Temporary repairs - masking tape everywhere!

Hi all,

We are currently chipping away at various issues as we prepare for getting BRC accredited. One major thing is the use of duct tape, but more often amsking tape for temporary fixes. It everywhere, and is commonly found around the edges of tables to stop people catching themselves on any sharp edges/corners. I know this would be a major no-go for BRC but at the same time I don't want people getting injured when working. I wondered about a blue rubber strip to go round the edges of the tables etc. which would cushion but is blue, so detectable, and a more permanent solution? But I'm struggling to source some material.

Has anyone else cone across this issue before, or have any ideas on how I could rectify this without breaching BRC guidelines, and still keeping operators safe?

Thanks!

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You're right - that is a lot of masking tape!

What is the table made of - is it just steel, or is that just a top surface with something else underneath it?

We only have metal tables, but the corners are built / sanded to be slightly rounded so there are no sharp edges to catch on clothes etc. Could yours be modified in a similar fashion?

Hi pHruit,

Most are a wooden base with a steel or aluminium top on them. I'm not sure how we could modify as the metal is quite thin on the top.

Have someone sand it down, would take a few minutes per table with the right tool.  You can see on the table in the back that you guys hand made these aluminum tops, but nobody grinded/sanded after cutting (No pride was put into that work honestly).

Consult with your maintenance department on solutions with those tables. That tape needs to go! 

What type of manufacturing are we talking about? There have been changes for Manufacture of Food Packaging. Many of our processes (folder gluers) almost REQUIRE us to tape items in the window voids to allow them to feed smoothly into the machines. The risk is extremely low and there's no food to contaminate with the tape, however the Operators immediately know if anything has come off as the machine will jam. At that point the Operator will find any tape that came off and re-attach the part to the machine. These are no longer termed as temporary repairs, they are attachments to the processing equipment.

Quite simply, the maintenance department needs to fabricate (or fix existing) fixtures to ensure they are cleanable and do not pose an occupational safety hazard.
We all fight tape repairs done by production employees, because they see the immediate need (for whatever reason). That does not mean we have to accept this as a "permanently temporary repair".

Marshall

The factory produces paper sacks and sheeted paper for food contact applications. They use masking tape to join reels of paper etc, so couldn't remove from site (although I would love to!) but hoping to get areas permanently fixed, then will need to find a way of discouraging the use of tape to "fix" equipment.

For the cost of your labor, it's probably cheaper to purchase tables from an industrial supply company. I'm in the US and use McMaster Carr or Grainger. Stationary, height adjustable tables about 60cm X 120cm (24" X 48") are less than $300 US. Once you figure in the cost of your maintenance dept labor to create tables, and what they aren't working on during the table build, you're money ahead. And it only takes about 15 minutes to assemble one. The appearance to your auditor will be valuable as well. We went through and just replaced about 15 or 16 older wooden tables throughout the plant and following additions all stipulated metal construction. It's a one time cost that will more than pay for itself and one less thing to affect your process. Good luck on certification!

The other item not mentioned is the WOOD.....wood should only be present when unavoidable i.e. pallets

Yes, I've got a fair bit of work to do with wooden items on the shop floor also.

Does anyone know of any reasonably priced uk suppliers of metal tables?

I believe you have MSC  as an industrial supplier

Not sure how viable but this might fit the bill: https://www.ajproduc...ductId=19446486