14 replies to this topic

[Snissley]

The new addition to BRC Version 8 states "Pens used in open product areas shall be controlled to minimise the risk of physical contamination (e.g.

designed without small parts and detectable by foreign-body detection equipment)."

 

Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to enforce this policy at a reasonable price?  Please weigh in if you've used metal detectable pens, ball chain and pens, etc.  If there is a type of brand that people recommend, please let me know or you have creative ways to meet this policy standard.  I want the best price, but a product that actually works and doesn't annoy my employees.

 

Thank you!

[SQFconsultant]

I have a better idea, how about a pen that doesn't hurt the people that eat your food?

 

- too bad if a pen annoys your employees.

 

https://www.rsqualit...table-products/

[Bill78]

We implemented a program in December and so far it's been very successful. We used pens from Detectamet. 

 

 

https://www.detectam...e-piece-pen.htm

Fairly inexpensive. 

You can customize the pen exterior color and the ink color to meet your needs. We chose purple pens/blue ink as we wanted the pen to stand out visually and be different from all non-compliant pens. 

We worked with all the production teams and let them tell us "where" they needed pens- our goal was to have all pens tethered on clipboards or work tables

and always be available to the workers. Once the pens were in place, we then went about the process of removing all other non-compliant pens. Working with the teams and communicating what we needed to 

accomplish was the key to the success. Overall our workers like the new pens. Hope that helps. 

[pghosh]

We use metal detectable pens (from Detectamet) with an assigned color (of the pen itself) for each department. 

[LSB]

i will 3rd the detectamet pens! they work relatively well in cold environments. Although i have used Retreeva Global to buy gel pens and they lasted about 3x's as long as the detectamet pens! They were about $2.00 USD more per pen. Cheaper if you buy in bulk....>250 pens

[Arden]

We have used metal-detectable pens since November of 2018 with great results.  Staff are issued a pen which is their responsibility to control.  We are logging how often they ask for a new one (and why) and take appropriate action if they are not keeping track of their pen.  It also helps us to know if there are quality issues with the pen.  We are also color coded by work location (production/warehouse).  That being said, we are a small facility (30 employees) and we have added this task to the staff person who issues knife blades, ear plugs, plasters, and other "keep track" of items!

[zanorias]

We use metal detectable pens inside the factory and encourage office-based staff to use them too to reduce the chance of non-compliant pens mistakenly going into the factory in pockets. We have some that work in the freezer too which is handy, though they are understandably more expensive.

Whilst food safety is of course the priority, I think it's important that factory operatives have easy access to pens and that they'll reasonably happy with the pens. If there was always a task to source a pen or they didn't work well, operatives may feel inclined to sneakily take a biro in creating extra risk.

[QALab1438]

For this procedure do we have to have a pen inventory? 

[mgourley]

The Standard does not specify an inventory, so I would not do one.

You certainly can, if you desire, but IMO, it's a waste of time and resources.

 

Marshall

[chickenplant]

Just a follow up question to Bill78: What did you use to secure the pens to clipboards and tables?  Thanks.

[b.smith.nz]

We implemented a program in December and so far it's been very successful. We used pens from Detectamet.


https://www.detectam...e-piece-pen.htm
Fairly inexpensive.
You can customize the pen exterior color and the ink color to meet your needs. We chose purple pens/blue ink as we wanted the pen to stand out visually and be different from all non-compliant pens.
We worked with all the production teams and let them tell us "where" they needed pens- our goal was to have all pens tethered on clipboards or work tables
and always be available to the workers. Once the pens were in place, we then went about the process of removing all other non-compliant pens. Working with the teams and communicating what we needed to
accomplish was the key to the success. Overall our workers like the new pens. Hope that helps.

Hi Bill78 what was your method for tethering the pens? Cheers

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[Bill78]

Hello to chickenplant and b.smith! 

We used a small link chain that I found on amazon ...14 guage/Bright galvanized. 

With a pair of needlenose pliars the links can be seperated and attached to clipboards or other locations. 

Hope that helps! 

Bill

 

 

[ally1822]

We implemented a program in December and so far it's been very successful. We used pens from Detectamet.


https://www.detectam...e-piece-pen.htm
Fairly inexpensive.
You can customize the pen exterior color and the ink color to meet your needs. We chose purple pens/blue ink as we wanted the pen to stand out visually and be different from all non-compliant pens.
We worked with all the production teams and let them tell us "where" they needed pens- our goal was to have all pens tethered on clipboards or work tables
and always be available to the workers. Once the pens were in place, we then went about the process of removing all other non-compliant pens. Working with the teams and communicating what we needed to
accomplish was the key to the success. Overall our workers like the new pens. Hope that helps.

I did the same , we having buying these pens for number of years within our industry. The last few times we purchased them we brought pens from detectamet we use the elephant stick pens . These are used in all areas of production and warehouse. Even introduced /implemented these in the office area . where we have also gone about the process of removing all other non-compliant pens.


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[GMO]

I have a better idea, how about a pen that doesn't hurt the people that eat your food?

 

- too bad if a pen annoys your employees.

 

https://www.rsqualit...table-products/

 

I get your point but when was the last time you had a complaint with a piece of a pen sent back? 

 

I'm a big fan of BRC but I don't see the point in this clause, not when you have the availability to have metal detectable plastic items in product flow (e.g. o rings) which are notorious for becoming product contaminants yet that's not mandated by the standard. 

 

Metal detectable pens may have become the standard in many factories but that doesn't mean it's a significant risk not to have them.  I also visit many factories with metal detectable pens but using non metal detectable white board markers, tools and scissors with non metal detectable plastic handles. 

 

Sometimes I think it's worth stepping back and saying "why?"  I'm not saying we're not compliant, sometimes the fight just ain't worth it but I remember getting a whole load of metal detectable stuff from a supplier once years ago.  Pens, fine, even a small part detected but metal detectable mob caps?  Really?   Even if it happened to fall of your head, the whole thing had to be in there to be detected.

[tonnerre2000]

Yes GMO, especially if you don't have Metal Detectors (with risk assessment) on all your lines, makes you wonder why they need to be metal detectable pents! And what's the difference between a pen and a marker, I'm wonder if a BRC audit could give a non-conformity if we do not have MD markers. Maybe a risk assessment stating that we don't have metal detector on all lines would be a good backup...