16 replies to this topic

[sarah35]

Hello Everyone!!

 

I need help in creating a Food Safety Culture plan..

I have already read the threads on this forum related to the questionnaires..

Can someone please share the full plan like how did you implement it and what did you show to an auditor in compliance with this clause?

 

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

[jweitzel]

Hello,

We used a questionnaire from a consultant that had several questions to measure culture rated on a 1-7 scale. We took the average score of each question after distributing the questionnaires to employees. The average for each score was recorded on a blank questionnaire and this form was successfully presented to the auditor. We modified our BRC-001 (Policy 1) as outlined below to discuss the appropriate steps to take if a cultural issue was observed.(A score outside the desirable range). The easiest way to fix these undesirable scores is to tie them into your corrective action process. I hope this helps!



We included this section in our BRC-001 Policy (also from our consultant):


1.1.2 Food Safety and Quality Culture

Our facility is small with a limited number of workers, many of whom have worked here for several years. We have little turn-over among workers. Senior Management has emphasized food safety and quality for many years in many ways.
Senior Management has implemented a worker survey questionnaire of 15 questions that will be completed by each worker at least annually (QP-11.0 Culture Survey). Each question has a numeric score of 7 to 1, going from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree.
The immediate goal is to have an average score of 4-5 per question, meaning workers are neutral to agreeing that our system creates a positive culture for all questions except 8 and 13. For these questions the goal is to have a score less than 4.
The longer-term goal is to have an average score of 6-7 (1-2 on questions 8 & 13), supporting management’s continuous improvement in developing a strong, positive food safety and quality culture among our facility’s work force.
Any question that averages less than 4 (for all questions except 8 and 13) among the cross section of our workers will require a root cause analysis (QF-2.7.2 Corrective Action) and a corrective action to improve the score for this question in the future. For questions 8 and 13, an average score greater than 4 will require a root cause analysis (QF-2.7.2 Corrective Action) and a corrective action to improve the score for this question in the future.

[Tony-C]

Hi Sarah,

 

A plan would not be solely based on questionnaires. A food safety culture needs to start with senior management, so for example:

Leadership – starting from the top
Demonstrating visible commitment
Effective communication of company philosophy and policy
Ensuring there is accountability from the top of the organisation to the bottom
Developing employee confidence and mutual trust
Developing reward schemes including ‘Employee of the Month’ award
Ensuring all employees are accountable, engaged and understand the value of integrity and proactivity
Developing an action plan for the development and continuing improvement of food safety culture

 

These activities will include training and effective two way communication.

 

BRC requirements are:
The site’s senior management shall define and maintain a clear plan for the development and continuing
improvement of a food safety and quality culture. This shall include:
• defined activities involving all sections of the site that have an impact on product safety
• an action plan indicating how the activities will be undertaken and measured, and the intended timescales
• a review of the effectiveness of completed activities.

 

Guidance:
A wide range of activities could be incorporated into a culture development plan, some of which the company may already be conducting. For example:
• a staff survey focusing on values and culture
• annual staff reviews (one-to-ones) and recognition programmes
• feedback mechanisms (e.g. staff concerns)
• training review and staff development
• teamwork (e.g. staff involvement in setting product safety objectives)
• effective communication strategies
• activities to demonstrably maintain product safety standards.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

 

[sarah35]

Thanks Jweitzel for your response.. Appreciate if you could please share the survey questions and what corrective action you are taking.. Many thanks again.. 

[sarah35]

Thanks Tony for your response.. Appreciate it.. Do you have a plan that you have used and if you can elaborate on each mentioned above how you have implemented?

Thanks again.. 

[jweitzel]

Good Morning,

I think the best place to start is to get your questionnaires out to the employees and see what they think. I did not have any corrective actions with our first questionnaire this year. Our method worked for our audit and we passed with a AA again.

1). Create a questionnaire
2). Outline your criteria as we did in section 1.1.2 of your Policy 1.
3). Let the employees fill out the questionnaire.
4). Average the scores.
5). Address any scores that don't meet your criteria through root cause analysis.

Example "Employees don't feel that they can freely speak up if they see something that may negatively affect food safety or quality". Your root cause analysis would include interviewing employees and management to see where this perception originated. Your corrective action would be based on your findings during the root cause analysis; this could vary between organizations or divisions, so I personally think that preconceiving potential corrective actions is not helpful. It is more important to state and illustrate senior management commitment to building, maintaining, and repairing the culture through the corrective action process.

I am a big believer in keeping things as simple as possible. Good Luck!

 QP-11.0 Culture Survey-English.xlsx   12.01KB   3959 downloads

[sarah35]

Thanks a lot Jweitzel for your response. Appreciate it.

Thanks..

