12 replies to this topic

[qualitymanager]

Hello, everyone,

 

My company has a open product area and someone i see people from cleaning or maintenance in the production lines.

They have a different uniform but they come from dirty area ( cleaning rooms, maintenance workshops)

Do we have to ask them to put additional uniform when they come to production lines?

What's the appropriate rules to set up in order to prevent cross contamination in this case?

 

Thank you

[kconf]

You can implement a smock policy. Do you have footbath mats? It really depends on your risk level what extent to go to.

 

Good luck!

[INL]

I am not familiar with the procedures in your company, but in ours, we ask external personnel or visitors to read and sign our visitor policy, which outlines the required protective clothing in clean/open product areas. This ensures they are informed and will comply with the instructions provided to prevent cross-contamination. So yes, you should ask them to wear appropriate protective clothing, and your company has to make sure to supply such clothing to them 😊

[fouziak]

You can implement a smock policy. Do you have footbath mats? It really depends on your risk level what extent to go to.

 

Good luck!

Edited by fouziak, 26 September 2024 - 03:17 PM.

[qualitymanager]

You can implement a smock policy. Do you have footbath mats? It really depends on your risk level what extent to go to.

 

Good luck!

Do you have some example please?

Or some rules to follow? if we have to wear additional workwear or to change the uniform?

[Dorothy87]

Hi  

 

Definitely you will need a risk assessment (BRC req) 

 

 

[Tony-C]

Hi qualitymanager,

 

The answer to your question is based on the product and open product area as explained below.

 

BRCGS* requires your production risk zones or areas to be classified so that corresponding levels of hygiene and segregation are put in place to reduce the potential for product contamination with pathogenic micro-organisms.

 

Open product areas, can be designated:

• high risk (chilled and frozen)

• high care (chilled and frozen)

• ambient high care

• low risk

 

(*Clause 4.3.1 The site shall assess the production risk zones required for the products manufactured, processed or packed at the site, using the definitions in Appendix 2 of the Standard.)

 

The controls that you apply are dependent on the risk involved and the product.

 

I’m not sure what you mean by cleaning rooms? but clearly someone who cleans the toilets shouldn’t be wearing the same protective clothing in an open product area.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[qualitymanager]

Hi

 

Definitely you will need a risk assessment (BRC req) 

 

Hello,

 

Do you have an example please ?

 

We know which areas are sensitive but i don't know how to implement the rules of clothes changing!

[Tony-C]

Hello,

 

Do you have an example please ?

 

We know which areas are sensitive but i don't know how to implement the rules of clothes changing!

 

Hi qualitymanager,

 

You should have already designated open product area risk, BRCGS provided decision trees in Issue 8 that helped with this assessment. I’ve attached them here:

 

 PRODUCTION ZONE DECISION TREE 1 – CHILLED AND FROZEN PRODUCTS.png   890.09KB   3 downloads

 

 PRODUCTION ZONE DECISION TREE 2 – AMBIENT PRODUCTS.png   922.54KB   0 downloads

 

If your open product area is high-care/high-risk than a change of clothing is almost certainly required.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[Dorothy87]

Hello, everyone,

 

My company has a open product area and someone i see people from cleaning or maintenance in the production lines.

They have a different uniform but they come from dirty area ( cleaning rooms, maintenance workshops)

Do we have to ask them to put additional uniform when they come to production lines?

What's the appropriate rules to set up in order to prevent cross contamination in this case?

 

Thank you

 

 

hi  

 

For example : 

 

Hygiene team should wear different colour coding coat, and they shouldn't touch the product (hazards: allergens, chemical, physical cross-contamination), if they would like to join product they should change coat, wash their hands and join production. 

 

Another example : Engineers in their workshop should wear different colour coding coats due to girding, welding etc, there is a possibility of physical and chemical cross-contamination during movement between workshop and production lines (metal pieces, dust etc) 

 

 

[qualitymanager]

hi

 

For example : 

 

Hygiene team should wear different colour coding coat, and they shouldn't touch the product (hazards: allergens, chemical, physical cross-contamination), if they would like to join product they should change coat, wash their hands and join production. 

 

Another example : Engineers in their workshop should wear different colour coding coats due to girding, welding etc, there is a possibility of physical and chemical cross-contamination during movement between workshop and production lines (metal pieces, dust etc) 

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for your answer.

 

The hygiene team and maintenance have differents types of clothes but they don't change when they come to production or packagin area for any kind of intervention.

 

I want to add rules related to the wearing of additonal work wear (disposable clothing)  and overshoes when they have to come into the production lines.

 

This is enough? because there is no way to change their uniforms due to the lines conception

 

Thanks

[qualitymanager]

Hi qualitymanager,

 

You should have already designated open product area risk, BRCGS provided decision trees in Issue 8 that helped with this assessment. I’ve attached them here:

 

PRODUCTION ZONE DECISION TREE 1 – CHILLED AND FROZEN PRODUCTS.png

 

PRODUCTION ZONE DECISION TREE 2 – AMBIENT PRODUCTS.png

 

If your open product area is high-care/high-risk than a change of clothing is almost certainly required.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

Hello,

 

Thank you for your answer.

We have already this identification based in the risk and we know that production lines and packaging are areas with high risks.

 

The factory has a conception that make the movement between workshop so complicated. We can have direct access from different doors and it's so complicated to go from maintenance to changing room.

 

What i decide is to add distrubutors of disposable work clothes+ overshoes before each production line  with the obligation to wear + hand  washing/desinfection it if we are coming from maintenance/ waste room/ cleaning room.....

 

You think it's enough?

 

Thank you

[Tony-C]

Hello,

 

Thank you for your answer.

We have already this identification based in the risk and we know that production lines and packaging are areas with high risks.

 

The factory has a conception that make the movement between workshop so complicated. We can have direct access from different doors and it's so complicated to go from maintenance to changing room.

 

What i decide is to add distrubutors of disposable work clothes+ overshoes before each production line  with the obligation to wear + hand  washing/desinfection it if we are coming from maintenance/ waste room/ cleaning room.....

 

You think it's enough?

 

Thank you

 

Hi qualitymanager,

 

It would depend if you have appropriate changing facilities and procedures. For high-risk areas, all personnel need to change into protective clothing dedicated to that area:

 

8.4 Staff facilities for high-risk and high-care zones

8.4.1 Where an operation includes a high-risk or high-care area, personnel shall enter via a specially designated changing facility at the entrance to the area. The changing facilities shall incorporate the following:

• clear instructions for the order of changing into and out of dedicated protective clothes to prevent the contamination of clean clothing

• protective clothing that is visually distinct from that worn in other areas and which shall not be worn outside the area

 

There are also requirements for footwear.

 

Providing disposable protective clothing may not be an issue if you still have appropriate barrier/hygiene control.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony