10 replies to this topic

[sharoncross]

Hi everyone, with the plastic register for BRC we have identified all plastic in open product areas and risk assessed for checking frequency, does anyone include plastics in offices, canteens or engineering departments. These all have at least one door before entering open product areas and a changing area for putting on production P.P.E. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Sharon 

[Charles.C]

Hi Everyone,

 

with the plastic register for BRC we have identified all plastic in open product areas and risk assessed for checking frequency, does anyone include plastics in offices, canteens or engineering departments. These all have at least one door before entering open product areas and a changing area for putting on production P.P.E.

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Sharon 

Hopefully "at least one door" excludes the exit door from canteen etc

 

BRC8

Glass or other brittle materials shall be excluded or protected against breakage in areas where open products are handled or there is a risk of product contamination..

 

 

Seems fairly explicit. Minimises risk of an Encyclopedia perhaps.

[zoelawton]

I have every glass/brittle thing on site - even if more than 2 doors to production areas. Someone could stand on broken glass in excluded area and tread it through to production. Better to be safe and cover it all. (albeit we aren't a massive site) 

[Spidey]

I've also documented everything in my facility.  And I didn't limit my register to just glass and brittle plastic, I also included ceramics, as our kitchen/break room has ceramic mugs and bowls.

 

"While objects from the Kitchen should be isolated and not make their way into the production, lab, or storage areas, a register was created and risk assessment performed in order to prepare for every potential eventuality."

[zanorias]

4.9.3.2

Procedures for handling glass and other brile materials (other than product packaging) shall be in place
where open products are handled or there is a risk of product contamination. These procedures shall
include, at a minimum:
• a list of items detailing location, number, type and condition
• recorded checks of the condition of items, carried out at a specified frequency that is based on the level
of risk to the product
• details on cleaning or replacing items to minimise the potential for product contamination.

 

From the I.G of the above clause

The documentation must include:
• a list or register of items, detailing their location, number, type and condition. When creating the list, it is
important to be realistic; the objective is to remove brile items where possible and create a list of items
for inspection which present a real risk of breakage and contamination of products (i.e. those that are in
open product areas or where risk assessment shows there is a genuine risk to product). (The list could
also detail the frequency with which the items must be checked.)

 

I imagine the responses to the original question may vary, since everyones sites will be a different size and setup. My current place is relatively small and we do have the canteen on the register, but it's feasible for us to check this. My previous site was huge and to include the canteens, engineering workshop and office areas would require someone to do that full time!

I'd first assess and unless you conclude that there is a genuine risk of contamination from those areas, I wouldn't necessarily include them unless you have the spare resource to do so anyway.

[Charles.C]

Amazing. I always interpret risk assessment as an opportunity to prioritize / minimize inspection load, not maximise.

 

Regardless, I reluctantly applaud such haccp devotion.

Edited by Charles.C, 18 November 2020 - 03:50 AM.
added

[beautiophile]

Amazing. I always interpret risk assessment as an opportunity to prioritize / minimize inspection load, not maximise.

Now you know the worship of HACCP philosophy (urge to find critical points and further actions) can get out of hand.

[Slab]

I only map glass and other brittle materials in areas where food, food packaging, and food contact surfaces are exposed. I do have support areas covered in the preventive maintenance checklist however.

[redchariot]

We include all ancillary areas which are part of the overall production areas in our G/P register. These include workshops, offices, meeting rooms etc which have direct access to production areas as people can carry broken pieces with them to food areas

 

For clarification, when I say Production Area, this includes any area which contains product, raw materials or packaging regardless of whether exposed or not.

 

The frequency of checks differs depending on risk so for example items directly over open food are checked on a weekly basis while items in a warehouse which contains enclosed food only are checked every two months.

[HaloQA]

Hi,

We are a packaging company working with BRCGS Packaging Materials and we listed all the glass and plastic from all the areas of the facility, except the offices. 

The reason, as someone mentioned, is that production employees could walk through any of these areas and get some broken pieces/bits on their clothes or shoes (if there is any) and carry it until the production space. 

 

 

[Jim E.]

Hello all, as to the question.  We do not include meeting rooms and offices.  First it would be a nightmare to list all the materials, second our inspection already takes 2 days a month to complete no interest in adding a third.  We have measures in place to ensure there is no tracking of FM into the plant and have completed a risk assessment to just that.  I believe we are safe.