BRC Site Security - Monitoring the Monitoring?

We recently installed a video surveillance system within our facility and I am wondering what (if anything) would need to be done with it from an audit standpoint.  

For example, do you only review surveillance footage if an issue is reported? Or do you have some sort of system in place to check daily, weekly, monthly that it is working properly?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated because the way i look at it now is that we have the ability to monitor our people and facility but I would personally only go back to the footage if there was an issue like an injury or break in? Is this a gap or is this acceptable?

Thank you for your time and help :ph34r:

Hi Elsa,

I once had some experience with a similar Management concept.

The result was that the morning after every night shift, the lenses were found to be covered over.

Shortly abandoned.

But maybe you will have more luck. i would suggest "baby" steps.

Do you think that there should be some check in place from an internal audit perspective?  

I was thinking maybe adding it to the pre and post op inspection, just a check to make sure they are recording?

Thank you!

Hi Elsa, if you look at the video recording as a quality record then you need to check they are being completed properly. That would include regular documented checks of performance.  I would also ensure there is planned maintenance and instructions for use and training for those who need it.

Hope this helps. :smile:

Regards,

Simon

We had to start a monthly verification by QA that the camera systems were functioning, AND that the footage was being saved properly. Our system was so big, that meant we had to change out the drives every 30 days. So I would check that each of the cameras for our Food Defense and Food Safety systems were working, document and include in the next food safety meeting, and I would also verify that the drives had been changed since the last inspection, were properly label and stored. 

It worked for BRC and USDA.

Sounds good Wowie.  

In summary any process or procedure that you rely on to keep your products safe needs monitoring, so yes monitoring needs monitoring. :smile:

Regards,

Simon

Thank you everyone, GREAT ADVICE! I really appreciate it!

Document that footage is only reviewed in the event of an issue but include a section in monthly or weekly GMP checks you may do in regards to it recording/functioning, start weekly if you want & then review later on saying that you only need to monthly because nothing was coming up weekly. 

Some really interesting questions.  Thank you everyone because we've recently installed CCTV too.  How many times has it happened that you try to use it for an incident to find it's not working?  I'm now thinking of asking the operations team to record that it is working on some kind of frequent basis and then including a thorough review of it in our internal Security audit.

Some really interesting questions.  Thank you everyone because we've recently installed CCTV too.  How many times has it happened that you try to use it for an incident to find it's not working?  I'm now thinking of asking the operations team to record that it is working on some kind of frequent basis and then including a thorough review of it in our internal Security audit.

I never had one of the cameras associated with our FSQS not work at all. I had a whole list of other issues with them, though.

• Camera's being moved so they no longer captured what they were intended for (one was moved while housekeeping dusted and stared at a plant for a few weeks, another was moved during sanitation and instead of observing the metal detector, we had several days of footage of the unmoving drip pan under an air unit).
• During maintenance management changes, the drives weren't being replaced as recommended. I found that out when performing a FM investigation and finding that months of recordings were not available. 
• Our maintenance department (meaning well) was re-arranging the camera system, some to be on the one supported by the drive and others to just have footage available for a short time investigation. When rearranging the cameras, they completely took several of mine off line. It was found during our Food Defense audit by AMS. :/

The best thing I have now is a system that I'm able to view at my desk. Operations managers, maintenance, and myself have them running in the background all day. I just had them adjust another camera to better capture the door instead of a rack in the freezer.