12 replies to this topic

[dugaucher]

Hi all,
Hope you are doing fine.
I really need your experience here.
Last week, my operations Manager promote me from HACCP Coordinator to Sanitation Supervisor. I will be responsible for 7 employees, shift from 9pm to 6am.
Please, tell me where I should start: understading their work ? training? building program?,etc...?
What exactely is a Sanitation supervisor work? I really want to know where I should start and what step to follow, as this is completely new for me.
PS: If this can help, we do ground beef and pack hamburger patties.

Thanks a lot
Dugaucher

Edited by Dugaucher, 28 October 2007 - 11:51 PM.

[Penard]

Allo Dugaucher!

Just a question : when you were an Haccp coordinator, were you responsible for some employees, were you alone? Do you replace someone or is it a new job in the factory?

Last, it seems you work in the meat industry, with butchers too?

Perhaps it will be very useful to know a little more about your new position to 'help' you,

Regards,

Emmanuel.

[Simon]

Hi all,
Hope you are doing fine.
I really need your experience here.
Last week, my operations Manager promote me from HACCP Coordinator to Sanitation Supervisor. I will be responsible for 7 employees, shift from 9pm to 6am.
Please, tell me where I should start: understading their work ? training? building program?,etc...?
What exactely is a Sanitation supervisor work? I really want to know where I should start and what step to follow, as this is completely new for me.
PS: If this can help, we do ground beef and pack hamburger patties.

Thanks a lot
Dugaucher

Hi Dugaucher, I'd like to help you, but I'm a little confused and need clarification.

Did your company have Sanitation Supervisor previously? If so, what did he or she do?

Please provide some more information.

Regards,
Simon

[dugaucher]

Allo Dugaucher!

Just a question : when you were an Haccp coordinator, were you responsible for some employees, were you alone? Do you replace someone or is it a new job in the factory?

Last, it seems you work in the meat industry, with butchers too?

Perhaps it will be very useful to know a little more about your new position to 'help' you,

Regards,

Emmanuel.

Thanks, Emmanuel
No I wasn't reponsible for anyone when I was HACCP Coordniator. I was playing a Coordinating role between operations and food safety program. Now, the curentSanitation supervisor is leaving and management wants me taking that role, as I am interested in project and operations management.
My question is, as a Sanitation manager, what should I look for in term of program? Right now, there is sanitation crew that comes at night and clean equiment. There is no program.
Thanks,

[dugaucher]

Hi Dugaucher, I'd like to help you, but I'm a little confused and need clarification.

Did your company have Sanitation Supervisor previously? If so, what did he or she do?

Please provide some more information.

Regards,
Simon

Hi Simon,
Yes, our company had a Sanitation supervisor. He was responsible for supervising sanitation crew. But he did not write anything, nor a master sanitation schedule. I just need help on setting the sanitation program going and hint on where to start.
Thanks Simon

[Charles.C]

Dear Dugaucher,

I presume yr company has no writen HACCP program also, is that correct?? Normally this would require a sanitation program to be automatically included.

Do you have a technical background ?

There are many sanitation programs presented on the IT and in text books plus the basic aspects are deducible from things like BRC standards although the exact relevance will depend on yr own process. There are also typical detailed process / HACCP programs / sanitation programs for yr product type on IT (eg Canadian cfia website) however a proper appreciation of the content will require some suitable background or "courses".

The basic requirements you mention (eg building / environment hygiene control) are often presented in the form of checklists but the relevance will still depend on yr actual situation.

Perhaps you could give a little more info regarding yr process flow as suggested earlier.

Rgds / Charles.C

[dugaucher]

Dear Dugaucher,

I presume yr company has no writen HACCP program also, is that correct?? Normally this would require a sanitation program to be automatically included.

Do you have a technical background ?

There are many sanitation programs presented on the IT and in text books plus the basic aspects are deducible from things like BRC standards although the exact relevance will depend on yr own process. There are also typical detailed process / HACCP programs / sanitation programs for yr product type on IT (eg Canadian cfia website) however a proper appreciation of the content will require some suitable background or "courses".

The basic requirements you mention (eg building / environment hygiene control) are often presented in the form of checklists but the relevance will still depend on yr actual situation.

Perhaps you could give a little more info regarding yr process flow as suggested earlier.

Rgds / Charles.C

Thanks a lot, Charles. Thats a good info.
Yes, I have a bacheor in Food science. I was previously working in the same company's lab as HACCP Coordinator.
We have a written HACCP Program that needs a lot of improvement.
Our product type is hamburger patties. here is the process:
1) We reveice raw meat as pieces, then store
2) Ground
3) Chill
4) Form into patties
5) Chill again
6) Pack palletize and store

Program is written but need a lot of improvement. I wanted to know, as a sanitation supervisor, what would you do first in that role.

Thanks again.

[Charles.C]

Dear Dugaucher,

Thks yr info. Nice to know there is some common language.
(Sounds like yr HACCP program is in the "developmental" stage )

Sorry for all these queries but they help to visualise (plus I am a very slow thinker) –

Presumably there is a Production Supervisor, if so does he/she also have responsibility for operational aspects related to sanitation ? If so, what is yr overlap ?

Same question but replace “Production Supervisor” by QA Manager.

I ask because have seen so many variations to the handling of "Sanitation".

I think perhaps you are asking as to how to prioritise the various functions included within “Sanitation Control” ?? For example, in seafood, there is a basic shortlist (approx = to HACCP pre-requisites) - Water safety, personal hygiene etc which the US explain in great detail and available on the IT but this will be overkill if you actually want the next options.

Or, are you saying that you know all this already but wish to know specific operational details, ie relevant criteria / specifications - if so wud help if you can specify yr interests, eg WHO standard for drinking water etc, etc?

Or, are you requesting source of SOPs (standard operating procedures) to monitor items in the above in which case wud help to specify again?

Sorry there are more questions than answers !

Rgds / Charles.C

[dugaucher]

Dear Dugaucher,

Thks yr info. Nice to know there is some common language.
(Sounds like yr HACCP program is in the "developmental" stage )

Sorry for all these queries but they help to visualise (plus I am a very slow thinker) –

Presumably there is a Production Supervisor, if so does he/she also have responsibility for operational aspects related to sanitation ? If so, what is yr overlap ?

Same question but replace “Production Supervisor” by QA Manager.

I ask because have seen so many variations to the handling of "Sanitation".

I think perhaps you are asking as to how to prioritise the various functions included within “Sanitation Control” ?? For example, in seafood, there is a basic shortlist (approx = to HACCP pre-requisites) - Water safety, personal hygiene etc which the US explain in great detail and available on the IT but this will be overkill if you actually want the next options.

Or, are you saying that you know all this already but wish to know specific operational details, ie relevant criteria / specifications - if so wud help if you can specify yr interests, eg WHO standard for drinking water etc, etc?

Or, are you requesting source of SOPs (standard operating procedures) to monitor items in the above in which case wud help to specify again?

Sorry there are more questions than answers !

Rgds / Charles.C

Hi Charles,

I just wanted to know what kind of challenges I would face as a Sanitation supervisor. I will work in operations as sanitation supervisor at night.

Thanks

[Charles.C]

Dear Dugaucher,

OK.

Well, I think one challenge will be to demonstrate to yr reporting person that you are fully “active” during the night. My experience with night-shifts is that they can encourage personal sleep habits in addition to less well-intentioned people putting together schemes for disappearing stock items.

Is it (a) full 24 hr production or (b) you are mainly running a clean-up crew following “day” production up to 9pm ? (Sorry, I missed yr time bit at first read), Or ? (some companies only do packing operations at night for example)

Right now, there is sanitation crew that comes at night and clean equiment. There is no program.

This is UNUSUAL and hopefully not the complete picture!. Who approves the chemicals and their application for example? The people ? I would think this is one example of immediate priority for you.


Rgds / Charles.C

[dugaucher]

Well, I think one challenge will be to demonstrate to yr reporting person that you are fully “active” during the night. My experience with night-shifts is that they can encourage personal sleep habits in addition to less well-intentioned people putting together schemes for disappearing stock items.

well, I have my priority now lol

Is it (a) full 24 hr production or (b) you are mainly running a clean-up crew following “day” production up to 9pm ? (Sorry, I missed yr time bit at first read), Or ? (some companies only do packing operations at night for example)

Yeah production is from 6h45 to 10h30. Sanitation starts right after produdction till 6h.

This is UNUSUAL and hopefully not the complete picture!. Who approves the chemicals and their application for example? The people ? I would think this is one example of immediate priority for you.

Right now, the Sanitation supervisor approves his own chemical and does his own dillution. But nothing is documentated

[Charles.C]

Dear Dugaucher,

I am curious as to who checks / looks after the sanitation aspects during the daytime. Is there a Production Manager (also without any documented procedures I guess) or ?

Regardless, some basic requirements are general (and shud be cyclical according to Mr Deming) –

(1) Understand the hygienic objective of the Sanitation Program (SP)
(2) Understand the typical operational requirements of the SP
(3) Draw up / document a “flow” chart of yr current operations (eg documented SOPs)
(4) Get data to (hopefully) validate (1) – (3) (eg numbers and checklists)
(5) Revise if necessary / document again.

If you want to know where to find general SOPs, pls revert (hv added some links below).

Obviously every process line has varying requirements for procedures / chemicals depending on the equipment, product type etc. Was that part of yr request regarding yr specific beef product ? Personally, not my area but may be some other people here have direct knowledge particularly if you have a specific query

There is a huge amount of information on hygiene of beef processing on IT as I’m sure you know already
Eg http://www.mda.state...als/default.htm

Hope this of some help.

Rgds / Charles.C

PS - your use of quote tags – first (opening) one has no “slash”, I edited already. (can also select text and use the baloon icon above but I think you know that already )

PS2 - here is example of typical requirements in a SOP (=SSOP)

http://meathaccp.wis...cklist_SSOP.pdf

added - (1) this US website is specific for meat products and contains a quite detailed model SOP (and HACCP plans if you are also interested) which includes the slaughter stage -

http://meathaccp.wis...odels/index.htm

added (2) - This FAO ref. is for seafood but many of the principles are identical, contains model examples of SOPs for the main sanitation factors (in author's opinion) of a seafood process plant -

http://www.fao.org/d...h.htm#TopOfPage

[Penard]

Allo Dugaucher,

Ok for your interesting explanations.

Here are my advices (that is just my opinion!) :

- some procedures are applied : even though you have no written ones, your employees know the way of working. Therefore you can go and discuss with them to write the actual procedures as soon as possible. It would be a good reason too to discuss with them, to know them and to know how to speak with them to be more efficient. Jarve seems to be at ease with management, it would be nice to him to tell more about his experience !
- then you can write and describe the procedures, ask the workers their opinion -it will be easier for you to implement your action plan if each member is implied.
- last, ask the Mapaq their opinion. I know some of them, they completely agree with helping sanitation in food industry even if they haven't always time.

- last last, I can give you some real examples if you are ok with the written french - I was in charge of quality in the meat industry for years.

Regards,

Emmanuel.