10 replies to this topic

[GMO]

While risk registers aren't mandated under UK law, I thought they'd been adopted pretty universally.  So I was pretty surprised to find that some companies and senior members of large companies have never heard of one, or, if they have one, don't have food safety as part of it.

 

I always have.  The risks of food safety and, to a lesser extent, food quality failings are large.  There are the immediate fall outs, the moral costs, and while financial costs aren't as high as I think they should be in the UK, they are there, and imprisonments of senior leaders (mostly theoretically) can happen.  Then there is the risk of major customers moving to other suppliers.

 

Yet the same sites who will have several risks identified for health and safety might have one or even none for food safety.

[kfromNE]

Please explain what a risk register for me. I feel this is British terminology . 

[MDaleDDF]

My entire hazard analysis is a big fat risk register....no?

[G M]

I can only generally decipher the meaning of the question from your commentary, and like others have not heard of a "risk register".

 

Perhaps the folks in our legal department would be able to answer it.

[GMO]

Ah... so it's a very British thing?

 

A risk register is where you summarise your significant business risks and any which need further mitigation.

 

Think about it as HACCP or FMEA but top level only and for ALL business risk.  It's not law but it's encouraged and it's something the UK government actually does itself and publishes.  

 

Here's the latest one:  National Risk Register - 2025 edition

 

Company and organisational risk registers tend to be simpler and driven towards continuous improvement.  It helps demonstrate to insurers that you're taking risk to the business seriously.

 

Interesting it's only a UK thing.

[kfromNE]

Now I understand. They do exist. Not just a UK thing but most likely the terminology is. I would say most businesses have them. The term I'm used to is business continuity plans. Emergency Preparedness plans is used for natural disasters. Depending on the subject - required by law. 

Edited by kfromNE, 07 April 2025 - 07:10 PM.

[jfrey123]

Now I understand. They do exist. Not just a UK thing but most likely the terminology is. I would say most businesses have them. The term I'm used to is business continuity plans. Emergency Preparedness plans is used for natural disasters. Depending on the subject - required by law. 

 

Same.  I've always called them Crisis Plans or Business Continuity Plans (often combined).  And being under SQF, each of the scenarios we game out in the plant based on likelihood, we are required to address any potential food safety concerns that could arise. 

 

Example:  Power failure for any reason (weather, terrorism, etc), we have plans to maintain operation of our coolers and freezers.  Should they fail, the plan calls for us to discard the food for safety.

[MDaleDDF]

Ahhhh.   Well sure, we got all dat....lol.   

[G M]

Now I understand. They do exist. Not just a UK thing but most likely the terminology is. I would say most businesses have them. The term I'm used to is business continuity plans. Emergency Preparedness plans is used for natural disasters. Depending on the subject - required by law. 

 

Crisis management has been a requirement in SQF for at least the last couple editions.  I can't find the 7's or earlier to double check.

[kfromNE]

Crisis management has been a requirement in SQF for at least the last couple editions.  I can't find the 7's or earlier to double check.

 

Very true. Even if you aren't GFSI certified, still required by other USA laws like OSHA, FDA & USDA. 

[GMO]

It's not quite a BCP; more the identification part of it, a BCP will often be an output of the risk register.  The risk register itself should form part of a CI process to reduce risk.  The BCP is a bit more "once it's happened, here's what to do" but I agree the concepts are linked but probably I'd say a BCP can sometimes be very food focused and miss risks to food safety from non food safety events, for example, a cyber attack could risk your food safety if you can't trace or can't use your normal food safety systems.  I have also found the process of compiling a risk register tends to be led from Finance who then get in a wider range of people which can make it more holistic.  So for example, in one site, we were made aware of a risk to structure and fabrication which needed fixing within c. 5 years.

 

Perhaps it's just semantics.  And perhaps the fact I've sometimes seen food safety missed off is because it's been approached by Finance.  I suppose as always it comes to culture.  A great BCP and Finance probably don't push for a risk register.  A great risk register drives a BCP.  Two birds, one stone.