled products and the ambient products? Or can I write it in the same document but in different sections for the different types of products?

 

What would be the best way to approach this?

 

Thanks very much.

Danielle

Hi Danielle,

You can structure the procedures as you wish, the important thing is that they reflect the correct controls required, are understood by the relevant people and are fully implemented.

When deciding whether to write separate procedures you should do what you think will be most effective.

Regards,

Tony

I'd say if you have different people doing the different tasks then have seperate SOPs, if the same people are doing the different tasks ( like in your Goods inwards example) then put all the different details on 1 SOP. F ex, in one company I work with they dispatch chilled and frozen product so their dispatch SOP has a section for chilled and a section for frozen as the same people dispatch both.

Hope this helps