Advice and training for home washing of laundry

Hello everyone,

In my company the workers wear tee-shirt or pull in th production area and they  wash them at home. I m preparing a training related to this topic but i don't know which kind of advices/recommandations, i should give for the washing at home.

Do you have an example for such training?

thank you

I would suggest that practice needs to come to an end. You need to provide your employees with covering for their street clothes. Lab coats, scrubs, disposable aprons etc. You cannot control the hazard of clothing washed at home, plus the added hazard of what is on their clothing when they arrive to work

There are companies that can launder and deliver for you or you can purchase clothing and launder in house with food safe cleaning chemicals

There are a few questions that need to be answered first:

What is your product?

What is your process?

What risk level?

Do you handle any allergens?

Are there any places where there is exposed product, and workers contact the product, whether intentionally or inadvertently?

Is your product RTE, or does it require further processing/cooking/etc. after leaving your plant, prior to consumption?

Scampi, I disagree that company provided clothing is needed in all instances.  For example, our operation is very low-risk, with no exposed product, our product is not RTE, and we don't allow allergens in our plant.  Therefore, our risk assessment has shown that employee clothing is not a likely source of contamination in our plant.

Brian

We produce the metal ends (food packaging) and we don't handle any allergens of course. But the workers are in contact with the product all the time.

all the workers wear blouses that are washed by a professional laundray. The problem is that the company gave also tee-shirts and pulls that workers wear from time to time (when it's too cold or too hot) and those clothers are not washed by the professional laundry.

Hi qm,

I am a foodie rather than a packging person so apologies but i don't understand what you mean by "metal ends" ?

The packaging BRC risk level is related to whether, ultimately,  yr product contacts food directly or not.

One particular home laundering aspect/difficulty for clothing for food discussed much here is the audit expected validation of the laundering process. But I have no idea if required for BRC packaging regardless of risk status, maybe not ?.

We produce the metal ends (food packaging) and we don't handle any allergens of course. But the workers are in contact with the product all the time.

all the workers wear blouses that are washed by a professional laundray. The problem is that the company gave also tee-shirts and pulls that workers wear from time to time (when it's too cold or too hot) and those clothers are not washed by the professional laundry.

I would put that to an end.  If the employees are cold they need to wear something underneath the blouses.  All employees should wear the required blouses, or rather, you should require they wear them.  If hot weather is an issue perhaps the company can look into improved HVAC or exhaust vents to help provide cooling.

There is no level of control you can have if employees are allowed to wash their clothing at home.  As others have said, it really comes down to the risk and exposure with the food contact packaging.

Hi,

In packaging you are allowed to decide if protective clothing is needed or not. BRC for packaging clause 6.5 asks you to do a risk assessment. Satisfying the BRC is not the same as satisfying your customers though,  so be careful to be aware of their needs.

This is our self care instruction we have posted in the locker area and all staff have signed a copy which is kept in their training file. We still do provide a laundry service for those who need it. i.e. people who do not have a washing machine.Attached is also a requirement of the packaging BRC. If you do self care you also need to monitor the effectiveness. We do this by a documented GMP audit.

Hi,

In packaging you are allowed to decide if protective clothing is needed or not. BRC for packaging clause 6.5 asks you to do a risk assessment. Satisfying the BRC is not the same as satisfying your customers though,  so be careful to be aware of their needs.

This is our self care instruction we have posted in the locker area and all staff have signed a copy which is kept in their training file. We still do provide a laundry service for those who need it. i.e. people who do not have a washing machine.Attached is also a requirement of the packaging BRC. If you do self care you also need to monitor the effectiveness. We do this by a documented GMP audit.

Hi Sharon,

The "attached" / "self-care instruction" seem to have failed upload ?

Here is the attachment again.

Hi Sharon,

Thks for the imaginative file. Clearly a sartorially elegant facility. :smile: