8 replies to this topic

[dzabhi]

Hello

Does anyone have any insight into the BRC requirements for which protective clothing engineers should be wearing in their workshop and when carrying out activities like welding?

 

The engineering workshop is within the factory environment so there is a requirement for them to wear protective clothing (laundered coats and hairnets) but there is a valid health & safety concern that such clothing, whilst complying with food safety standards, can be a fire hazard.

 

Can anyone share their controls for protective clothing (and PPE) requirements in an engineering workshop that is within the food production area?

 

Thanks

[kconf]

Can you establish that the workshop is not located immediately near food processing areas? If the risk is low, you can get away with not having to wear such clothing that can be a fire hazard. 

[GMO]

In most places I've worked in, we've had "over coats" of flame retardant and distinctive colour overalls for welding and grinding to both protect the employee and also protect the food safety of the area.  I think from memory it was a case of removing the normal coat then using the fire retardant one in a welding bay.  Then on leaving the area, they changed back to their normal coat and washed hands.  Protecting them and also preventing welding / grinding debris leaving the area.

[MDaleDDF]

Hello

Does anyone have any insight into the BRC requirements for which protective clothing engineers should be wearing in their workshop and when carrying out activities like welding?

 

The engineering workshop is within the factory environment so there is a requirement for them to wear protective clothing (laundered coats and hairnets) but there is a valid health & safety concern that such clothing, whilst complying with food safety standards, can be a fire hazard.

 

Can anyone share their controls for protective clothing (and PPE) requirements in an engineering workshop that is within the food production area?

 

Thanks

Lol, my maint guy literally caught his uniform on fire grinding something a few weeks ago...

[Tony-C]

Hi dzabhi,

 

From BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 9 Guidance 4.7.6 Engineering workshops

Procedures may include changes of footwear and protective clothing, or matting specifically designed to collect any small pieces of debris from footwear (e.g. swarf mats).

 

As per GMO’s post, from experience in the UK, workshops tend to have segregated areas for operations like grinding and welding and maintenance staff had separate heavy duty distinguishable fire-retardant clothing to be worn when carrying out these operations (for H&S purposes). Swarf mats tended to be accepted which was preferred to a change in footwear.

 

As the clothing worn for grinding/welding had potential to be contaminated, maintenance staff would have to change into separate standard maintenance protective clothing prior to entry into food handling areas and in some cases would have specific dedicated clothing if they covered maintenance in high risk/care areas.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[jfrey123]

Maintenance guys getting into welding projects carry a whole set of different protective clothing requirements that fall far outside of food safety.  The hoods and leather protective garments don't exactly lend themselves to being washed and sanitized on a regular basis.  I'd go so far to suggest a maintenance shop area within your production room (if I'm reading that correctly) should PROHIBIT such activities.

 

Heavy maintenance such as welding should be done well away from production, and even isolated from your storage.  Every plant I've worked in had a dedicated maintenance area where the mechanics could be dirty and work on equipment in earnest, saving the food safety smocks, boots, and other measures for when they had to enter production to make a small adjustment or minor fix.

[GMO]

Maintenance guys getting into welding projects carry a whole set of different protective clothing requirements that fall far outside of food safety.  The hoods and leather protective garments don't exactly lend themselves to being washed and sanitized on a regular basis.  I'd go so far to suggest a maintenance shop area within your production room (if I'm reading that correctly) should PROHIBIT such activities.

 

Heavy maintenance such as welding should be done well away from production, and even isolated from your storage.  Every plant I've worked in had a dedicated maintenance area where the mechanics could be dirty and work on equipment in earnest, saving the food safety smocks, boots, and other measures for when they had to enter production to make a small adjustment or minor fix.

 

I get the rationale but most plants do have a workshop attached to or as a sub room within the production facility, at least in the UK.  If the risk can be mitigated, and I think it can with PPE changes and handwashing with swarf mats as suggested above, then what is the concern or benefit to having it more separated?  This would normally only be off low risk areas remember?

[jfrey123]

I get the rationale but most plants do have a workshop attached to or as a sub room within the production facility, at least in the UK.  If the risk can be mitigated, and I think it can with PPE changes and handwashing with swarf mats as suggested above, then what is the concern or benefit to having it more separated?  This would normally only be off low risk areas remember?

 

Subroom is fine IMO.  Last one of my facilities I toured, the maintenance area was separated by the sanitation rooms with some doors wide enough for forklifts to traverse.  Made it a snap to take equipment from production through sanitation over to maintenance, showing it would be dropped in sanitation rooms prior to returning to production.  Maintenance could be accessed from the office via a warehouse walkway.  I'm all for maintenance occupying a corner of the interior of the building because a separate exterior dedicated shop isn't always feasible (plus it invites foot traffic questions, equipment flow if they take equipment to their shop, etc).

 

What I was envisioning from the OP's post was an area possibly chain fenced off in the production room (based on "in the factory environment").  Heck to the no.  Outside the production room is a must IMO, because I don't want the guy who just governed his overalls in oil to have to walk the production floor for a bathroom break.  

[GMO]

 

What I was envisioning from the OP's post was an area possibly chain fenced off in the production room (based on "in the factory environment").  Heck to the no.  Outside the production room is a must IMO, because I don't want the guy who just governed his overalls in oil to have to walk the production floor for a bathroom break.  

 

No, in all of my many years in the UK food industry, I've never seen that.  I doubt that was what was meant.  That said, most engineering teams have a room just off plant in most areas.  So for example, in high care or high risk they may not have one or if they do it's for assembly only, no lubrication, no cutting, no welding.  In low risk, they will have one and it will have change coats or over clothing for cutting and grinding.  I've never seen an engineer cover themselves in oil despite knowing some extremely incompetent ones.  But these engineers normally have distinctive clothing to operators.  So yes, it's theoretically possible if they did cover themselves in oil to need to go out via low risk production.  Although if it was really bad, I'd expect them to go straight out of the fire door and potentially to an emergency shower.  I don't see a massive risk in it.  If your engineers are that dirty then it might be some time for a bit of training...

 

Some sites also have an out of production area away from the main plant but this normally necessitates equipment going fully outside then back in.  Not ideal either.  Places which have this normally only use it for storage of parts and delivery and assembly of new equipment.  But I've had some micro nightmares due to situations like this.

Edited by GMO, Today, 06:21 AM.