9 replies to this topic

[Seafood Safety 2008]

Hi All,

 

We have a small wall mounted chemical dispenser to make diluted QUAT and detergent in production room. The QUAT originally comes from 1 gallon bottle and detergent from 5 gal bucket. They are located on a wall mounted shell right below the chemical dispenser. We got a minor non-conformance in SQF pre-assessment audit in food defense category because everyone has access to it

 

I am looking for a wall-mounted cage or a cabinet to enclose the bucket, the bottle and the dispenser with a lock to limit access to the chemicals.

 

Do you happen to know where to get the cage or cabinet for that purpose ? 

 

I also saw an enclosed chemical diluting dispenser/station with keypad and sanitation personnel needs enter PIN to get diluted chemicals but unfortunately I do not know where to get it. Does anyone know?

 

Thanks

 

O.C

 

   

[SQFconsultant]

I take it the Auditor wrote it up as un-controlled chemicals.

 

Anyway, before you go and get a cage or some type of enclosure - how is it that the system is located in Production to begin with?

 

Then - you can either go to your chemical supplier and ask from them to provide  you and install an enclosure or get same from ULine or Grainger. 

 

if you want to go with an entry key in Id go back to your chemical supplier and see if they have that or you could checkout - ECO-LAB or ChemStation, etc.

[G M]

... how is it that the system is located in Production to begin with?...

 

I'm going to hazard a guess that with a 1 gallon and 5 gallon concentrated container to start with, its a small operation with limited compartmentalization.

 

This does seem like it belongs in a locking cage or cabinet if a room can't be dedicated to it though.  It doesn't need to be anything fancy, a local fab shop might be available to put some panels together for you.  Beyond that ULINE, Grainger, and some kitchen supply companies deal in stainless cabinets.  A little google-fu shows me a few at Home Depot and other vendors of kitchen cabinets.

 

It doesn't have to be an impenetrable vault or anything, just enough of an obstruction that someone trying to circumvent it will be easily noticed by others. 

[Seafood Safety 2008]

"How is it that the system is located in Production to begin with?" 

 

It is a small system. We do not use much chemical on daily basis. Our main chemical storage room with lock is located outside production room. 

 

I have asked our chemical supplier but they do not carry  

 

A heavy duty plastic cabinet like this (but smaller size) would work 

 

https://www.homedepo...n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a 

 

Thank you both for your inputs 

[GMO]

On the "how the hell" question, these systems are really common for sites where there is little appetite or funding available for a ring main. I've seen them in US multinational sites.

[MDaleDDF]

Our dishes sink is in production, 3 compartment, with a similar system, but no big bucket, just a gallon each.   Never been locked up, no inspector has said anything in 20 years I've been here.   We also have a separate chemical room that's kept locked.

[kfromNE]

We have like 15 chemical stations in the production rooms in gallon jugs. Then barrels in our washrooms - not locked up. Never had an issue with SQF, USDA, FDA or FDA Seafood. 

 

I would argue this one. For food defense - your argument. It's a common area where lots of people walk by/under constant observation. Your accessibility is higher but the ability of an attacker to successfully contaminate a product is low. So low ease of successful contamination. 

 

I assume you have them in there like we do - the potential need for allergen washdowns. 

Edited by kfromNE, 08 October 2025 - 02:59 PM.

[GMO]

I think in really big sites it's also pretty common too, especially where there's not a lot of wet cleaning all over the place.  Imagine if your wet cleaning is limited in one area but you needed 100m of pipework to get the chemical there?  If it's diluted it won't be the right concentration when the trigger is pulled and imagine the cost?

 

Typically in the UK, the smaller portable drums are in locked cages but nothing too high tech.  Just enough so that the bottle can't be removed and used as a gross contaminant itself or that it can't be replaced unless you have the key.

 

Is it necessary? I guess risk assessment is the way to work that out.  In sites I've seen them in, some areas are quite quiet so could be a food defence risk.  Admittedly I could normally find far worse in the (inevitably unlocked) engineer's chemical store  and let's face it, most employee's packed lunches could be a food safety risk if it's the right thing...  

 

Still it's custom and practice that these are normally locked so if you don't, I'd write a risk assessment and assure myself it's really not needed.  I'd happily get rid of them honestly because once you do have a system for it, getting people to follow that system is an absolute ball ache.

[kconf]

Ours is located in dish sink area within production. It's a ZEP barrel. No auditors have ever said anything. 

 

In your case, who should not have access then?  Don't all the personnel working there use it routinely? 

[GMO]

Ours is located in dish sink area within production. It's a ZEP barrel. No auditors have ever said anything. 

 

In your case, who should not have access then?  Don't all the personnel working there use it routinely? 

 

Normally these systems allow anyone access to the dilute chemical, which might be diluted to, say, 5% but not to the concentrated chemical which, if it's caustic could cause serious consumer harm if added to product at a high level.