17 replies to this topic

[00half]

Hey, I am a new SQF Practitioner in training and we recently hired a temp worker that has a nose piercing.  Obviously the code states that piercings of any kind are prohibited out on the production floor.  But what my question is, would simply having the temp. cover up the nose ring with a bandage of some kind be enough of a control to ensure the piercing doesn't fall out into product, and meet the SQF standards?  Or would simply having her take it out everyday be the only option for us to go?

[miseenplace]

Best policy would be to enforce they remove it during their schedule shift. Once you make an exception it can quickly spiral out of control. Luckily you can express this to the temp agency and make sure they enforce it. I've seen workers cover them with bandaids but the auditors I've talked to usually don't like it. Not to mention if you have a potential customer walk through you then have to explain a bandaid over a nose ring or worse.

[00half]

Thanks for such a quick response.   

[Scampi]

I agree......and I would actually rather end up with an earring in my food than a band-aid----the consumer will also assume it was covering a flesh eating bacteria laden wound

 

 

All jewelry including watches all of the time needs to be removed. The only exception I have ever made is for medic alert bracelet or necklace

[FurFarmandFork]

Always look at the actual code and guidance:

11.3.4 Implementation Guidance

 

What does it mean?

Loose pieces of jewelry can fall into exposed food products and cause a choking hazard. Also, pathogenic bacteria can multiply in the warm, humid areas under watchbands, rings and bracelets. The application of the jewelry policy in food manufacturing is therefore dependent on the risk to the product and exposure to the product. In high risk processes, or those where product is exposed, company policies shall require the removal of all jewelry and loose objects prior to entering the processing areas.

 

What do I have to do?

Jewelry and other loose objects, including watches, worn or carried, must comply with local regulatory authority and proper employee hygiene practices. If such hand jewelry cannot be removed, it may be covered with material which can be maintained intact, in a clean and sanitary condition and which effectively protects against the contamination by these objects to the food, food-contact surfaces or food-packaging materials. Facilities can adjust their good employee hygiene pract based on customer requirements, risk to their product, product exposure and processing conditions.

 

 

 

I always ask them to be removed first, then if they claim it is not removale (which some are) they have to wear band aid over the object entire shift.

[MsMars]

Like FFF stated, the actual code is slightly more liberal and leaves it up to companies to establish their own policy. But if your policy is cut and dry (i.e. NO jewelry), stick to your own policy and don't make exceptions. It just becomes a black hole.

 

Moreover this should be addressed at hiring, and your hiring manager/temp agency should ask about this upon hire; if you have a policy that states no jewelry, they should inform the candidate that they cannot work inside the facility with jewelry of any kind - non-removable or not.

[miseenplace]

Like FFF stated, the actual code is slightly more liberal and leaves it up to companies to establish their own policy. But if your policy is cut and dry (i.e. NO jewelry), stick to your own policy and don't make exceptions. It just becomes a black hole.

 

Moreover this should be addressed at hiring, and your hiring manager/temp agency should ask about this upon hire; if you have a policy that states no jewelry, they should inform the candidate that they cannot work inside the facility with jewelry of any kind - non-removable or not.

I personally saw this "black hole" and it was horrible but the bosses allowed it. We brought in 200 temps for 4th quarter Christmas pack out rush and there was a sea of blue bandages. It started with a few people who have "un-removable" cartilage piercings and quickly spread to regular earrings being covered instead of removed per the policy.

[Charles.C]

Hey, I am a new SQF Practitioner in training and we recently hired a temp worker that has a nose piercing.  Obviously the code states that piercings of any kind are prohibited out on the production floor.  But what my question is, would simply having the temp. cover up the nose ring with a bandage of some kind be enough of a control to ensure the piercing doesn't fall out into product, and meet the SQF standards?  Or would simply having her take it out everyday be the only option for us to go?

 

I see no reference to piercing in the Manufacturing Code ?.

 

IIRC it would be potentially  illegal in at least one country to prohibit.

 

Hence presumably the cautious comments in Guidance.

[MsMars]

I personally saw this "black hole" and it was horrible but the bosses allowed it. We brought in 200 temps for 4th quarter Christmas pack out rush and there was a sea of blue bandages. It started with a few people who have "un-removable" cartilage piercings and quickly spread to regular earrings being covered instead of removed per the policy.

 Ugh. The food safety/quality nightmare before Christmas.     

[Scampi]

Here is the requirement!

 

SQF version 8

 

11.3.4.1 Jewelry and other loose objects shall not be worn or taken into a food handling or processing operation

or any area where food is exposed. The wearing of plain bands with no stones and prescribed medical alert

bracelets can be permitted, however the site will need to consider their customer requirements and the applicable

food legislation.

[Abby1993]

Hey,

 

SQF 8.0 States NO jewelry and other loose objects shall not be worn or taken into a food handling or processing operation or any where food is exposed.

 

Tell them remove it or clock out.

[Charles.C]

Hey,

 

SQF 8.0 States NO jewelry and other loose objects shall not be worn or taken into a food handling or processing operation or any where food is exposed.

 

Tell them remove it or clock out.

 

Hi Abby,

 

In FS Codes it is (probably) an unwritten Rule that "shall" may occasionally be interpreted/equated to alternatives such as "dependent on risk". At the discretion of the Draftee.

For example Post 5.

[00half]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback.  I did go and tell the employee they will need to remove the nose ring going forward.  I also got in contact with temp agency and notified them of this code as well, so hopefully we shouldn't have this problem anymore.  Thanks once again, this was a tremendous help and very informative of everyone's interpretation.

[FurFarmandFork]

In USA, keep an eye on your state-level food codes as well. E.g. in Oregon we don't allow medical alert bracelets in food manufacturing facilities. 

[Theodore Donald Kerabatsos]

We mandate that our temp service informs all potential candidates of our General Rules and GMPS which includes the piercings (other than tongue rings and anything I cannot see ), fake/painted nails, and eye-lashes. All potential temps have to sign off on this and I consider it to be part of the prerequisite training prior to working which is required by SQF. I put that training on the temp agencies by training them as contract service providers. Just like we have specs to conform to as do they.  Our product is food and theirs is temporary employees. Theirs should clearly state: "no pirecings etc. etc.". They do their best to ensure that none of the aforementioned foreign objects make it into the building but you will encounter people who think they are slick. In this case we will place them on a job that does not come into contact with food or ingredients i.e. warehouse work. That can't always be the case because we are still on the smaller scale of companies so if there is no position like that available they are given the ultimatum "remove or leave", which can hurt you on a desperate day but you can't make exceptions to rules for a single individual. It sounds harsh but if potential temps know this in advance they can only be mad at themselves for wasting their time.

 

See 2.3.3 Contract Service Providers and be sure to put temp agencies on your register with GMPS, General Rules and anything else you deem necessary. Train them (temp agencies), rinse and repeat. Have them run a perpetual log of sign-offs for prerequisite training and have them supply that list to you. All that being said, we still retrain on all of that material when it appears there may be some potential of hiring. The turn over rate is too high to ever keep up with doing all of it ourselves.

 

We took the band-aid approach for some time (pre-SQF) but it is just a hassle. With SQF those metal detectable band-aids will start to add up....

 

Good luck

[sqflady]

One of our suppliers was sited in their SQF audit for allowing an employee to cover a nose ring with a bandage.  We have now also prohibited the practice and the policy is no jewelry except plain wedding band or medical alert jewelry.

[Twinings]

Is this a requirement for a distribution facility?  There is not any food production onsite, only finished goods shipping out the door.

[TimG]

Is this a requirement for a distribution facility?  There is not any food production onsite, only finished goods shipping out the door.

 

Is your distribution facility SQF certified? If so, it should be a pretty quick check of your SQF code for distribution facilities to get this answer.