2 replies to this topic

[oxy]

Hi,

 

Our company is planning to get BRCGS-certified (Packaging - food boxes and medicine boxes). I have two questions about the BRCGS Site Standards, and would really appreciate it if you could help out with your expertise on them:

 

A. Our manufacturing plant has few buildings around it that are rented to different occupants. All the buildings, including the one we're in, are within a fenced compound, with the nearest building to ours within the compound at a distance of 7 meters. While the points of entry into our building are controlled, there is no fence between the building we occupy and the others. Would this pose a problem during the audit or would we need to get the area around our building fenced?

 

B. We have sliding windows in our plant. Especially during the summers we keep them open for ventilation. Do we need to seal them completely (this would mean installing air conditioners) or what kind of a screen is recommended here?

 

I'm aware that the answers to both the questions depend on the risk assessment we carry out, but I'd really appreciate your expertise.

 

Thanks in advance,

---oxy

 

[Tony-C]

Hi Oxy,

 

 

Welcome to the IFSQN forums.

 

It may be that you need to ensure you have secure access to your building and also carry out an assessment to show the activities in and around the other buildings do not represent a risk to your product.

 

For windows, where a broken window would pose a risk to product, they must be protected such as with an adhesive plastic sheet. They must also be pest proofed, so a lockable fly screen on windows that can be opened may be acceptable.

 

I have quote the relevant clauses from BRCGS Global Standard for Packaging Materials Issue 6 below:

 

4 Site standards

4.1 External standards

4.1.1 Interpretation - Local activities and measures to prevent contamination

This clause requires a site to consider its external environment. Points to consider could include:

• derelict buildings, rubbish dumps, building sites, overgrown vegetation and wasteland, which could present potential harbouring of pests

• adjacent watercourses at risk of flooding

• neighbouring companies and the nature of their business

• standing water.

In many cases there will be no concerns, but if measures have to be taken, the site must demonstrate that it checks these measures and ensures that they remain adequate. This may require the addition of specific points on regular audit schedules.

 

4.2 Building fabric and interiors: raw materials handling, preparation, processing, packing and storage areas

4.2.4 Where they constitute a risk to product, and based on the likelihood and risk of contamination, windows and roof glazing shall be protected against breakage.

 

4.11 Pest management

4.11.5 Effective precautions shall be in place to prevent pests entering the premises. The building shall be suitably proofed against the entry of all pests via doors, windows, ducts and cable entry points.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[jfrey123]

I can't speak to BRC specifically, but for the general GFSI considerations:

 

-Your site plan should discuss what the surrounding businesses are doing.  Are you next to a raw animal slaughter house or strange chemical packer that could introduce airborne concerns to your plant?  I've worked for businesses that were in warehouse suites connected to other businesses, and we eliminated this risk by having keeping doors closed/locked and assessing that no one posed an airborne risk to our suite.  We had one of the suites on the end where we had a fenced area that contained our maintenance shop and some private storage for the business owners, never was a concern to auditors.

 

-Any open window would require some screening for vermin and some consideration for how the outside air might affect your business.  At a minimum, you'll want to have screen inspections as part of pest control program.  I'd recommend not opening these windows if they're adjacent to your storage or production, but if you must, take air samples near the windows as part of your EMP to determine if the incoming air significantly increases your pathogen risks.  If the windows are storage/production adjacent, they're going to be an area of interest for your auditors to scrutinize heavily.