3 replies to this topic

[GMO]

AIB, to my mind, get a tough ride in the Technical community but I was fortunate enough to be audited by some of the "old guard" who are now close to retirement in the UK if not retired already.

 

They're not perfect at all but I learned a lot from them and I was reflecting just how much the other day.  

 

• Not everything has to go on the list.  If you have high confidence in the team and you feel like you're nitpicking, mention it and let the team get on with it.  Or if it's one of a lot of issues, maybe roll them all in together.  
• Get down and dirty on your hands and knees, torch in hand.  Use a torch even if you can see clearly as it picks out things in a different way and helps you direct the auditee to what you're looking at.
• Do everything you can to spend maximum time in the factory.  Standards matter but standards being applied matter more.  Use the standards you find in reality to work back to the written standard rather than the other way round.  That way gaps can be traced to where the issue is not working to assumed compliance.
• Poke around where someone has neglected to show you.  The boiler rooms.  The roof if safe to access.
• Focus on pest management.  It should be a given but too often it's not.  Look for potential risk then go back to the pest reports.  Don't start and end with the latter.  For example, a door which you have a gut feel is often opened, if there's an EFK nearby, take the number and see if there are a lot of moths and casual intruder flies.  Or a drain that looks dirty, look for high drain fly / fruit fly counts.

[nwilson]

Here stateside (albeit it's been 10 years since I have been through an AIB Audit for the Consolidated Standards) I did see a very vast difference in the audit as compared to GFSI.  AIB Auditors were mostly on the floor even with a measuring tape to gauge the distance of the tin cat traps throughout the facility.  Flash lighting in and under everything,  and then at the end of the inspection there was a program document review as well as some generated internal and external records.  The document aspect was almost comical as it was generally asked: "Do you have a recall plan?" I'd say yes and they would move on. 

 

I had one inspector that wanted me to stop all production to open a flour sifter just to gauge if the screen was intact and that is was free from any harborage.  I declined as well as the plant manager (I thought their head was going to explode when asked to stop all production), and was able to show tailings inspections and records to prove integrity of the sifters.  The same inspector also requested to go on the roof to look for any pest egress which we did except.  

 

It was certainly and different scope than GFSI but was an eye opener for sure on the depth of a more thorough plant inspection and how things are tied together.  I actually just had the past years at my current plant the same inspector now an SQF Auditor, so we did get some across the table conversations on the prior plant and working together.  

[GMO]

I do think AIB are much maligned due to the whole peanut corporation of America issue but as an adjunct to GFSI, I quite like it.  It wouldn't be my only standard for certain but I love that approach from your auditor that s/he actually wanted to see the screen.  It's the sort of question I'd ask not realising the implications...  

 

To be fair, I think I've always had a "don't give a stuff if that's the way you've always done it" attitude and I like that about AIB auditors.  I always got the impression they'd be scaling the building if I didn't tell them that's really not a safe thing to do... 

[kingstudruler1]

I do think AIB are much maligned due to the whole peanut corporation of America issue but as an adjunct to GFSI, I quite like it.  It wouldn't be my only standard for certain but I love that approach from your auditor that s/he actually wanted to see the screen.  It's the sort of question I'd ask not realising the implications...  

 

To be fair, I think I've always had a "don't give a stuff if that's the way you've always done it" attitude and I like that about AIB auditors.  I always got the impression they'd be scaling the building if I didn't tell them that's really not a safe thing to do... 

 

More than once my AIB auditor found a torn screen.   Then you understand why.   

 

We use to have OLD  belt man lifts ( a conveyor belt you rode to the top of the silos).   He woudnt get on those, but would climb the ladder for 150 ft. to the top.  

 

I had 5 facilities  that were audited 2 times per year for 5 years or so.   All done by the same auditor.   All kinds of crazy and funny stores.