Looking to achieve BRC accreditation in polythene packaging business
Hi everyone.
New to the site. Just wondering if there's anyone on here that can help me. I've recently started at a plastic film and bag manufacturing factory and have no experience with BRC, HACCP, ISO, Health and Safety. We have started to have customers ask for our ISO 9001 certification or BRC. I have been tasked with the job of putting everything in place that we need as far as my ability is able to get us somewhere near having someone in from BRC/IOP Global Standard - Food Packaging and not sure if I'm doing the right things or where to start.
Firstly we have a comprehensive quality management system policy manual in place that correlates along side ISO9001:2000 which I have updated with current company info but obviously this is realistically 15 years out of date. As we aren't currently not going to go for ISO9001:2015 and are just targeting BRC accreditation I'm wondering if this manual is a good place to start updating or should I start fresh for BRC?
We recently received an external audit from a food company who have given me some pointers on what they would like to see happening to use us as a supplier. So this is where I've started. Biggest pointers are
- having a formal HACCP in place - we have a hazard analysis process chart and process flow diagram with I have updated, but feel like I'm missing major pointers on this as I'm doing it by myself and we don't have the staff to have a formal HACCP team. Looking at other templates they seem more thorough, but haven't found anything that is directly relevant for the manufacturing process we have (extruding polymer into film, printing if necessary and then converting in to bags) These bags do; for a handful of customers come into direct contact with food in their raw state e.g meat, sugar etc. Originally 2 CCP's have been identified but only one had been checked off to manage this, so have implemented a new system so employees monitor this and impose corrective measures. Have looked at each step of the manufacturing process and looked at potential hazards, but they are pretty basic - pest control, contamination through broken seals, tears in packaging, source of raw materials, food grade raw materials, mixing up raw materials, but after looking at other templates I feel like I need to add more, but am just unsure if its not relevant at no food is actually processed here.
- need to have documented periodic audits or GMP and housekeeping and hygiene - haven't started on this yet is anyone has any pointers.
- and to put in place a Planned Preventative Maintenance Plan - also haven't started on this.
What else do I need to be doing? Not sure where to start?
Thank you in advance
Sami :silly:
Firstly take advice from food companies with a pinch of salt, from experience they have a tendency to apply a blinkered food industry viewpoint which isn't necessarily applicable to packaging manufacture.
Personally unless you have the background in management systems and hygiene, the first thing I would suggest you do is to get yourself on an appropriate training course for the relevant BRC standard as this will give you the knowledge you need and reduce the risk writing yourself into a corner by over egging the documentation as I have seen many people do.
Unless you need it I wouldn't bother with ISO 9001 certification, we are currently looking to drop ours when the current certificate expires in a couple of years time and we have to move from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015.
Guy
Hi Sami
:welcome:
I think you need to get familiar with the standard, here are a few useful links:
BRC Global Standards Website
Get a free copy of the standard from the BRC Bookshop
Quick guide can be found here
Regards,
Tony
As this is your first go at BRC/Iop my advice would me to structure your Manual around the clause numbering system of the Standard and hang procedures on to it as necessary. This way you are less likely to miss anything.
It might be worth posting your Hazard Analysis so people can review it.
Earlier posts about training are well made as this will come up a few times in your audit.