BRC 4.8.4 - Storage of Staff Clothing

Hi All,

 

*first post*

 

Our factory is planning on renovating and expanding. Is it a requirement that all Staff have to have individual lockers in the staff changing room? We are very tight for space and have been looking into the idea of sliding wardrobes. One rail for the staff uniforms and a second rail for personal clothing (obviously not in contact with each other)

 

thanks,

Hi All,

 

*first post*

 

Our factory is planning on renovating and expanding. Is it a requirement that all Staff have to have individual lockers in the staff changing room? We are very tight for space and have been looking into the idea of sliding wardrobes. One rail for the staff uniforms and a second rail for personal clothing (obviously not in contact with each other)

 

thanks,

Hi LisaLisa,

 

Thks for yr Query and Welcome to the Forum -

 

It might conceivably relate to yr Product/process and numbers.

 

IMEX the Lockers are also Lockable, ie  it's a question of Personal Security.

 

How about yr alternative ?

Hi Charles C, It's not about personal security its regarding the increased number of staff that we've had in recent weeks and not all have been issued lockers for their personal belongings. Space is very limited and due to the renovations the company Director wants to maximize the available space. 

This is what is in the BRC Manual - I'm wondering can this be interpreted in another way or if anyone has any suggestions?

 

4.8.4

Lockers shall be provided for all personnel who work in raw material handling, processing, preparation, packing and storage areas. Lockers shall be of sufficient size to accommodate all reasonable personal items.

 

Thanks

Hi LisaLisa,

 

I anticipate that all yr existing lockers are lockable.

 

I was speaking from an employee's POV. BRC is not the only arbiter IMO.

 

Yr para. number is 4.8.2 in my copy BRC7 ?

 

Yr suggestion wud appear to have difficulty with respect to para. 4.8.3 ?

Dear LisaLisa,

 

I am not quite sure, what you meat with sliding wardrobes. If I put it it Google, I get pictures of the most wonderful wardrobes that do not even fit in my bedroom ;-)

 

Anyway, I think you are referring to 4.8.2 instead of 4.8.4:

Storage facilities of sufficient size to accommodate personal items shall be provided for all personnel who work in raw material handling, preparation, processing, packing and storage areas.

 

In one company the lockers for personal items are very little. I think 10 to 20 cm. Outdoor clothing and protective clothing hang on hooks on the walls. separate walls of course. The locker for personal items can hold keys, phones and wallet and is intended only for the expensive things.

I think you need to seperate the lockers due to accountibility for personal belongings. How are you going to prove that somebody is breaking your factory rules if they are not seperated from each other.

Personal belongings means=What all are you allowing to be put into this lockers? - Cloths? Jewelry? Money? Food?? Shoes??? Then these have to be separate. as these may act as cross contamination agents. so in few places I have seen each person lockers with separated portion and independent doors to keep dress and Food / Shoes separate. 

Regards

Appaji

The main thing that should be achieved here is to prevent the contamination of cloths used to wear inside the production area with potential hazards. So you have to prevent any possible contaminations that can occur to the cloths and other things worn inside the factory.

Hi Lisa,

 

You don't have to have lockers providing you can prove that outdoor and work clothing are not coming into contact. However, the staff do need somewhere to stash handbags, phones etc.. otherwise you're opening  the door to people carrying stuff into the processing area. Small lockers are suitable where the persona; items are stored and then a cloakroom where they can hang coats etc.... it would be preferable to have the changing room for PPE completely separate or with a door to pass through AFTER having removed the outdoor clothes and stashed the personal items.

 

I wouldn't be a fan of the sliding wardrobe idea to be honest. Is it a high risk/High care/ Low risk process?

Hi Lisa,

 

:welcome:

 

The requirement is for sufficient and suitably secure storage and adequate segregation, BRC Guidelines:

 

4.8.2 Storage facilities of sufficient size to accommodate personal items shall be provided for all personnel who work in raw material handling, preparation, processing, packing and storage areas.
Interpretation Storage of personal items
To prevent staff from bringing personal items (e.g. keys, mobile phones or coins) into production and storage areas, where they could contaminate products (e.g. as foreign bodies), there must be sufficient and suitably secure storage for employees’ belongings. Consideration should be given to the storage of bulky items such as motorbike leathers and helmets, as well as items such as jewellery and food.
Storage areas should be designed to facilitate good practice and cleaning (e.g. lockers with sloping tops to prevent the accumulation of rubbish and raised off the floor to facilitate cleaning).

4.8.3 Outdoor clothing and other personal items shall be stored separately from production clothing within the changing facilities. Facilities shall be available to separate clean and dirty production clothing.
Interpretation: Segregation of personal items from work clothing
Separate storage facilities for personal items and work clothing are necessary to prevent cross contamination of clothing via the locker. This is often achieved by:
• using a locker with a divider to separate work clothing from personal clothing
• enclosing protective clothing in a bag, such as a laundry bag, before use
• providing a separate area for hanging of work clothing.

 

In your situation it seems that a small locker for valuable items and separate areas for work and outdoor clothing would be a practical solution.

 

Regards,

 

Tony