Glass and Brittle Plastic Auditing

Is it a common problem in other food manufacturing plant that the auditing process that specifically checks for glass and brittle plastic/materials is very difficult due to an inability to find ways to label these small items in these large facilities, so they can be found for these checks. If so, how was this problem mitigated. Is it a plausible solution to include some type of marker near each item to make this process easier? 

If you create the log in an Excel or MS Word table, you can group together your items by Area in the first column of that table.  Then I like to sort them in such a way that the person performing the check is led to each area in a linear path from their starting point.  (e.g. think of the easiest starting point to start this audit, then list each Area in order you would walk to it from that starting point.  I've gotten compliments from auditors verifying my G&BP inventory doing this.

Here's an example from one of my plants I work with now.  Second column is the name of the rooms, audit starts them in the High Care Veggie Cut and they have to find those items in the first column.  Then the checklist leads them to High Care Veggie Pack, Fruit Storage, Low Care Fruit, High Care Fruit, etc.

I'll add on to say it makes the auditor's life easier if the items themselves are linear on the list in the room as well.  Enter the area and pick the first G&BP item to your immediate left, then list the items in order as you rotate from left to right.  This helps people completing your checklist simply work down the list without having to hunt and search as much for the items.

Having the person who performs the check be familiar with the equipment is a good start.  An operator might perform the check for the machine they're running.

Depending on what the item is, it might be easier to enclose it so you don't need to check it with such regularity.  Some gauges might not be observed or adjusted after an operational level is determined, or at a very low frequency -- put them in a locked stainless cabinet where their FM hazard is minimized.

Your Glass and Brittle Plastic Register should have a description and location included, much like the example from jfrey123. Ours is divided by department and the physical location is show by each. Our gauge faces and other items (like clear plastic doors, sight glasses etc,) are on a daily inspection performed by machine operators during the daily PMs