12 replies to this topic

[dekel poliva]

how to handle workers with non-removable jewelery?

for example eyebrow-ring or earrings?

 

[GMO]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Tell them they work in the food industry and they have a choice.  Everything is removable.

 

I'm not joking.

 

Some sites allow jewellery to be covered, especially for example, in something like beverage where most of the product area is in pipework.  It depends upon what certification schemes they work to if that's allowed.  There is always one or two places in plant though where there are exposed areas and unless you have different standards for there it just becomes really awkward to control and to be honest one rule (whatever standards say) is just easier.  Just like "everyone wears hair nets" is a rule that you enforce for bald people.

 

So I would just make it a flat rule.  Explain while it's awkward in that instance and unlikely to fall out that it creates a grey area for other jewellery and for that and health and safety reasons, all exposed jewellery is banned.  Thems the rules.  Take it or leave.  Literally.  No grey areas for "I've just got my ears pierced" either.  No jewellery.

 

Get parts of your body which are covered by workwear pierced to your heart's content.  I do not need to know about your Prince Albert piercing (do not google that at work).  I also strongly doubt any earring or eye brow ring is "non removable" in any case.  What do they do?  Weld it?  If (somehow) it is, change it for a removable one and replace it after your shift.  Done.

[Setanta]

how to handle workers with non-removable jewelery?

for example eyebrow-ring or earrings

 

 

 

 

There are many, many threads on this site about jewelry. Eyebrow and ear piercings are for the most part removeable.

 

If they are new, they need a healing period and we make people wear blue, metal detectable bandages (Plasters) on the offending pierce until it's healed. Most people are understanding, it is not only a food hazard, it is a safety hazard as those pieces can get caught in machinery.

 

Don't allow jewlery, is becomes a slippery slope and you don't win.

[SQFconsultant]

That's easy - they can't work near food.

 

During interview we simply ask, I see you have a ring thru your nose, would you be willing to remove that? If no, have a nice day - goodbye.

[GMO]

If they are new, they need a healing period and we make people wear blue, metal detectable bandages (Plasters) on the offending pierce until it's healed. 

 

I'm of the view of "why allow that?"  No jewellery is no jewellery.  The plasters do nothing to prevent it falling out or being a safety hazard (being caught in machinery).  You work in food.  This is a downside to it.  Get pierced somewhere else or, if you waited until being an adult to get a piercing, it probably wasn't that important to you.

 

Personally I've never allowed it.  One rule = no jewellery which includes piercings not covered by clothing.  Doesn't matter whether you've just had your item pierced whatever said item is, doesn't matter if it's "non removable".  None, zero, zilch.  Take it out or take yourself home.

[Setanta]

We don't exactly have people lining up to work in food manufacturing.

 

If an 18 year old, fresh out of high school, with their new freedom, an apartment, and a new nose ring, otherwise seems like a good candidate, I am not going to throw them away.

 

We are in a small town, rural setting, one other large food manufacturer in town. Unemployement here is 3.5%.Closest larger town is over an hour away.

 

The risk of an eyebrow or nose piercing getting caught in machinery here is low, our bandages are metal detectable, tested annually, and our x ray works well. 

 

More often than not, the hassle of applyinig the bandage gets too big and they let the hole grow closed and now I have an employee who sees me as trying to work with them.

Edited by Setanta, Today, 11:35 AM.

[TimG]

There are threads on this one every other week. Find the requirements in FSSC 22000 and follow your scheme. FDA allows them if 'covered.' SQF will allow if you have a risk assessment. No idea what FSSC allows.

I, unfortunately, am in the same boat as Setanta. I inherited a FSQ plan where it's allowed if covered. I had 3 people who walk around with bandages on their face. Last week the one who always 'forgot' or originally told me she didn't want to because 'she didn't want to look like a mummy' quit. So now there are 2.

[GMO]

We don't exactly have people lining up to work in food manufacturing.

 

If an 18 year old, fresh out of high school, with their new freedom, an apartment, and a new nose ring, otherwise seems like a good candidate, I am not going to throw them away.

 

We are in a small town, rural setting, one other large food manufacturer in town. Unemployement here is 3.5%.Closest larger town is over an hour away.

 

The risk of an eyebrow or nose piercing getting caught in machinery here is low, our bandages are metal detectable, tested annually, and our x ray works well. 

 

More often than not, the hassle of applyinig the bandage gets too big and they let the hole grow closed and now I have an employee who sees me as trying to work with them.

 

I've not had that.  Where it's been allowed, we've had the odd person with new piercings, then existing ones get covered, up, then they don't.

 

It just creates a grey area which I've found people exploit.  I'm absolutely with you for working with a team but there have to be some hard lines and this is one for me.  It's avoidable with minimal impact on the employee.  There's an obstinance in their refusal which is not giving me encouragement that other rules will be followed.

 

But different countries, locales etc have different cultural norms.

[GreyeagleA]

We don't allow it but we have a QA Tech who "forgets" to take out their nose piercing at least once a week.  I've told them that the rules don't just apply to the operators, they apply to everyone who goes on the production floor.  If I refuse an inspector access because they have a nose piercing in, I'm not allowing one of our staff to set a bad example too.

[TimG]

We don't allow it but we have a QA Tech who "forgets" to take out their nose piercing at least once a week.  I've told them that the rules don't just apply to the operators, they apply to everyone who goes on the production floor.  If I refuse an inspector access because they have a nose piercing in, I'm not allowing one of our staff to set a bad example too.

QA should be setting an example IMO. That's just how I run it. Although mistakes do happen.. I have always had a bad habit of keeping my pen in my top pocket. Then I got in the good habit of constantly checking my top pocket whenever I'm in the plant. Do I find it there sometimes as I am just getting into a GMP area? Yes, and then it gets immediately taken out.

There are people who hate and try to circumvent rules. I've always been drawn to the girls that hate and try to circumvent rules, although not a conscious decision. My girlfriend will sit and tell me stories about how she purposely breaks the 'b.s.rules' as she calls them (x-ray tech), and I just shake my head and tell her how many times over I would have fired her.

[MDaleDDF]

I'm a hard no go on jewelry, but I have that luxury.   If I were Setenta or TimG and couldn't fine workers, I'd do the same thing, write a RA and move on.  Can't make money without employees....

[acarver]

Same as Setenta; trying to find people who want to work in food industry is difficult in our area (or maybe its just finding people who want to work.) I allow implanted (non-removable) jewelry, but require it to be covered. Before making the decision, I did my research and completed a RA.  I only have 2 employees with this, they keep them covered, and they are outstanding people to have on staff. It is not a decision we took lightly nor a decision we have regretted as a management team.

[jfrey123]

Almost hate to say I've become less rigid and joined the "cover it up" crowd over the years.  If I ruled the world, no visible piercings would be the rule for my factories.  But in all the ways QA must work cooperatively with production, acknowledging it's difficult to attract workers in general for the food industry, there's too much potential for losing the good people or losing someone you've invested in with time and training.  I'm not currently in a role where I set GMP policy, but I also think moving a pierced person to a warehousing role where they don't handle open food is my ideal solution.  They would still need to cover it, but the extra step of moving them out of production would be enough in my world of compromise.