Maintaining Documentation in a Locked Office?

I'm being led down 2 different roads and am looking for some clarification. All of our quality documents, HACCP plan, Hazard Communications, training records Supplier Surveys, analytical testing results etc... Do they need to be in a locked office? I have heard both arguments as to why/why not but can not find anything in stone to go off of. Any insight would, as always, be GREATLY appreciated.

I don't know of any food safety standard that requires the items you mention to be locked up.

In fact, most standards require that those documents be "readily available" to whomever needs them.

Do you want last weeks production records, analytical results, etc. to be left out where they can be tossed in the trash? Of course not.

I think simple document retention policies would suffice. If people are demanding they be locked up, that's fine, but just make sure that they are available when they are needed.

You don't want to have to explain to a regulatory body that the document they require is not available because the person with the key to the office is on vacation.

Marshall