Contact with floor

A question that has come up during implementation of the standard is contact with the floor.

We use cardboard boxes with a bag for food grade packaging material. Would it be acceptable to stack these boxes (already folded with a bag) on the floor before using them? Since management sees no real difference between stacking them on a wooden pallet or on the floor.
Also, afterwards, the filled and taped boxes are placed on a wooden pallet, no carboard is placed between the box and the pallet.

Any thoughts on that?

I think it's bad practice. The wooden pallet is presumably not trodden on with low risk shoes, not wet and although may have a wood splinter risk, it should not be dirty.

You have to think about what will happen next to that product, it will go to a food factory into low risk and potentially be put onto a table to be deboxed before transfer to high risk. Ok - it's probably not going to be near open food but personally, I wouldn't allow boxes of any kind directly on the floor and as it needs to be transported on pallets, we just put it straight onto pallets at the end of the line.

Dear Tom,

As good practice, we always utilise "pallet layer pads" (cardboard sheets) to cover the pallet and eliviate splinter transfer to the packaging.

We also make up outer cartons in advance, and again these are also placed on layer pads.

Cheap and easy method!

Kind regards,

Steve

Dear Steve,

Cheap and easy method!

Certainly a very thoughtful best practice, possibly a result of previous bad experiences ?? Not so sure about the cheap, do you re-use the "pads" ?

Another, definitely non-cheap option, might be to use plastic pallets.

Rgds / Charles.C

No doubt its a good idea to use plastic pallets but its so expensive for small organizations to invest in. But then, whats wrong with good clean wooden pallets with or w/o pallet sheets if no evidence of exposed nails or signs of splinters.

For those who practices BRC-IOP, have you considered the chemical pigmentations from the pallets if it is not of food-grade? And what about the dirt and dust within.

Wonder how many percent of the BRC members use 100% plastic pallets since pallet management is such a big fuss.

Tom, I understand your predicaments especially when you think the floor is cleaner than the pallets.

Regards
Suzuki

Dear Suzuki,

whats wrong with good clean wooden pallets

Probably nothing but how common are they ? I hv seen wooden pallets as you mention; I hv also seen examples from an opposite extreme. It is possible that various price ranges are being commercially used.

Is pallet quality usually controlled ? My guess is not that much unless of specific customer / auditor complaints.

Rgds / Charles.C

A question that has come up during implementation of the standard is contact with the floor.

We use cardboard boxes with a bag for food grade packaging material. Would it be acceptable to stack these boxes (already folded with a bag) on the floor before using them? Since management sees no real difference between stacking them on a wooden pallet or on the floor.
Also, afterwards, the filled and taped boxes are placed on a wooden pallet, no carboard is placed between the box and the pallet.

Any thoughts on that?

A picture paints a thousand words Tom. It would be good if you could.

Simon

Dear Charles C,

We convert sheets of board into various items, and request that the board is delivered "with layer pads" and "shrouded" with other card prior to strapping, we utilise this shroud and layer pad as our layer pads, hence cheap!

Kind regards,

Steve

Of course, its would be perfect to use CLEAN plastic pallets but using sheets of boards as a form of layer pad can be dangerous depending on the mode of storage, type of food or even the location of the storage.

In a wet area or chiller room, I believe the potential danger of chemical migration (i.e. from printed boards) onto the stored products can be dangerous if the sheet boards get broken down. Again, in a dry area, this potential risk is certainly significantly reduced.

Cheers