Metal Wire Glasses Repair – Is This a Food Safety Risk?

Hello all,

An employee who wears glasses has made a repair to the glasses by putting a metal wire through the hole where the screw was and wrapping the wire around the glasses. I see this as a food safety risk because the worker fills bags of product and was standing directly over the open bulk container of product when I noticed. There is no metal detection at or after the filling step. We also have metal as a physical hazard in our Food Safety Plan and HACCP Plan.

What can be done about this--wrap the glasses with tape? The way I see it, we have to do something, because maybe the entire wire won't fall off, but pieces of the wire could fall off.

We are certified with NSF GMP and SQF for food safety in the United States and manufacture dietary supplements under 21 CFR Part 111 regulations.

Thank you,

Matthew

In the past, I've gone to the dollar store and purchased a cheap pair of sunglasses to "strip".

Only costs $1.25 and you get 2 replacement screws.

You can repair the glasses correctly and keep the other screw as a backup.

I'd be more concerned where the lost screw ended up. Did the glasses break while at work?

Well, we got wrote up for having tape out there last audit, so they don't like that either.   

I guess what's to stop a screw from falling out of the glasses?   What's to stop the lens from accidentally breaking and entering product?    Etc etc etc.     You can take these things as far as you want....

If you're truly worried the repair won't hold and metal is at risk of getting in the mix, you got urself a ko-nun-drum....

Those are things that others brought up. I asked the operator and the breakage did not occur at work; it occurred when the worker was at home. I hadn't thought of picking up a cheap pair of sunglasses for the screws.

In the past, I've gone to the dollar store and purchased a cheap pair of sunglasses to "strip".

Only costs $1.25 and you get 2 replacement screws.

You can repair the glasses correctly and keep the other screw as a backup.

 

I'd be more concerned where the lost screw ended up. Did the glasses break while at work?

Well, we got wrote up for having tape out there last audit, so they don't like that either.   

 

I guess what's to stop a screw from falling out of the glasses?   What's to stop the lens from accidentally breaking and entering product?    Etc etc etc.     You can take these things as far as you want....

If you're truly worried the repair won't hold and metal is at risk of getting in the mix, you got urself a ko-nun-drum....

 

Would you not consider temporary repairs to be in a category that is different in terms of risk than normal equipment with no damage? Although your response sounds flippant, I don't think you would ignore it, right?

 

Would this not fall under SQF's clause for temporary repairs?

 

Temporary repairs, where required, shall not pose a food safety risk and shall be included in routine inspections (refer to 2.5.4.3) and the cleaning program. There shall be a plan in place to address the completion of temporary repairs to ensure they do not become permanent solutions.

 

I wouldn't consider this temporary repairs, more a general GMP.  If folks wear glasses or a manager/supervisor uses a mobile phone on the floor they should be responsible for the condition of these items and inspecting them.  Just like having shoes in good repair if your not required to change them out.   

My take with things like this is to back up to the employee and let them know that these are the types of things that should be brought to the attention of their manager and QA so a determination can be made.  If that involves a correction such as Dollar Store sunglasses being kept on hand, ultimately everyone wins in this situation.  Its food safety culture for me.  

I wouldn't consider this temporary repairs, more a general GMP.  If folks wear glasses or a manager/supervisor uses a mobile phone on the floor they should be responsible for the condition of these items and inspecting them.  Just like having shoes in good repair if your not required to change them out.   

 

My take with things like this is to back up to the employee and let them know that these are the types of things that should be brought to the attention of their manager and QA so a determination can be made.  If that involves a correction such as Dollar Store sunglasses being kept on hand, ultimately everyone wins in this situation.  Its food safety culture for me.  

I agree.  I once (jokingly) suggested that someone who had lost a lens from their glasses and didn't notice could adopt some personal responsibility and if they didn't perhaps I could implement a check of trying to poke them in both eyes with their spectacles on and see if they said "ouch".