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QAD_Rebisco

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 12:18 AM

Hi everyone,

 

does contact lenses part of Foreign matter contaminants?

 

If it is part?

Can i ask any idead on how should i control employees wearing contact lenses at work?

 

thank you!

 

Regards

QAD_Rebisco



Charles.C

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 01:09 AM

Hi everyone,

 

does contact lenses part of Foreign matter contaminants?

 

If it is part?

Can i ask any idead on how should i control employees wearing contact lenses at work?

 

thank you!

 

Regards

QAD_Rebisco

 

Dear QAD_Rebisco,

 

Simple test -

 

There are 2 categories of physical contaminants in food -

 

Inadvertent materials - undesirable but a natural / unavoidable component of the food material, eg shell in de-shelled nuts

Advertent materials - undesired and not a natural component of the food material, eg fingernail in hamburger

 

I think this answers yr question. :smile:

 

I suppose one control would be to unallow usage where a significant risk of food contamination.

 

Rgds / Charles.C

 

PS - I think the second category is also variously referred to as foreign material / foreign matter / extraneous material and other similar terms


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


cazyncymru

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 07:33 AM

I keep a register of all contact and glasses wearers and its in both the induction booklet and our FB procedure that they inform me if they break or lose on. We do "suggest" that they have no adornments (ie bling) on their glasses as per TFMS, but I don't insist (don't see how I can, unless we pay for the glasses!)

 

There's not much more you can do really.

 

Caz x



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Posted 04 July 2013 - 07:33 AM

I would also like to know how other members manage this?

 

I suppose firsly you need to know which employees have contact lenses and have those written down, as per where certain employees have medical conditions where they need to take regular medications.  Then I guess you must ask this during pre-employment medical and ask employees to inform if they need in the future to wear contact lenses.  And of course have a damage/loss reporting system.

 

Just a few ideas, anyone already have a clearly defined system in place?

 

Regards,

Simon


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Posted 04 July 2013 - 07:38 AM

I keep a register of all contact and glasses wearers and its in both the induction booklet and our FB procedure that they inform me if they break or lose on. We do "suggest" that they have no adornments (ie bling) on their glasses as per TFMS, but I don't insist (don't see how I can, unless we pay for the glasses!)

 

There's not much more you can do really.

 

Caz x

 

Wow that was quick, in fact you posted before I posted. :smile:

 

No 'bling' - yes good. No Elton John's then.

 

Thanks,

Caz


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QAD_Rebisco

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 09:39 AM

I would also like to know how other members manage this?

 

I suppose firsly you need to know which employees have contact lenses and have those written down, as per where certain employees have medical conditions where they need to take regular medications.  Then I guess you must ask this during pre-employment medical and ask employees to inform if they need in the future to wear contact lenses.  And of course have a damage/loss reporting system.

 

Just a few ideas, anyone already have a clearly defined system in place?

 

Regards,

Simon

 

Hi Simon,

 

 regarding your comment on my post, we have already a list of employees wearing contact lenses and eyeglasses registry but there was no clearly defined system on how we could control personnel wearing contact lenses especially food handlers who handle food product in high risk areas like packers and feeders at wrapping areas which could be a possible source of FOD contamination.

 

we are under going a HACCP study for HACCP certification. and gladly already passed the stage 1 of the HACCP Audit and one finding on the audit is the "LOOSE Item Policy" and before Stage2 audit, implementation and system is in place..

 

so i would like to ask for a help in regarding this policy..

 

one statement in my draft policy which i incorporate it in the "loose item policy" document, i stated,

 

"for employees wearing contact lenses that are prescribe by the medical physicians, to require them a medical certificate as a proof of evidence that they can work in our plant. and inform HR to assigned the personnel to areas that are not high risk and where contact lenses is allowed to worn in work place.

 

and for employees wearing eyeglasses, the company shall provide an issue tie to prevent eyeglass accidentally fall and may contaminate the product. " ----

 

in this statement is appropriate in the policy as our way to control personnel wearing contact lenses and eyeglasses?... what are other ways we could control this policy. ?

 

ideas are highly appreciated..

 

thank you!

 

regards

- QAD_Rebisco



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Posted 04 July 2013 - 06:42 PM

As someone who wears contact lenses, I can say that I would notice immediately (if not sooner) if I lost one. Also, they don't fall out very easily. I would say contact lenses are less of a hazard than glasses, as something can come off the glasses without being noticed. Just saying... :cool:

 

But we are a low risk facility, so there is very little possiblity of glasses or contact lenses contaminating the product, so this may not be so easy for everyone.



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QAD_Rebisco

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Posted 04 July 2013 - 10:27 PM

As someone who wears contact lenses, I can say that I would notice immediately (if not sooner) if I lost one. Also, they don't fall out very easily. I would say contact lenses are less of a hazard than glasses, as something can come off the glasses without being noticed. Just saying... :cool:

 

But we are a low risk facility, so there is very little possiblity of glasses or contact lenses contaminating the product, so this may not be so easy for everyone.

 

Hi!..

yes, it is less hazard contaminating the product.  my concern as well is the safety of the employees health.

but then, thank you for the information you share with us..

 

Regards / QAD_Rebisco



The Food Scientist

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Posted 03 June 2020 - 06:35 PM

Found this topic here.

 

I noticed today an employee wearing colored contacts... so not even medical ! :/

 

Thoughts?? 

 

:silly:


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


MsMars

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Posted 03 June 2020 - 09:23 PM

Found this topic here.

 

I noticed today an employee wearing colored contacts... so not even medical ! :/

 

Thoughts?? 

 

:silly:

 

I would still say low risk, unless your employee has issues with them falling out?

 

Personally I've worn the colored ones before (in my angsty teen years) and they were a bit larger than regular contacts so I remember losing one a time or two, but that was within about 2-3 years of wearing them so maybe not any more than normal contacts?  Depends on the wearer/carer too I suppose. I don't like to think about contacts anymore - laser surgery changed my life a few years back and I don't like to dwell on the past.  :yikes:



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Posted 04 June 2020 - 12:05 AM

Unless there is a very high risk to materials / products I wouldn't even sweat it.  Any contact wearer can tell you they notice immediately when they lose a contact, or the contact goes out of alignment.

 

I would only mention to all persons if they wear contact lenses and lose one while on the job shut down the area and assess risk, and act based on the risk.



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Posted 04 June 2020 - 06:08 AM

We don't list staff who wear contact lenses or glasses. Not one auditor (customer or CB) have thought twice about it.

Haven't thought of it myself either.  :shades:  Glasses I might consider adding to our glass policy/assessment, but why when we haven't had any trouble the past decades?

 

As a user of both, I know from experience that any broken parts or missing lense is easliy noticeable. 

 

We're a low risk facility, whose main purpose is to get rid of foreign objects, as our raw material comes from the forest. 

You'd be surprise to know as to what we have found through the years  :oneeye:



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Posted 04 June 2020 - 12:54 PM

Thank you everyone.

 

I guess we in our positions overthink and stress too much about everything? I asked around more than one person about lenses falling it they told me no it barely happens and if it did, you'll know the second it happened. 


Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


The Food Scientist

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Posted 04 June 2020 - 12:56 PM

We don't list staff who wear contact lenses or glasses. Not one auditor (customer or CB) have thought twice about it.

Haven't thought of it myself either.  :shades:  Glasses I might consider adding to our glass policy/assessment, but why when we haven't had any trouble the past decades?

 

As a user of both, I know from experience that any broken parts or missing lense is easliy noticeable. 

 

We're a low risk facility, whose main purpose is to get rid of foreign objects, as our raw material comes from the forest. 

You'd be surprise to know as to what we have found through the years  :oneeye:

 

 

Oh trust me I know what comes in with raw material....

 

Out of the many fascinating things I have found, this one stood out: I once found a huge tooth. An animal one. Like a carnivorous animal... oh dear God. 


Edited by The Food Scientist, 04 June 2020 - 12:56 PM.

Everything in food is science. The only subjective part is when you eat it. - Alton Brown.


FurFarmandFork

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Posted 04 June 2020 - 07:12 PM

Thank you everyone.

 

I guess we in our positions overthink and stress too much about everything? I asked around more than one person about lenses falling it they told me no it barely happens and if it did, you'll know the second it happened. 

 

 

...if your time is better spent auditing the safety of contact lenses, god bless your plant because you must have absolutely nothing left to work on. :)


Austin Bouck
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Consulting for companies needing effective, lean food safety systems and solutions.

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