Are shorts acceptable or not as company workwear in food packaging manufacture?
Its getting hot! Well for a few days in the UK at least and have guys asking to wear shorts. Currently company work wear supplied is Trousers / T-shirt / Sweater. If I risk assess the hazard I can not see any reason as to why not as in general it is normally upper garment areas that are the risk?
In my opinion, you can do a risk assessment to justify your SOPs or policies.
Wearing shorts is strictly prohibited in food handling or production areas. What kind of food do you produce?
Its not food handling but the packaging we make for food
ok I see. It depends then on the overall food safety level in your facility. Do you have a strict policy on workwear? All employess wear sweater? Wearing shorts is kind of equivalent of wearing (short slieved) t-shirt. Have you assesed the risk of the presence of human hair? You can allow shorts but only if you are 100 % sure that employess have a strong positive food safety culture.
I have the same question for our site.
In all food production areas staff wear a work polo top (provided) and work trousers, jeans, joggers etc. whatever they want really.
In the packaging storage areas and tray wash area temperature reached 32 degrees this past week and the one guy who works in there was wearing jeans.
He questions me if he can wear shorts, and so i say yes as long as he does not enter the food production areas and stays in the storage areas. I'm unsure how a company can ask employees to wear trousers, jeans or joggers and work in 32 degree heat with hot steam etc. (with no ventilation and no chiller units)
But i fail to see why even in production areas shorts are not allowed as they all wear short sleeves and we have such a low risk product. (but at least this area has chiller units)
I have the same question for our site.
In all food production areas staff wear a work polo top (provided) and work trousers, jeans, joggers etc. whatever they want really.
In the packaging storage areas and tray wash area temperature reached 32 degrees this past week and the one guy who works in there was wearing jeans.
He questions me if he can wear shorts, and so i say yes as long as he does not enter the food production areas and stays in the storage areas. I'm unsure how a company can ask employees to wear trousers, jeans or joggers and work in 32 degree heat with hot steam etc. (with no ventilation and no chiller units)
But i fail to see why even in production areas shorts are not allowed as they all wear short sleeves and we have such a low risk product. (but at least this area has chiller units)
It depends on what standard you are audited to, but I can't see how it would be OK. He doesn't need to wear jeans, there are lighter weight pants he can wear.
Food Packaging mfg here too. Shorts (short pants) are fine as long as they follow the requirements for pants: Clean, in good condition, no holes or frayed seams / edges and hemmed at the bottom.
Side note: Make sure you clear this with safety/HR. Getting those departments to provide feedback in the risk assessment will help lend legitimacy and give you a well-rounded assessment.
I had to recently re-evaluate a "long sleeve shirts required" rule we had on paper but were never following. I was told it was in place because a safety person (who lasted 6 months with the company over 7 years ago) once worked in a manufacturing environment where an employee got a nasty forearm burn.
Have struggled slightly with the interpretation of clause 6.5.4 in Food Packaging Standard. It used to say "protective clothing worn in production areas shall provide adequate covering of the upper torso". Issue 5 dropped the upper torso bit.
We too have temperature issues at certain times of the year and I have attempted to follow similar policy as Hoosiersmoker. Majority of our customers are in the food industry and do/may have different interpretations of what is acceptable.
Just as a (simplifying) addendum to this sartorial thread, the shorts should probably not possess pockets.
Do "shorts" have any generally accepted max clearance above the knee for the "average" employee ?
I have previously audited a (stiflingly hot) battermix supplier where t-shirts and mid-shorts were the "norm". I did have some misgivings such as per Post 9 however the environment seemed an indisputable force majeure. Air-conditioning/ventilation is apparently "problematic" in such product situations.
JFI and not to curtail discussion, there is a literally huge number of previous threads on a similar topic to the current one, eg in approx last 4 years, -
https://www.ifsqn.co...ds/#entry161645
https://www.ifsqn.co...">161276</span>
https://www.ifsqn.co...">147357</span>
https://www.ifsqn.co...or/#entry160202
https://www.ifsqn.co...oom/#entry90521
https://www.ifsqn.co...ent/#entry60860
https://www.ifsqn.co...in/#entry144548
https://www.ifsqn.co...her/#entry30227
https://www.ifsqn.co...ent/#entry60860
Perusal reveals a range of opinions touching on almost every conceivable aspect "under the sun".
"sartorial thread" I see what you did there...
Shorts will not fit exactly. Our company is very strict with this.
It is better to simply wear the overalls, which are given.