7 replies to this topic

[astro]

Hi

Please help out a fellow techie. I have never had to do this before but I am after some good excuses for some black out days for unannounced Brc audit.

Thanks

[GMO]

Excuses?  

 

Love it...

 

Here are some reasons....

• Pre planned audits. 
• Customer visits.  
• Product launches.
• Planned shutdowns or non production periods (if you have engineering works planned, I'd frame it as a shutdown rather than engineering works if you can).

 

I'd personally steer clear of sharing "key personnel absence" as the site should be able to cope with deputies.

[MDaleDDF]

You have to give them a reason?   I only did it once with 22k, and I don't remember them asking....

[KellyQA]

I don't know about BRC, but I know for SQF, due to the Boar's Head recall, if you state that for blackout dates that whatever days are not production days, they will send a representative to make sure that you are not actually running production, and if you are they will strip your certificate. That was told to me by an SQF consultant.  

[GMO]

I don't know about BRC, but I know for SQF, due to the Boar's Head recall, if you state that for blackout dates that whatever days are not production days, they will send a representative to make sure that you are not actually running production, and if you are they will strip your certificate. That was told to me by an SQF consultant.  

 

Wow... Ok fair point!  Let me rescind my earlier suggestion...

I don't know all the specifics of the Boars Head case but did they try and claim long shut downs when they were producing?

[AtomicDancer]

Be truthful in your answers. For SQF, the blackout form states unacceptable blackout date requests are for other audits, vacation and a few others. 

We have a few single days that we submit each year and they've been approved each time. 

Be honest, and don't overdo it. 

[G M]

I don't know about BRC, but I know for SQF, due to the Boar's Head recall, if you state that for blackout dates that whatever days are not production days, they will send a representative to make sure that you are not actually running production, and if you are they will strip your certificate. That was told to me by an SQF consultant.  

 

Sounds like a "boogey-man is going to get you" kind of story. They barely have enough auditors around to cover the audits, I find it highly dubious that they would spend money sending people out to double check your black out dates.

 

The most I would imagine is them asking for records during the audit that would show if you were running or not on those supposed black out dates, but even that is doubtful, those auditors have enough to do -- they don't want to waster their own time trying to catch nonsense, unless the auditor dislikes you personally or something.

[GMO]

Sounds like a "boogey-man is going to get you" kind of story. They barely have enough auditors around to cover the audits, I find it highly dubious that they would spend money sending people out to double check your black out dates.

 

The most I would imagine is them asking for records during the audit that would show if you were running or not on those supposed black out dates, but even that is doubtful, those auditors have enough to do -- they don't want to waster their own time trying to catch nonsense, unless the auditor dislikes you personally or something.

 

I agree with point one but while I'm not GFSI, I would totally do point two and could see others doing it especially if it was late notice and especially if they started to sniff out that things weren't quite right.  Because that kind of thing sends my spidey senses running.  Most auditors nowadays ask for c. 3 months previous paperwork anyway so all it would take is to have the dates in your head.  And if you're a contractor who just lost out on some work on those days?  They'd be in your head...