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What is the minimum failsafe test required for metal detector?

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Martinblue

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Posted 25 January 2019 - 08:56 PM

Hi everyone,

 As per BRC what is the minimum failsafe test is required for metal detector?

On our MD we can do only one which is by releasing the air pressure to disable the reject arm which stopped the belt. Test is carried out the start and end of shift.

Is that enough to satisfy BRC auditor?

Thanks

Martin



mgourley

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Posted 25 January 2019 - 11:32 PM

Are you saying that each time the metal detector rejects you have to physically reset the reject arm to start the belt again?
 

Marshall



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Martinblue

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Posted 29 January 2019 - 10:10 PM

Are you saying that each time the metal detector rejects you have to physically reset the reject arm to start the belt again?
 

Marshall

Hi Marshall,

Might be I could not make myself very clear in the question.

We don't have to reset the reject arm at each rejection.

I am interested in knowing what are the minimum type of fail safe tests which would be required to satisfy the BRC auditor?

We have only air pressure which we do at the start and end of shift to confirm belt stops in case of low/no air pressure.

Would that be enough or need more e.g bin full etc?

Thanks

Martin



FoodSafetyPlanet

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Posted 30 January 2019 - 12:09 AM

Hi Martin,

 

I've worked with this before -- it depends on the work your company does. 

 

What BRC standards are you being audited under? 



Charles.C

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Posted 30 January 2019 - 11:30 AM

For BRC7 -

 

CLAUSE 4.10.3.4: WHAT IS MEANT BY ‘CHECKS OF FAILSAFE SYSTEMS’?
Many modern designs of metal detector (and other foreign-body detection systems such as X-rays) have failsafe systems. These are
systems that monitor their own functions and raise an alarm (usually audible) if something stops working. For example, if the product
rejection system is powered by compressed air and the air supply fails, this will sound the alarm immediately allowing staff to
investigate the fault, rather than waiting until the next metal detector check finds there is a problem. Where these systems exist, it is
important to run occasional checks to make sure that the failsafe system itself is operating (e.g. that the alarm will sound).

The Standard does not expect sites to purchase new metal detection equipment if there is no failsafe system on their current
equipment.

 

 

also see this thread -

 

https://www.ifsqn.co...ction-failsafe/

 

PS - in addition to the above, a comparison to the BRC  Interp.Guidelines is perhaps worth doing.


Edited by Charles.C, 30 January 2019 - 01:31 PM.
edited

Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Martinblue

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Posted 31 January 2019 - 01:11 PM

Hi Martin,

 

I've worked with this before -- it depends on the work your company does. 

 

What BRC standards are you being audited under? 

Hi,

Its against BRC V8 Food Safety.

Thanks

Martin 



Charles.C

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Posted 31 January 2019 - 02:01 PM

Hi,

Its against BRC V8 Food Safety.

Thanks

Martin 

 

Hi Martin,

 

For BRC8 perhaps you should delete the last paragraph of my BRC(7) quote.. Just to be conservative.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


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mgourley

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Posted 31 January 2019 - 08:49 PM

As Charles quoted, BRC says "occasional checks" should be run. There is no other specificity.

So, if your metal detector incorporates a loss of air pressure fail safe, and you are testing it at the start and end of the shift, I'd think that would satisfy the requirement.

 

Marshall



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Posted 01 February 2019 - 04:17 AM

Hi, Martin.

 

What we have done before in our system (note this will be different depending on your product or category), for  rejector system that uses compressed air to actuate, for every time that there is a compressed air, each product is allowed to go thru after metal detector conveyor. Once there is loss of compressed air (or even atleast the pressure is less than what is required), all the product that pass thru goes to rejector bin. This is also coupled with alarm or in some set-up,include machine stoppage. You may say  this may be "overkill", but you trust what you validated and even so the above, the quality losses will be mnimal.

 

In some case where where air is not used but using some actuator, the fail-safe is to have sensor after MD and at the rejector bin to confirm that the product is properly rejected. If one of the sensor detects unusual event, the machine is triggered to stop.

 

All of the prerequisites are part of the start-up check.

 

Again, this will be dependent on the set-up and what works for some may not work for all. It is also worthwhile to consider to check if what you have in correction will really happen as documented. Normally, it is only the control measures (for HACCP plan) that is being validated.



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