Are SOP's & Job Description's the Same?

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone can answer my question if job descriptions are the same as SOP's for that job.  I am taking over HACCP and our previous Job Descriptions have SOP on them which confuses me.

Thanks for your help

Jenni

Hello,

 

I was wondering if anyone can answer my question if job descriptions are the same as SOP's for that job.  I am taking over HACCP and our previous Job Descriptions have SOP on them which confuses me.

 

Thanks for your help

 

Jenni

SOP (in food use) usually = standard operating procedure.

Perhaps someone in yr company has been innovative ? SOP also has other meanings -

http://www.urbandict...ne.php?term=sop

The generic answer IMO to yr query is "seems improbable" but may depend on the "description".

Rgds / Charles.C

In my experience, no. Job descriptions are about the specific job and the various duties.

SOPs (in how they are loosely used in GFSI systems) are about the attitude that management will take in dealing with situations. We are operating under SQF level II and for example the Validation Section reads:

"2.5.2.1 The methods, responsibility and criteria
for ensuring the effectiveness of pre-requisite
programs, and validating critical food safety limits
to ensure they achieve their intended purpose shall
be documented and implemented. The methods
applied shall ensure that:

i. Pre-requisite programs are confirmed to
ensure they achieve the required result.

ii. Critical limits are selected to achieve the
designated level of control of the identified
food safety hazard(s); and

iii. All critical limits and control measures
individually or in combination effectively
provide the level of control required.

iv. Changes to the processes or procedures are
assessed to ensure controls are still
effective.

v. Critical food safety limits are re-validated at
least annually.

THAT is too broad to be a job description, BUT most of that precise language has to be in the SOP

in my understanding the elements of each of them explan it self i mean by that in an sop you explan all about certain procedure to do that you need to answer what, who, when, how in that sop

but in a job discription you explan a certain job duties and its responsability only for that job position.

i hope i helped you in this

regards

Asim

SOPs on the job description isn't surprising - Your job descriptions might have an SOP label on them because it is a requirement of (many?) standards to have food safety responsibilities listed in job descriptions.  Since QA sometimes doesn't have access to HR files, or HR might not exist, or the job description that existed when you were hired wasn't written by someone thinking about food safety, QA has to make a better one to keep on file as part of the QMS.  I've written my own job descriptions before, it's super fun.  The person setting up document titles probably just didn't have a scheme for naming policies separately from procedure.  

Here's a good example

The SOP might be "QA-SOP-12.17.45A - SOP for button QC check"- 1. Push the red button with your left hand 2. Push the blue button with your right foot.  3. Push the green  button with your left foot. 4.Push the purple button with your head 5. Push the orange button with your hip.  6. Record results on form 12.17.45B

Joe's job description might be more along the lines of "HR-REF-8T27 - Product Development Technician Job Description" "Ensure all button trials are completed.  Responsible for documentation.  Reports to Product Development Manager"

To Jenni:

"Job descriotion" is not the same as SOP BUT "work istruction" can be the same as SOP.

Yong

SOP = description of the standard way of doing something (process focus).

Job Description = what responsibilities a person will have (people focus).

To Jenni:

 

"Job descriotion" is not the same as SOP BUT "work istruction" can be the same as SOP.

 

 

 

 

Yong

Since the SOP can be the Same as Work instruction there wouldn't be a problem if they are both in the same page?