[mgourley]

Tony,

 

I believe BRC has stated they know it is a new requirement and they understand it is a pretty "big" topic. They say they are just going to make sure you have an outline of a plan and some idea of how you are going to improve it on the first audit.

 

Marshall

[Tony-C]

Hi Marshall,

 

Indeed I don't believe that BRC will be looking for complete compliance in the first year and also acknowledge that auditing 'food safety culture' is largely subjective (see below).

 

BRC Guidance:
The auditor will expect to find evidence of a plan with objectives, and evidence of the site completing the activities in its action plan. This will be determined through interviews and by viewing objective evidence of the steps taken.
Interviews may be conducted across all levels of personnel on an informal basis. They will be expected to find an awareness of food safety culture, how individuals can impact on it, and the company’s objectives.

 

GLOBAL STANDARD  FOOD SAFETY ISSUE 8 - QUESTIONS RELATING TO SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD
1 SENIOR MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT CLAUSE 1.1.2: WILL THE FOOD SAFETY CULTURE MODULE NOT BE AUDITED UNTIL 2020? This new clause requires the sites to introduce and implement a plan for development and continuous improvement of their food safety culture. In the first year of the Issue 8 standard, sites would be expected to have developed the plan of action to improve food safety and quality culture and demonstrate implementation of planned actions has commenced at their first audit against Issue 8. However, as 3rd bullet point is asking for evidence for review of effectiveness of commissioned action plan it cannot be audited until year two.
It must be emphasised here that auditors are not expected to be auditing “food safety culture” of the site which is to a large extent subjective but the evidence of compliance to requirements of the clause as explained above.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[GMO]

Be warned... we felt like we'd done LOADS on this (and to be fair in comparison with other sites we have) but the auditor was a bit "so what?".  Also he went around asking employees what knowledge they have of food safety culture which was a bit annoying.  It's not like we've sat people down and said "We're food safety culturing now!"  (He also asked about what people would do if they had a concern on food safety to try and get them to say "I'd call the whistleblowing line".)

 

Whereas another auditor at another plant got away with saying "we use 5 whys to correct issues" for their food safety culture and that was genuinely it.  We got no non conformances on it but be ready to present a plan (at least) and for it to be presented by your site leader or by the Operations lead not Quality / Technical.  Also be ready for some very varied auditing styles on this!

 

[zanorias]

Be warned... we felt like we'd done LOADS on this (and to be fair in comparison with other sites we have) but the auditor was a bit "so what?".  Also he went around asking employees what knowledge they have of food safety culture which was a bit annoying.  It's not like we've sat people down and said "We're food safety culturing now!"  (He also asked about what people would do if they had a concern on food safety to try and get them to say "I'd call the whistleblowing line".)

 

Whereas another auditor at another plant got away with saying "we use 5 whys to correct issues" for their food safety culture and that was genuinely it.  We got no non conformances on it but be ready to present a plan (at least) and for it to be presented by your site leader or by the Operations lead not Quality / Technical.  Also be ready for some very varied auditing styles on this!
 

 

I expect the auditor was testing the "The mechanism for reporting concerns must be clearly reported to staff" part of the clause.

When implementing the clause requirements we happened to do a company-wide refresher training at the time so mentioned it within that to all current staff, and also put a slide in the induction about food safety culture and the whistleblowing system, with clear instructions on how to anonymously report a concern. The auditor was fine with this, 

[mohammad shakarnah]

thanks alot 

[pasquale lasaponara]

ragazzi si puo' avere un esempio pratico?

[Charles.C]

ragazzi si puo' avere un esempio pratico?

Please use English Language. Thks.

[Saffi]

Can someone please provide and example of a Food Safety Culture Plan 

 

Please and Thank you

[m.erzetti]

this is my Food Safety Culture PLAN. I'm sorry it is in italian but it easy to understand.

 

 

 

 

Attached Files

•  Piano Cultura Qualità e SA.docx   32.1KB   1141 downloads

Edited by m.erzetti, 01 February 2021 - 05:19 PM.

[Denver]

Hi 

 

My company is only due in May this year for our audit.

 

Thank you for all the comments and documents shared. 

 

I have  started with a google form online survey, the employees and management complete anonymously.

The questions is the critical issue and I think I have learnt that you should stick to food safety  aspects of the business in order to come up with  an effective plan 

I was also  informed that the staff interviews will be targeted at the business' approach of making staff more aware of food safety aspects. 

 

For year one, as per Marshalls' comment, of being audited on section 1.2.2 ,we'll be save with :

• A food safety and quality culture policy
• A survey / questionnaire 
• A action plan to address the shortfalls 
• a reporting vehicle / mechanism for food safety challenges by staff 

My only concern is that I do get more and more reports that the survey should be split between staff and management 

any comments?