4 replies to this topic

[Cheryl Risty]

I am wondering if anyone can help me with this, just recently went through BRC Audit, we have areas that are restricted to employees only. Haven't had a problem with this in the past with my State or FDA audits or previous BRC audits (Start program for 2 years) I had a full certification audit this past week, on second day auditor me if they couldn't see restricted areas the audit was over. I am not hiding anything but what is the purpose of having a scope??? Is what auditor said true?? 

[SQFconsultant]

All areas of a facility are subject to an inspection regardless of your scope.

How would I know as an inspection what coild be on the other side of the door that could impact the balance of your facility or your scope - I would have no idea and I am surprised you have been able to restrict entry/or they did not ask to check your so called restricted areas to prior auditors both private and governmental.

You can have a written policy that dictates employee restrictive access - but your internal policy can not dictate what inspectors (that are not employees) can look at.

You might be surprised at what I have found in restricted areas of companies.

[SQFconsultant]

By the way I agree fully with you recent Auditor.

And I did have an inspection at one of the gigantic sugar processing factories in the US where they said I could not go into 2 areas because of employee only restrictions, scope etc and I said if I can not go into these areas the audit will stop, that I would red line the audit and leave.

And that is exactly what haopened... they refused, the audit failed and my CB support person backed me up as did our supermarket chain

[Tony-C]

Hi Cheryl,

 

You really needed to have agreed an exclusion with your certification body before your audit. Even then, it is unlikely that they would have agreed to the exclusion.

 

Relevant extracts from the BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety here:

1 GENERAL PROTOCOL – AUDIT PREPARATION

1.6.2 Exclusions from scope

The fulfilment of the certification criteria relies on clear commitment from the site management to adopt the best-practice principles outlined within the Standard and to the development of a food safety culture within the business. It follows therefore that the exclusion of products from the scope of certification shall only be permitted by exception.

The BRC Global Standards logo can only be used by sites that have no exclusions. The exclusion of products produced at a site will only be acceptable where:

• the excluded products can be clearly differentiated from products within scope, and

• the products are produced in a physically segregated area of the factory.

Where exclusions are requested, these shall be agreed with the certification body in advance of the audit. Exclusions shall be clearly stated on the audit report and certificate and the justification recorded on the audit report.

The certification of products must include an audit of the entire process from raw materials to end-product dispatch. It is not possible to exclude either parts of the process undertaken at the site or parts of the Standard.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[Cheryl Risty]

Thank You everyone for your responses, the audit went well, and Auditor seen restricted areas, I only asked because of the way the Auditor approached the subject. Again, Thank you for input.