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The biggest problem you face - While applying ISO 22000!

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kspay

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Posted 27 March 2008 - 05:47 AM

We are currently applying ISO22000. Almost reach the final steps. Procedures and documentations can said are finished. Just waiting to be audited by CB.
Since started till now, the biggest problem to me is workers... :helpplease: Big Headache. They always stick to whatever they have use to it. Lazy to change, lazy to upgrade =.="
Even now, I still can easily spot they not washing hands, not wearing mask properly & etc. Really worry they might cos us to fail in getting thru. Sign....



GMO

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Posted 27 March 2008 - 08:27 AM

I've had this problem too. I've found the best way is to get your QAs together and ask them to focus on the issues you're having problems with, get the production managers together and ask them to brief their operators on what to do and the fact they will be disciplined if they don't do it (get them to sign that they've had the brief and understood it as well) then the next person caught not washing their hands gets disciplined and potentially loses their job. The fact is, handwashing in particular is such a basic but important thing that the managers should be taking it that seriously. I don't know if laws in Malaysia would allow you to do that but they certainly would in the UK.

In Health and Safety audits in the UK they will often ask about your commitment to H&S and one way of demonstrating that is you are prepared to discipline people who willfully disobey the rules. It's the same with food safety.


Edited by GMO, 27 March 2008 - 08:30 AM.


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Posted 27 March 2008 - 12:31 PM

Yes...the most important is to involve them. Right it's difficult, but you can use trainings, line controls, do not hesitate to explain them - sometimes it's a bit impressive to talk to a lot a people, go and speak with each other separately.

So, remember if you want to succeed in your quality system, involving workers is the best way to apply it, even though it may be quite (or very!) difficult - it will take a long time too to be efficient, but don't worry, go on!

Regards,

Emmanuel.



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Posted 27 March 2008 - 08:06 PM

Like others have said you must build the understanding of why 'the rules' are important and this takes a hell of a lot of communicating over and over again. You can only do so much though as with any change initative there will be 20% of the people at the front of the boat rowing forward, 60% in the middle hitching a ride and 20% at the back rowing in the other direction. It's managments job to harness the positive role models and influence the majority; this will probably mean making a few examples of the wilfully ignorant along the way.

Regards,
Simon


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kspay

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Posted 28 March 2008 - 01:03 AM

Thnx for recommendation.
Honestly, sometimes I really cannot understand these people. They know what to do, and how to do, but just purposely don do it .... They always did it very nice in front of management, but if you try to sneak them, then you can easily find they not doing. Fainted. Free water, free soap, free mask, they also don use :angry:



GMO

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Posted 28 March 2008 - 09:34 AM

Oooh the old "does it right when the manager is there" thing. Thought of CCTV? We have some obsevation windows in our factory - fascinating to stand and watch or if you have any multipond weighers - stand at the top of those with their manager and get them to watch from a distance!



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Posted 28 March 2008 - 05:00 PM

Oooh the old "does it right when the manager is there" thing. Thought of CCTV? We have some obsevation windows in our factory - fascinating to stand and watch or if you have any multipond weighers - stand at the top of those with their manager and get them to watch from a distance!



We have CCTV, a zero tolerance policy....and i have a huge stick in my office!

we carry out random hand swabs, and during induction we show all new starters plates (usually entros or coliform....nice pink colours, and a nice TBX plate) that we have taken of the toilet door handle, which is a good way to demonstrate what i'm talking about.

we also during the induction demonstrate how dirty their hands and faces are by swabbing someone with an ATP swab.

i don't get many problems, when i do, we have no problems with making an example of someone. they all know that food saftey is paramount and that they have to play their part.

cazx


GMO

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Posted 29 March 2008 - 10:56 AM

Tough lady! Good on you! The problem I have is wherever I go, people get nervous about me but do it wrong in front of their manager. I once picked apart a team leader in front of his manager and said "how the hell do you expect your team to do things correctly if you don't?" (he wasn't wearing a beard snood) his manager just laughed! Unfortunately changing attitudes of the managers who should be living and breathing the rules is tough.



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Posted 29 March 2008 - 01:22 PM

Hi kspay you are from Malaysia too? Which company?
My previous company did a very good job in controlling their workers to wear their uniforms etc but my current one is... They are more stubborn than usual, I dunno how the previous do to brain wash them. Usually vietnam, nepal, foreign workers don't care what you told them to do.



chen

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Posted 29 March 2008 - 01:28 PM

Thnx for recommendation.
Honestly, sometimes I really cannot understand these people. They know what to do, and how to do, but just purposely don do it .... They always did it very nice in front of management, but if you try to sneak them, then you can easily find they not doing. Fainted. Free water, free soap, free mask, they also don use :angry:


Hi to a fellow Malaysian. There are several issues here.

1. Management support - these are the things that management should come in to take the appropriate action and by virtue of their position, they are certainly more effective.

2. Responsibility - We owe our end users a duty of care. Better hurt one irresponsible worker than hurting many end users and our organization when hiccups occur.

3. Most people in the industry are specialist - biotechnologist, food technologist, chemist, etc, etc. By virtue of their training and education, they are poor change agents. You need a different set of skills to motivate, change and mold the behavior of people.

Just a small input from me.

Edited by chen, 29 March 2008 - 01:29 PM.


Charles.C

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Posted 31 March 2008 - 08:51 AM

Dear All,

Wow! Some of the above establishments sound more like military installations. Surely there is a human element / reasoning in this somewhere ?? Yes, I know it's food and one has to cover one's back but 1984 revisited??. :dunno: :smile:

Rgds / Charles.C

PS to GMO - "multipond weigher". Curious to know what that is ??

PS2 - I noticed that nobody (inc. myself) mentioned salaries in above posts. Just a thought.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


kspay

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Posted 01 April 2008 - 01:40 AM

Hi kspay you are from Malaysia too? Which company?
My previous company did a very good job in controlling their workers to wear their uniforms etc but my current one is... They are more stubborn than usual, I dunno how the previous do to brain wash them. Usually vietnam, nepal, foreign workers don't care what you told them to do.



I am from Malaysia, J.Bahru. I don think you know our company. Coz is still small company with only less than 20 workers :rolleyes:
We do not have foreign worker in our company. I thought vietnam and nepal should be better in following rules compare to local production level. I have seem so many nepal in other company. They are so hard work, even you can ask them to wash car, painting or gardening. For my worker, it is so hard to ask them do things other production. For e.g. I ask them to sweep loading area, they reply to me they here to do production not to do cleaning... %&@^$**#$^%%&@^$**#$^%*%"$***% but at the end they still have to do it, of course :whistle:

Edited by kspay, 01 April 2008 - 01:43 AM.


kspay

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Posted 01 April 2008 - 01:47 AM

2. Responsibility - We owe our end users a duty of care. Better hurt one irresponsible worker than hurting many end users and our organization when hiccups occur.



I strongly agree with this :thumbup:
My Production Manager just don think the same, as some of our workers has worked with us so long since we set up this company till now.


Simon

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Posted 01 April 2008 - 07:43 AM

In my opinion you can take what appears to be the easy (or only) option and install CCTV cameras to ensure ‘the rules’ are followed; this will help to foster a culture of fear, blame and punishment and I’m sure this regime will be relatively successful in ensuring ‘the rules’ are followed. However, to me that’s management abdicating from their duties (maybe we should put a camera on them?).

I’m not saying it’s easy to motivate low paid workers to do the right things and perhaps to do even more, however, it is a huge management challenge as well as an opportunity and one that cannot be shirked.

Going back to the original question this is a very interesting topic and a problem that exists in all businesses – How do we motivate employees, especially in low paid jobs? So let’s explore positive strategies for encouraging employee commitment.

Here are a few words to whet the appetite: Inspiration, Involvement, Communication, Development, Teamwork, Feedback, Recognition, Clarity, Investment, Training, Retention, Reward, Engagement, Consistency.

As a manager if you have plenty of these words in your mind and you build systems around these principles then you have a chance of getting people to do what you want – willingly, maybe even happily.

Just my 2 pence worth.

Regards,
Simon


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Charles Chew

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Posted 01 April 2008 - 09:09 AM

I guess its a learning process for all. Base on the experiences that I had on numerous ISO 22000 implementations, it is absolutely necessary to have the support (both financial and moral) of your Top Management in providing the appropriate resource planning.

To gain their respect, you really need to go down to the ground to work with them and get your hands "dirty". The old saying "if I can do it so can you" really works........plus a lot of mutual respect and be a good listener.

All the best and choose your FSMS Auditor / CB wisely.

Regards
Charles Chew


Cheers,
Charles Chew
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GMO

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Posted 01 April 2008 - 02:57 PM

Multipond weigher = an automatic weighing machine but tends to have a high platform you can stand on. By being at a different level, you can see things. That's the problem with just taking the coaching approach with people, they do behave differently when you're visible whereas you want them to follow the rules all the time!

I agree the culture of fear thing is bad but there needs to be a balance of leading by example, training, influencing the production team to do the same but also if rules are consistently not followed; punishing the person has to be the result. You'd do that if it was a safety issue.

We once had someone eating in a production area. We kept seeing evidence of it (nuts spilled on the floor), the production manager was very much on board, briefed her team several times, explained the risks (micro, allergen etc). Eventually we set up a camera and caught the person. It never happened again. I'm not saying CCTV is a permanent solution, if no-one looks at it, it's useless but as a short term hit when you've tried everything else, it's very effective.



Simon

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Posted 03 April 2008 - 12:08 PM

To gain their respect, you really need to go down to the ground to work with them and get your hands "dirty". The old saying "if I can do it so can you" really works........plus a lot of mutual respect and be a good listener.

Agreed. And when you get your hands dirty make sure you wash them effectively. :thumbup:

That's the problem with just taking the coaching approach with people, they do behave differently when you're visible whereas you want them to follow the rules all the time!

I disagree, I think it's because there's not been enough of 'the right' coaching. A huge amount of effort is needed to gain full committment. There are no short cuts, it's not easy, but the results are long lasting. Of course as part of the culture change programme there will also be lines that need to be drawn in the sand and when overstepped sometimes examples will need to be made, but this option will be minimised by management and supervisory staff applying good leadership and change management principles.

Just my opinion of course (even though I sound like a pompous ass - I can't help it). :smile:

Simon

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Posted 04 April 2008 - 05:07 AM

Dear kspay,

I just noticed the full title of this thread.

Well, if the previous discussed aspect is really yr biggest problem re ISO 22000, I can only say - you are so, so lucky. :clap:

BTW, how many OPRPs do you have in yr I22k plan, including one for the workers maybe ? :whistle:

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Charles Chew

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Posted 04 April 2008 - 10:15 AM

Under any dynamic FSMS environment, it is only natural that we encounter people of different characteristics. Solutions to implementation problems cannot be stereo typed / static but requires a flexible approach. If you have a passion with what you are doing, this is only a small obstacle. Changing people's mindset requires a great deal of patience and if you don't have it, you should really consider jumping ship and do some thing else.


Cheers,
Charles Chew
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Posted 04 April 2008 - 01:30 PM

To gain their respect, you really need to go down to the ground to work with them and get your hands "dirty". The old saying "if I can do it so can you" really works........plus a lot of mutual respect and be a good listener.


Charles Chew made a good point. This is one technique to achieve buying-in of your operations people. With regards to CCTV, there are some significant differences between the Asian society and Western Society. Over here, it's generally still acceptable as we are transitioning from the theory X model to that of theory Y.


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Posted 08 April 2008 - 12:58 PM

Douglas McGregor - theory X and theory Y

Theory X
In this theory, management assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can. Because of this, workers need to be closely supervised and comprehensive systems of controls developed. A hierarchical structure is needed with narrow span of control at each level. According to this theory, employees will show little ambition without an enticing incentive program and will avoid responsibility whenever they can.

The Theory X manager tends to believe that everything must end in blaming someone. He or she thinks all prospective employees are only out for themselves. Usually these managers feel the sole purpose of the employees interest in the job is money. They will blame the person first in most situations, without questioning whether it may be the system, policy, or lack of training that deserves the blame.

Furthermore, Theory X supervisors cannot trust any employee, and they reveal this to their support staff via their communications constantly. A Theory X manager can be said to be an impediment to employee morale and productivity.

Managers that subscribe to Theory X, tend to take a rather pessimistic view of their employees. A Theory X manager believes that his or her employees do not really want to work, that they would rather avoid responsibility and that it is the manager's job to structure the work and energize the employee. The result of this line of thought is that Theory X managers naturally adopt a more authoritarian style based on the threat of punishment.

One major flaw of this management style is it is much more likely to cause Diseconomies of Scale in large businesses. Theory Y allows a business to expand while making more profit because factory-floor workers have their own responsibilities.

Theory Y
In this theory management assumes employees may be ambitious, self-motivated, anxious to accept greater responsibility, and exercise self-control, self-direction, autonomy and empowerment. It is believed that employees enjoy their mental and physical work duties. It is also believed that if given the chance employees have the desire to be creative and forward thinking in the workplace. There is a chance for greater productivity by giving employees the freedom to perform at the best of their abilities without being bogged down by rules.

A Theory Y manager believes that, given the right conditions, most people will want to do well at work and that there is a pool of unused creativity in the workforce. They believe that the satisfaction of doing a good job is a strong motivation in and of itself. A Theory Y manager will try to remove the barriers that prevent workers from fully actualizing themselves .

Many people interpret Theory Y as a positive set of assumptions about workers. A close reading of The Human Side of Enterprise reveals that McGregor simply argues for managers to be open to a more positive view of workers and the possibilities that this creates.



Charles Chew made a good point. This is one technique to achieve buying-in of your operations people. With regards to CCTV, there are some significant differences between the Asian society and Western Society. Over here, it's generally still acceptable as we are transitioning from the theory X model to that of theory Y.


Funny that - I'm thinking of going in the opposite direction. :rolleyes:

Cheers,
Simon

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Posted 16 April 2008 - 11:20 AM

There's an interesting bit in a management book I have about theory X and Y management. It basically concludes that neither work - X because it engenders short term compliance; Y because your employees will take advantage.

The best option is a mixture of the two. If a person has been trained, coached etc to wash their hands and still repeatedly fail to do so for no good reason, then it is appropriate and right to take disciplinary action. If the person didn't understand why they should wash their hands or how to do it, then training and coaching might be appropriate but you should also review why they have even got to the factory floor if their understanding is so poor. From my point of view though you shouldn't forget that every time the hands of an employee are not being washed, it's potentially putting your customers health at risk. Your employees need to recognise the seriousness; also you need to take action according to how serious the food safety issue is should you ever have to defend yourself in court...

Sorry if I sound hard but anyone who has been adequately trained to wash their hands and doesn't in a food business has no place working there.



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Posted 17 April 2008 - 06:53 AM

Well said GMO. It is the same we do here and it works a lot. We do cut from their service charges after 3 warnings for any hygiene violations and it worked well.

Moreover during the hiring process (Chefs) we observe how hygienically they work and even there is a written test and oral test on Food safety and hygiene which they have to pass to get employed in the Kitchen.



Regards,



J


Best regards,

J

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Posted 17 April 2008 - 07:30 AM

There's an interesting bit in a management book I have about theory X and Y management. It basically concludes that neither work - X because it engenders short term compliance; Y because your employees will take advantage.

I do agree GMO (I'm not a total liberal new age wimp). I can't be I went to comprehensive in the late 70's.

For me the important thing about theory X and Y is your starting point. Your basic belief. Are you an X or Y, do you believe that people want to do good or not?

Simon

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Posted 17 April 2008 - 08:18 AM

I'm a Y who's experienced the being taken advantage of so I think I'm drifting! Y is my more natural style.

After writing the above, I realised that last time I saw someone not washing their hands in a factory, I said to them "don't forget to wash your hands", they admitted that because it was despatch, most people didn't bother so I got the manager to rebrief it to his team. That's totally 'Y', however, I also got him to get them to sign to say they had read and understood the brief so we could easily take action for future non compliance - there's my tough 'X' side coming through!





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