Chemical control

What are all of your thoughts? I'm working in a temporary role at the moment and my view has always been all potentially harmful chemicals should be in a locked store, bunded preferably. All chemicals on lines dosing into machinery should be locked up to prevent malicious contamination by an employee. Where I've come now, they have never heard of doing this and don't think it's needed. Of course the BRC is vague and open to interpretation...

What are all of your thoughts? I'm working in a temporary role at the moment and my view has always been all potentially harmful chemicals should be in a locked store, bunded preferably. All chemicals on lines dosing into machinery should be locked up to prevent malicious contamination by an employee. Where I've come now, they have never heard of doing this and don't think it's needed. Of course the BRC is vague and open to interpretation...

I agree it makes perfect sense GMO.

By the way welcome to the forums GMO, I notice whilst I've been away for a few days you have made many informed posts and been helping out a lot. Much appreciated.



Regards,
Simon

Dear GMO,

Is this a food process or a packaging ?

If food, I agree with you that BRC seems strangely vague regarding chemicals (up to ver4 anyway). However auditors I hv met typically interpret this vagueness in a highly rigorous form (a carry-over from other standards perhaps) but rightly so IMO (even though I hate to say it !).

Locked, physical separation of stored "food compatible" ingredients like salt etc and "all others" including bulk detergents is typically recommended. Items like machine lubricants are normally separated again into locked storage in the workshop area.

Rgds / Charles.C

It's food processing.

Thanks for the welcome! It's nice to have somewhere to be geeky.

It's food processing.

Thanks for the welcome! It's nice to have somewhere to be geeky.

It's imperative!

Anyway any more ideas from members on what to do with chemicals?

It's imperative!

Anyway any more ideas from members on what to do with chemicals?

Forget about food safety...Hazardous chemicals should be stored appropriately from a Health & Safety point of view. and if not, it the full weight of the HSE you can expect!

True - but some of these hazardous chemicals, in small doses are needed for food safety, e.g. dosing hypochlorite into produce washers. Also sealed drums which need a specific tool to open them.

I'm not going to manage to get anything sorted prior to BRC but it might be that the H&S risk is more 'motivational' to get it fixed.

As an auditor I indeed want cleaning chemicals to be stored away in a seperate (locked) room and on "things to prevent spoilage by leakage" (I'm sorry, I do not know the English word). Also seperate the acid-containing and the base chemicals. I also like to see personal protection equipment (safety glasses, gloves) and the incident -instruction card in the storage room.

When I find deformations, these are CARs on 3.7.1 or 3.8.4.

I think that these requirements for appropriate storage are mandatory by regulations and local laws.
Some information about storage is given in the MSDS of the chemicals.

Maybe there is some one from Johnson Diversey on this site, to help us with more information about storage of chemicals.

3.7.1 Appropriate storage facilities are provided for the control and storage of chemicals.
3.8.4 Cleaning chemicals are fit for purpose, suitably labelled, secured in closed containers and used in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions.