Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Cleaning Station Suggestions?

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
12 replies to this topic

JKRed

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 56 posts
  • 3 thanks
4
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Western New York

Posted 09 June 2015 - 04:35 PM

We're pursuing SQF Level 2 Certification (I'm still a newbie to all of this) and I've been trying to isolate different parts of our facility that could use some improvement (if not those areas that need definite change) and simply start there when it comes to any "improvements" and such.

 

Take a look at one of our current "Cleaning Stations" that we have around the facility right now (4 total on the Production Floor)...

 

 

0609151209-00_zpsacvxnziv.jpg

 

 

Thoughts? Personally, I don't like this "look-and-feel" or the "functionality" of the set-up at all.

 

Any criticisms, observations, suggestions and/or thoughts? What does your facility do in this regard? Should I add/remove any of those cleaning tools? Should I just clean and organize them better and add more colored tape on the handles to correspond to the Cleaning Station it belongs to? Or is it just better to research Suppliers/Vendors that have these items in solid colors perhaps to help make it even easier to identify/store and to eliminate the use of any colored tape in the facility?

 

Again, not the most "critical" issue for sure, but one that I'd like to address nonetheless. Of course, I know that this community of Food Safety/SQF expert professionals will have some good things to share.

 

Thanks in advance for your time and help!

 

All The Best,

JKRed


Swimming In An Alphabet Soup of SQF Acronyms, Code, & Clauses!
 

"You do SQF Level 2 because your customers demand it. You do SQF Level 3 for yourselves, because you see the value in improving your systems and extending the philosophy and practices in SQF to other aspects of your business, beyond Food Safety." Anonymous


mgourley

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,403 posts
  • 997 thanks
274
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Plant City, FL
  • Interests:Cooking, golf, firearms, food safety and sanitation.

Posted 09 June 2015 - 04:48 PM

Certainly remove the wooden handles.

Make sure the tools are clean.

Does your facility have a color code system? If so, certainly find vendors that have color coded tools. RS Quality Products is a good source. Tape is a pet peeve of mine.

 

 

Marshall



ctzinck

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 110 posts
  • 38 thanks
7
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 09 June 2015 - 06:03 PM

As someone else stated get rid on the wooden handles, and in our production areas we bought small tool sheds to use as broom closets around the plant.

 

Heres an idea of what i'm talking about:

 

http://www.homedepot...OLVSS/202530960

 

and maybe put a baseboard around that wall?



Murae

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 67 posts
  • 6 thanks
0
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male

Posted 10 June 2015 - 07:56 AM

Certainly remove the wooden handles.

Make sure the tools are clean.

Does your facility have a color code system? If so, certainly find vendors that have color coded tools. RS Quality Products is a good source. Tape is a pet peeve of mine.

 

 

Marshall

 

I agree with Marshall, the wooden handles should defiantly be removed and replaced with east to clean shovels/brushes etc.

Tools that are formed fully with no screws/nails etc. to attach handles/bases are good practice as this will minimise the possibly of contamination.

we have a colour coded system in that all indoor hygiene equipment is blue (as is the station) and all outdoor hygiene equipment is red.

 

Murae



Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 10 June 2015 - 08:17 AM

That wall is going to get mighty dirty and is damaged at the bottom.  You can get a big sheet of something fixed behind to protect the wall that is cleanable such as durable plastic or stainless steel. 

 

Great idea to post a photo...as Tele Savalas once sung (or spoke) "a picture paints a thousand words".

 

Regards,

Simon


Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


JKRed

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 56 posts
  • 3 thanks
4
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Western New York

Posted 10 June 2015 - 11:05 AM

Wow -- as expected, detailed and fast responses here! Thanks everyone!

 

Yes, that wall is a problem. The good news is that it won't be there for long as we are about to begin some construction/expansion to our facility. 

 

As for the Cleaning Station itself, I can't believe no one ever picked up on the problem with the Wooden Handles. I might be a "Noob" to all this SQF stuff myself, but I'm kicking myself for not catching that either.

 

The idea of a "color-coded" system is really appealing too. In fact, we've tossed the idea around a bit, but never really pulled the trigger on it. After 5 minutes on that R.S. Quality Products website, the overwhelming consensus is...LET'S DO THIS ASAP!

 

Again, thanks to everyone for your time and help. It's greatly appreciated.

 

All The Best,

JKRed


Swimming In An Alphabet Soup of SQF Acronyms, Code, & Clauses!
 

"You do SQF Level 2 because your customers demand it. You do SQF Level 3 for yourselves, because you see the value in improving your systems and extending the philosophy and practices in SQF to other aspects of your business, beyond Food Safety." Anonymous


Klwarren

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 10 posts
  • 1 thanks
0
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 10 June 2015 - 12:04 PM

Just something to note -  (I have inspectors / auditors comment on this in past experiences) As a risk reduction step for cross contamination, brooms, squeegees shoud be hung with the handle up and the bristles,blades down.  This is to eliminate/reduce the chances of water/bacteria/debris running down the handle, where employee's hands are contacting.    

 

Good luck...it is a constant learning adventure, after 17 years I still feel like a "newbie".  IFSQN is definitely an excellent educational resource.



gfdoucette07

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 167 posts
  • 112 thanks
25
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Little Falls MN
  • Interests:Food safety, QA, sharing my knowledge. Farming, growing, life

Posted 10 June 2015 - 02:28 PM

As Simon mentioned with the sheet of cleanable material and Klwarren with the bristles/head down, I would add that we install "spacers" or blocks between the tool holder and the wall to move the heads out so bristles do not contact the wall and that cleaning can occur between these.

 

Also depending on what you make, at some intervoles the tools should be thems selves cleaned. Whether you scrub/soak them or run them in a COP (clean out of place) tank be sure to disassemble the handles and clean in there too as a great place to harbor bacteria!  At a previous plant this was a monthly master sanitation task, just be sure that ONLY brushes/buckets are washed together and never with parts. 

 

Doesn't hurt to do a cleanliness inspection during a internal audit either, I have had auditors take tools apart and smell them!

 

Great ideas team!

 

G



JKRed

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 56 posts
  • 3 thanks
4
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Western New York

Posted 11 June 2015 - 11:24 AM

Wow, yes, these are ALL very good observations and great suggestions so thank you very much for your time and help!

 

All The Best,

JKRed


Swimming In An Alphabet Soup of SQF Acronyms, Code, & Clauses!
 

"You do SQF Level 2 because your customers demand it. You do SQF Level 3 for yourselves, because you see the value in improving your systems and extending the philosophy and practices in SQF to other aspects of your business, beyond Food Safety." Anonymous


Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 11 June 2015 - 12:03 PM

I'm still wondering what the shovel's for ?

 

bakery ?


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


JKRed

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 56 posts
  • 3 thanks
4
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Western New York

Posted 11 June 2015 - 01:00 PM

Haha! Yes, we're a Bakery/Gourmet Chocolate Manufacturer.


Swimming In An Alphabet Soup of SQF Acronyms, Code, & Clauses!
 

"You do SQF Level 2 because your customers demand it. You do SQF Level 3 for yourselves, because you see the value in improving your systems and extending the philosophy and practices in SQF to other aspects of your business, beyond Food Safety." Anonymous


primadeli

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 22 posts
  • 1 thanks
2
Neutral

  • New Zealand
    New Zealand
  • Gender:Female

Posted 11 August 2015 - 10:50 PM

One quick question for people kind of related to this.

I converted our site to colour coded cleaning equipment (my boss thinks it is hilarious when I lovingly pour over catalogue of colour coded cleaning supplies) a number of months ago.  This is working well, but I'm a little stuck on the "how to clean the cleaning equipment" bit.  The various brooms etc are all capable of withstanding temperatures up to 120 degrees celsius, which is great for the sanitisng/sterilising step, but how do we go about removing the gross contamination from the bristles?

Our site is a commercial sandwich manufacturer so as you could imagine, it is possible to get a bit of almost anything that can go in a sandwich on the floor and subsequently stuck in the bristles of the broom.  

So I would be very grateful if anyone can suggest an effective way to remove food ranging from bread and meat, through to lettuce, cheese and egg from the broom bristles so that we can then sterilise them.



SQFconsultant

    SQFconsultant

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 4,632 posts
  • 1135 thanks
1,126
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:Just when I thought I was out - They pulled me back in!!!

Posted 31 August 2015 - 09:40 PM

Pictures can say a thousand words can't they?
 
Most of our clients use a color coding system for tools, meaning that specific tools are used for specific tasks... food contact, floor contact, etc.
 
Get rid of the wooden handled items and items that are dirty should not be rehung until they are clean.
 
Just curious, is all your base C*#! like that? Not good if it is.
 

All the Best,

 

All Rights Reserved,

Without Prejudice,

Glenn Oster.

Glenn Oster Consulting, LLC -

SQF System Development | Internal Auditor Training | eConsultant

Martha's Vineyard Island, MA - Restored Republic

http://www.GCEMVI.XYZ

http://www.GlennOster.com

 




Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users