Badge access door system and Food Safety

Hello all, i need your help please.

we are revamping the current access control system in the company where different roles will have different access to production levels, as part of the Food Defence plan strategy.  All our employees have a an RFID card for entering and exiting the building and usually the personal cards are worn over the neck by the individuals. Now we are going a step further, where the current way of using these cards by the employees was on the main door and no interferences and use of these while on shift, we have faced the challenge of how  these cards will be used in the production area by the employees for entering and exiting different areas.

The concern is that , wearing the cards over the neck with a strings could lead to possible cross contamination while performing the usual tasks'. food safety concern. 

We discussed 2 options : short term - use of Retractable card holder and long term - uniforms with embeded pocket for RFID card.

Would appreciate your thoughts and comments and how do you manage this from FSSC point of view , aside Food Defense?

Thanks

Aneta

I think you're perhaps making this over complicated

The simpler solution is to colour code employee uniforms---easy to tell when someone isn't where they need to be

Update your plan to include this control measure stating that maintenance/qa/management will always have access to all areas

We allow lanyards/badges to be worn under smocks. We require lanyards to be the breakaway type. That way if a lanyard ended outside of the smock and got caught on equipment - it would come off.

I think a lanyard inside the smock is the best idea.

When I had to wear a safety vest, I sewed a pocket on the inside, put my badge on a spiral cord (stretchy shoelace) and clipped it to my shirt.

apologies, i believe i was not clear...we do have colour coding on uniforms for  different roles in the manufacturing ...we are restricting the access level internally in the zones manufacturing.. meaning that ex: packers only restricted to production area and no access to batching / weighing.. we have multi floors zones operations, and our plan is restricting such access in between.

Therefore, we need to have such cards on the employees at all times, otherwise there will not be able to access the relevant  working zones.

thanks

I think you're perhaps making this over complicated

 

The simpler solution is to colour code employee uniforms---easy to tell when someone isn't where they need to be

 

Update your plan to include this control measure stating that maintenance/qa/management will always have access to all areas

I understand that some of you are waring the lanyards badges under the smocks/ uniforms , however this is exactly our FS concern, as our procedure of uniforms states such are worn only during shift/day and personal clothing kept in the lockers.  

At the plant i currently work for our uniforms are color coded. Red is Quality and safety. Black is temps and Navy Blue are regular employees. Currently we use the RFID cards but we have them on a retractable clip attached to our waistline.. like your systems certain cards can open certain doors while others cannot. Access is free throughout the plant however once you pass a door your badge cant open back good luck getting out without calling someone with access or your supervisor...  then of course they would ask what the person was doing etc etc. I got locked in the DC once looking for their manager.. took a solid 20 mins for someone to come let me back in lol 

I understand that some of you are waring the lanyards badges under the smocks/ uniforms , however this is exactly our FS concern, as our procedure of uniforms states such are worn only during shift/day and personal clothing kept in the lockers.  

Is the procedure written in stone?  It cannot be modified?

As others have mentioned I think you are over complicating this.  Usually, simpler is more effective.  Look to assess your risk with he current practices in place and determine if you really need to have separate badged access areas.  If you do see there is a high risk and this is needed, then you need to adjust your procedures, policies, and programs around it to make it feasible.

Why the shift in your procedure?  if you haven't had an issue, then this really does feel like a step too far

This is where a QC tech should be recording on a GMP record that personnel are not in areas they should not be