19 replies to this topic

[clairedaniellec]

Morning,

 

I recently had to speak to a member of the team who was wearing a baseball cap until their hat net in our designated BRCGS production area (they were being trained in there).

 

"What about when it's winter and we are cold?" "What headwear can I wear to keep my head warm"?

 

Does anyone have any suggestion for this? Or is it not something that needs to be considered?

[G M]

Hairnets are available in large enough sizes to cover a simple stocking cap.  

 

Depending on how strict you want to be you could even limit it to company provided headwear and take the responsibility for laundering and maintaining condition of them, but since hairnets are transparent it is usually enough to set some practical limits on general clothing condition and observe them just like other personal garments condition.

[kfromNE]

Baseball caps don't keep your head warm, they are used to keep the sun out. We don't allow them because they are harder to clean. Stocking caps - we allow them under a hair net. Also allowed under a hair net- fleece headbands, sweatshirts with hoods (no strings though). 

 

We stock regular and large hair nets (for individuals with a lot of hair). The large ones do work well to cover stocking caps. 

[TimG]

We are not BRC, but SQF. During our risk assessment the issue of proper coverage with baseball/stocking caps was discussed. The FS team decided a hairnet over the hair, correctly worn (covering all hair), then a cap, then another hairnet covering the cap itself was the best way if an employee wants to wear a cap.

Just food for thought, I guess. 

[Shrimper]

We are not BRC, but SQF. During our risk assessment the issue of proper coverage with baseball/stocking caps was discussed. The FS team decided a hairnet over the hair, correctly worn (covering all hair), then a cap, then another hairnet covering the cap itself was the best way if an employee wants to wear a cap.

Just food for thought, I guess. 

This is also the requirement for Costco processing. This is how we do it.

[Setanta]

This is also the requirement for Costco processing. This is how we do it.

 

 

I haven't been challenged on that from a Costco standpoint. We were stocking caps or balaclavas in the freezer and cover them with a hairnet.  They are also hairnet style balaclavas, one piece beard and hair protection.

[GMO]

I've always allowed a mobcap / hair net to go over a hair covering as long as it covers the covering as much as it would without and doesn't compromise things like hair being covered.

 

I don't see the difference between a woolly hat and hair as long as it's covered and I don't see then need (nor how you'd police) a mobcap / hair net underneath.

 

In the UK is it's not just warm head gear but hijabs and turbans which also need to be covered and you're going to be getting into an ethical minefield if you insist either need to be removed to put on a hair net or mob cap first.  

 

With a woolly hat or stocking hat, then the hair net needs to cover it.  Same with a turban.

 

With a hijab, that's generally not possible.  I ask for no pins in the hijab and for it to cover the head area including where the ears would be uncovered.  I do allow the rest of the hijab to cover the neck as long as the bottom of it is covered by the coat.  The reasoning being any hair caught under the hijab is not likely to fall into the product and you don't wash your neck before walking into production so I don't see the difference.  The advantage of doing it that way is you don't then need to insist on a company issued and laundered hijab and have risk about it being put on, hair on the outside etc but also if there are any grips / bobby pins, they'll normally be covered by the net.

[MDaleDDF]

It looks like I'm the mean boss again.   No hats in my production room at all are allowed.   We have uniforms, how on earth would a baseball or stocking cap be acceptable if their t shirt and jeans from home are not?

Now it's not cold in my place, so I can see it if it's a refer room or something like that.   But here, nope, sorry.   No hats.

[kfromNE]

It looks like I'm the mean boss again.   No hats in my production room at all are allowed.   We have uniforms, how on earth would a baseball or stocking cap be acceptable if their t shirt and jeans from home are not?

Now it's not cold in my place, so I can see it if it's a refer room or something like that.   But here, nope, sorry.   No hats.

 

Our production rooms are an average of 45 F or 7 C. Coolers run 0 - 2 C or 32 - 36 F. Blast freezers -22 F or -30 C. We have to allow it. 

 

We treat hats like street clothing - covered by a hair net or smock. Our risk assessment covers both. 

[MDaleDDF]

Our production rooms are an average of 45 F or 7 C. Coolers run 0 - 2 C or 32 - 36 F. Blast freezers -22 F or -30 C. We have to allow it. 

 

We treat hats like street clothing - covered by a hair net or smock. Our risk assessment covers both. 

Yeah, that's pretty chilly!   If it were that cold in here I'd be a little nicer.   Maybe.   Lol.

[TimG]

 

 

I don't see the difference between a woolly hat and hair as long as it's covered and I don't see then need (nor how you'd police) a mobcap / hair net underneath.

 

 

 

I had no idea what a mobcap was, so I had to look it up.

No, a lot of our folks wear ball caps, and those can very easily be placed high on the head so that hair is exposed. I even allow sweat bands; I would rather have a properly covered sweat band than sweat dripping on my bottles. I don't do lift checks on baseball caps, or anything nuts like that. If I see hair, you aren't wearing your hair nets properly, same as I do for folks who don't wear caps and have hairnets improperly hanging off just the tip of their head.

[MDaleDDF]

https://www.ifsqn.co...oduction-floor/

[GMO]

Yep that's why I wouldn't allow baseball caps.  As others have said, there is no warmth from them so no reason to wear them.  

[GMO]

Oh and sorry, mob cap is a British term.  It's the close woven hairnets like this:

 

 

And when a Brit says "hair net" they mean something like this normally:

 

 

Some sites have rules to wear hair nets and mob caps on top because the net is good at keeping longer hair under the cap but obviously doesn't hold it all in completely.  It would be unusual just to wear a hair net like the above in food manufacturing unless it was a super low risk enclosed process.

[kconf]

Haha, the title of this thread is misleading or it's too literal. 

[MDaleDDF]

Oh and sorry, mob cap is a British term.  It's the close woven hairnets like this:

 

 

And when a Brit says "hair net" they mean something like this normally:

 

 

Some sites have rules to wear hair nets and mob caps on top because the net is good at keeping longer hair under the cap but obviously doesn't hold it all in completely.  It would be unusual just to wear a hair net like the above in food manufacturing unless it was a super low risk enclosed process.

When I googled mob cap this is literally the first pix that popped up.

 

I'm trying to picture on the faces of my staff members if I asked them all to wear THESE!   Lmfao....

[GMO]

           

[G M]

When I googled mob cap this is literally the first pix that popped up. ...

I'm trying to picture on the faces of my staff members if I asked them all to wear THESE!   Lmfao....

 

"Traditional" foods and production methods are trendy.  Maybe we should look into a label claim that all of our team members are dressed like its the 18th century ... 

[Tony-C]

Hairnet over the headgear what ever that is.

 

Back in the 'good old days' a mob cap was usually worn by laboratory staff, looked like this but was cloth and went in the laundry with the other white protective clothing:

 

 Disposable Mob Cap.png   520.05KB   0 downloads

 

Not sure why the new disposable versions are called mob caps as they don't have a peak. Maybe no one could come up with a better name.

 

Regards,

 

Tony

[GMO]

Mob caps didn't always have a peak before that lab version and it's very much a UK thing I'm told.  Also probably dying out with my generation because when I started in the food industry some sites (even ones who shouldn't) were using hair nets, or had only just transitioned and still allowing earrings.  Everyone else calls them hairnets whether they're mesh with holes in or fine non woven.