16 replies to this topic

[WorkingFromWork]

Hello, we are moving towards BRCGS packaging certification but I've had a complaint which I need help addressing. We produce food contact plastic clamshells and trays.

 

Some of our staff work on our production machines and need to go under/inside of them to perform maintenance. We got them to wear hairnets but they complain that the hairnet rips and tears and gets caught on things in the machine.

 

They want to wear hats instead, but I am worried this is not effective. They do not handle the products, but as a rule everyone must wear hair restraints in the production area.

 

Is a hat a suitable hair restraint? One of the workers referenced restaurant workers that wear hats rather than hairnets, and I don't really know what an appropriate response is. 

 

Please advise.

Edited by WorkingFromWork, 03 April 2025 - 05:43 PM.

[GMO]

Ignore food service.  In food service the controls are not as tight as the food industry.  Sorry.  But when McDonalds came and audited my factories, they still insisted we had hair nets on.  I know, hypocrites.

 

But in any case, if the hair net is getting torn, an alternative could be to link up with your health and safety team members and point out this hazard to them.  A net getting torn is a cut or bump to the head tomorrow.  So perhaps they need a hair net and a bump cap?  Done, both problems solved....

[JJF]

Hats are not sanitary as they aren't laundered (generally).

[SQFconsultant]

Hats do not provide enough protection from hair, ear wax, etc like hair nets do.

 

When I see workers wearing caps in a restaurant I am not surprized when I find hair in my food - it's a nice show, normally with their logo's on them etc - great for give a ways, bad for use in a restaurant.

 

As a former professional chef with Hilton International we wore those high (height) white chef hats that provided a nice show by lacked protection from falling hair, etc and they were as hot to wear as the a number of kitchens that I worked in.

 

With that said I have seen people wear a net under a hat - but that has it's own set is issues - some ups and some downs.

 

I do however like a cap I saw recently that is company supplied, can't fray, has a cool band built-into it and they are kept in a refrigerator - the coolness lasts for something like 4 hours.

[kfromNE]

I agree with GMO. Hairnet then hard hat. Problem solved. 

[G M]

If hairnets are getting caught on equipment people are moving under then they ought to be wearing bump caps or hardhats for personnel safety reasons.

 

Just wear the bump cap over the hairnet.

[nwilson]

You've already said that:  "as a rule everyone must wear hair restraints in the production area." and the folks that are getting up close and personal with your equipment would have a potential exception?   I get that there is push back and your staff are challenging you to explore other options that they see work in other industries, however this boils down to your risk assessments and what you need to control in your processing areas.  It can become a slippery slope real quick with these types of things.  

[Setanta]

No hats for hair restraints. 

Did you wear that hat this weekend when you were:

 

Playing sports

Working on your car

Gutting a deer

Fishing

And when was it washed last?

[Scampi]

Hats are not a substitute for hair nets. Period

[kfromNE]

A way to justify the rules to your employee. 

 

Restaurant workers vs production employees: the amount packaging a production worker touches/comes in contact in a shift is a lot.

A restaurant worker and the amount of customers food/packaging they are in contact with - a lot less. 

 

That's one of the reasons restaurants are allowed less strict rules. Based upon risk and how many people would be affected. Fact not my opinion. 

 

You could also say it's the rules. In the USA - it's federal vs state rules. 

[TimG]

Or just tell them to wear it or they are no longer employed with your company.

...Sorry, it's been that kind of week. I had a skidder tell me they didn't want to cover their face studs because, and I quote "well I know it sounds silly, but I don't want to look like a mummy."

 

[GMO]

A way to justify the rules to your employee. 

 

Restaurant workers vs production employees: the amount packaging a production worker touches/comes in contact in a shift is a lot.

A restaurant worker and the amount of customers food/packaging they are in contact with - a lot less. 

 

That's one of the reasons restaurants are allowed less strict rules. Based upon risk and how many people would be affected. Fact not my opinion. 

 

You could also say it's the rules. In the USA - it's federal vs state rules. 

 

I suppose the other thing is if you get a hair in burger, you can go straight back to the counter and get redress.  For foods bought and consumed later, sometimes months later, you automatically have a barrier to alerting the staff.

 

I still kind of agree with the thought process though and would never feel right not wearing a hair covering.  In various staff canteens in food factories, we've always instigated the same rules under my watch, even if they weren't the same when I arrived at the plant.  

[WorkingFromWork]

Thank you all for the responses on this topic. There is a particular employee that seems to be uncomfortable with the hair net for whatever reason and they are one of the most senior people here. I don't really know what to do with them, but I understand that the hat isn't a good enough hair restraint on its own.

 

I think we were looking into a hat that is specifically for them to leave here and wash here, so maybe if they wore that over the hair net it would be ok for them. I'll have to explore this further.

[GMO]

Thank you all for the responses on this topic. There is a particular employee that seems to be uncomfortable with the hair net for whatever reason and they are one of the most senior people here. I don't really know what to do with them, but I understand that the hat isn't a good enough hair restraint on its own.

 

I think we were looking into a hat that is specifically for them to leave here and wash here, so maybe if they wore that over the hair net it would be ok for them. I'll have to explore this further.

 

Agree that a factory captive hat is fine if only ever worn over a hair net.

 

It's important that you do find out the objections of this employee.  Especially if they're senior you don't want them undermining the control behind your bank.

[Setanta]

I agree with GMO, what are this person's objections? I think you will want to investigate this thoroughly. Does he have a point? Maybe everyone needs a specific cap for that task...

 

Also important is the appearance of exceptions for a senior staff member that you may not give a less senior employee. Any deviation like that can be a slippery slope.

 

Good luck!

[jfrey123]

I'm with the above that a laundered cap left at the facility would be acceptable with a hairnet.  We provide laundered beanies for cold storage but require the hairnet to go over the beanie to deal with the chance the beanie pulls and holds hair inside of it.  Like others mentioned, be ready for other employees to want hats too.  "He gets one, why not me?"  Slippery slope indeed, might need to see if 

 

Extra thought:  I don't know that a ball cap counts as proper head protection though from an employee safety standpoint when you've already identified a hazard for head injuries.  I think that would be a can of worms from an OSHA perspective if you were in the US:  "You acknowledged the hazard by providing a hat, but the hat doesn't prevent injury."  When they're saying the hairnet rips and tears, that's suggesting sharp points that could harm the head if they bonk into them.  Not to mention then you have possible bloodborne hazards on your equipment. 

[GMO]

I don't know that a ball cap counts as proper head protection though from an employee safety standpoint when you've already identified a hazard for head injuries.  I think that would be a can of worms from an OSHA perspective if you were in the US:  "You acknowledged the hazard by providing a hat, but the hat doesn't prevent injury."  When they're saying the hairnet rips and tears, that's suggesting sharp points that could harm the head if they bonk into them.  Not to mention then you have possible bloodborne hazards on your equipment. 

 

I assumed that a "bump cap" style was being proposed.  Something like the below.

 

https://www.cromwell...m/p/MMM9571750B

 

They have some protection which is intended for incidental bumping of your head on things not stuff falling on you if that makes sense.  It's not quite as good as a hard hat but more comfortable to wear.  

 

If it's high risk or high care, I'd choose something wipeable though.  These tend to be fabric but they are washable (you take out the hard inner parts to do so).