When is it necessary to perform Risk Assessments?

When is it necessary to perform a risk assessment/analysis?

How are these done and what kind of questions are needed to ensure the assessment is being completed accurately?

I am being told from a sister plant that we should perform risk assessments for our trash compactor being near production and drains being in our aisle ways. But I am just a little confused on why we need to perform a risk analysis if SQF does not require me to do it.

We are a flexible packaging manufacturer.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

(a) When is it necessary to perform a risk assessment/analysis?

(b) How are these done and what kind of questions are needed to ensure the assessment is being completed accurately?

The answers to (a,b) will depend on the specific risk assessment  ?

If you mean the (haccp) assessment of a risk due to a hazard, it is conventional to express the risk as the product of the likelihood of occurrence of the hazard and the severity of its consequence if it actually occurs, ie R = LxS (Sometimes R = L + S but this is less commonly used in food haccp)

The detailed methodology is available in standard  haccp textbooks / IT.

 

I am being told from a sister plant that we should perform risk assessments for our trash compactor being near production and drains being in our aisle ways. But I am just a little confused on why we need to perform a risk analysis if SQF does not require me to do it.

I assume the packaging is for food use.

The RA objective is presumably to evaluate the risk due to a hazard of cross-contamination.

 

We are a flexible packaging manufacturer.

 

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Hi Julie,

See ^^^^

If need expansion/clarification  of any of the above please inform.

There is an unfortunate  tendency these days for people to ask for RAs for everything under the sun. Semi-Generic RA Procedures (= "Risk-based") for certain applications, eg hygiene PRPs have been posted here.

Where in SQF does it state that you don't have to do a risk analysis on certain things?

Your risk analysis should consider all possible sources of contamination (materials, machines, building, people, internal environment, external environment, etc.).

Per above, for your trash compactor:  Likelihood = 1 (almost no chance of contamination happening) and Severity = 1 (not severe even if it happens)

LxS = 1x1 = 1 (Low Risk) = justification for why you don't need a control program.

You will need to show your auditor that you have adequately addressed all possible risks and implemented any necessary control programs to mitigate the risk.