12 replies to this topic

[MelbinBabu]

Hi, can anyone suggest few realtime mock drills done in your unit for food safety mock drill? Narrate the scenario please

[MDaleDDF]

I've done:   Fire, flood, blizzard, hacker attack, workplace violence, tornado and can't even remember what else over the years for my crisis write up.  For actual emergency drills I do a fire drill every few years, tornado drill, etc.    The scenario can be whatever you want....

[GMO]

Worth checking if your company has recall insurance. Sometimes there's money in budget with those companies to pay for an external provider to do stuff like this then it's a real test as you don't know what's coming.

But similarly I've done all kinds of things and added in information as the scenario progresses to try and wrong foot people. But inevitably when I've run it, I've had to not take part. Not a bad idea but also not a realistic one when I was the TM or TD.

[jfrey123]

I can't fully narrate for you as each scenario is different based upon the actual facility, staff involved, type of event, etc.  As part of your Crisis Management plan, you should have some research into the SOP regarding what types of events are likely and the minimum steps that would be required to react to the scenario.  As an example:

- For scenarios where you lose your water source, make sure you've got a plan to bring in portable restrooms and potable water, and adjust to the risks associated with people having to go outside to use bathrooms or get water for your process.

 

- For scenarios where you'd have to bring service/contractors inside your plant to correct the problem, make sure you're addressing their training or other GMP risk and include stating that you would shut down active production if necessary.

 

 

When you actually do the mock emergency situation, I've found it valuable to do it with the whole crisis management team assembled together, lay out the crisis, then go to each person step by step to take notes on what they would be doing.  We did this for a blizzard leading to power failure scenario at one of my plants, gamed out what it could look like over 2 days, and wrote up all the steps various managers were doing to ensure product safety.

[LostInTheWoods]

- For scenarios where you lose your water source, make sure you've got a plan to bring in portable restrooms and potable water, and adjust to the risks associated with people having to go outside to use bathrooms or get water for your process.

 

Dependent on your situation of course. Water is an essential part of our process. So during a loss of potable water, we simply state that we would cease production.

[MDaleDDF]

Dependent on your situation of course. Water is an essential part of our process. So during a loss of potable water, we simply state that we would cease production.

Same.  One auditor didn't like that answer very much.....

[Scampi]

They don't like it because we are supposed to have a back up plan so you don't stop production  (after all these "food safety schemes" were created for /by retailers)

 

We are on municipal water and have actually added an external connection in the event we have to truck in water

Edited by Scampi, 19 March 2026 - 01:15 PM.

[LostInTheWoods]

Same.  One auditor didn't like that answer very much.....

Interesting. We've never had a problem with that. Our first year, there was a finding that we hadn't documented it, but as a CA, we just added a statement in our crisis/continuity plan that we wouldn't produce. It's been fine since then.

[MDaleDDF]

Same, we have it written up stating we'll halt until it's fixed.  They didn't hit us with an NC or anything, but as Scampi said, they wanted to see a backup plan, but the reality of our operation is:   we would shut down until the issue is rectified.   But we can kind of have that luxury with our operation.   I can understand not all others can.

Water is only used for sanitation here, not an ingredient or anything.  Still....

[LostInTheWoods]

Yeah, our product is ~90% water, which comes through a municipal source. It's not just for cleaning and handwashing, there are severe process implications if the safety of our water is called into question.

[jfrey123]

Agree with everyone on the water:  yes, auditors want to see "business continuity" maintained during a crisis, but you can easily and happily push back that a shut down is a valid practice.  The key there is to make sure it's written into the plan.  If you would shut down over water loss, then that's what the SOP must state and any mock scenarios you write up need to include when the management team would make that call.

 

My old spice plant shared a story with me from one of their SQF audits after I left.  Day two of their audit, apparently the sewer system failed somewhere and toilets for well over 100 businesses were overflowing back from the sewers.  The plant had doors open, plumbers scrambling all around, staff working on clean up, laying barriers to prevent backflow into production or storage areas, etc.  All in all, the auditor was impressed with how they handled the issue and it followed their crisis plan well enough, all except one key note:  The plant manager hadn't documented an official "we're shutdown, no production will be done until blah blah" type notice to all staff and owners.  So the open doors, plumbers not following GMP (hairnets and smocks), etc., were all treated as if the plant was actively running.  The plant had legitimately not planned to start running again until the cleanup was done and environmental samples were pulled from everywhere, but that detail wasn't documented well enough and they took a minor for it.

[GMO]

I suppose the question on things like water (much as if you don't have a plan B, you would stop) is that in reality if you have ANY storage on site, some bright spark in a crisis will be trying to get a tanker in. So if it's an option, you should really write it in and if it's an option, why wouldn't you?

But perhaps if it's not an option, recording the thought process behind it and where you can produce if you have an alternative site etc. it then helps the auditor believe that there's not going to be someone chancing their arm and trying to keep limping on limiting cleans until tanks run dry or something.

[AtomicDancer]

Delayed supply, loss of water, 3 day power outage, ice storm, etc. 

   Be sure to include how and when to contact customers, employees, and delivery drivers. And anyone else that might be affected by the delay/loss. 

 

If you live near an airport, a less common scenario is a plane crashing into, or near the building. It's essentially a damaged building or damaged nearby street that causes a shut down / delivery/shipping challenges with an unexpected twist. 

 

Or a Broken water main that floods the street and/or part of the building. 

 

You can also look at recent weather events in your area. What happened? was the facility affected? If yes, how was it handled? If no, change it to what could have happened. I.e. Wind Storm: there are trees nearby. Perhaps the road is blocked from a down tree and employees and delivery people can't get to the building. Or maybe the tree fell on the building and damaged it. Maybe the tree is in the parking lot.