SQF 11.2.13 Cleaning & Sanitation

Hello Folks,

I need some guidance on developing SSOP for  SQF Module 11, Sec 11.2.13. We are a dry cleaning facility (wheat flour). There is SSOP written and followed for daily line cleaning but there is no  written Master Cleaning Schedule for other areas. I am creating SSOPs for other areas but scope seems very wide. For example, cleaning forklifts, fans, lights, walls, restrooms, break rooms, cabinets, trash cans, cars  and other umpteen items.

What is the expectation of the standard here? I understand basic requirements of how, when, what, responsibility, verification and corrective actions but I am confused, whether I need to write every single details of how to clean restrooms or forklifts etc. or simply tools/resources required to clean those areas should be sufficient in the cleaning record itself?  

At this point in time, I don't know what else forum members need from me to answer this question. I may be able to put more light on the situation once we start the discussion.

Thank you,

Hey there! I'm in the same field.  Are you a mill or are you using wheat flour for another product?

The cleaning schedule is easy to take care of.  In every "area" (area as defined pretty much by you) walk around and write down everything that needs to be cleaned (and that's pretty much everything) and assign a time frame that it needs to be cleaned in: Daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually.

Now make "area" sheets and put the daily and weekly items on that.  That sheet would be collected weekly.  Another sheet for that area could have all of the monthly + items on it.  Post the sheets in the area so that the employees can initial that they cleaned it right away and not have to walk to some communal cleaning sheet area.

For the mill I'm in we have, for example, sheets like this:

weekly sheets

1st floor

Mill bathroom / locker room

Bagging line

Warehouse

2nd floor

breakroom (it's on the 2nd floor)

3rd floor

4th floor

basement

2 mill monthly sheets are the adjacent rooms on the first floor (one is a drivers room, the other is a storage room).

Then we also have an outside form, one for the maintenance shop, one for wheat receiving, etc.

On the mill sheets the floor is a daily on each floor and the 1st floor has another daily for the miller's table where they work on roll stands and they perform a few tests.  Weeklies include, but are not limited to, equipment exteriors, sinks, fire extinguishers, overheads, etc.

Thank you, Mr. Incognito.

This was really helpful. I'll go ahead and create the system based on this strategy. We pack grains and wheat flour (in a separate facility). 

Cool.  You're welcome.  You should also have work instructions that back up the cleaning forms saying what to clean with and a basic description of each of the line items from the cleaning signoff sheets. Use your standard work instruction template.

Don't let it overwhelm you!  What we've found is that our Master Cleaning Schedule seems to be continually evolving. Just when I'm sure we've got everything covered, we  notice that something looks dirty or neglected during food safety committee walk-throughs., and we have to add to it.

We currently use an Access database for all tasks that are less frequent than weekly, then run a macro and make reports to show what is due (or overdue).  Our QC techs will inspect the stuff on the list first, to make sure the machine/area is in need of cleaning (this helps our rapport with the other departments tremendously), and then give the the list to the various departments.  We also use the documents to track our verification of cleaning activities.

Good luck!

Your top-level procedure can refer to other lower level documents:  cleaning procedures, cleaning schedules, etc. for particular areas or equipment.  One thing that I am trying to get people to understand is the difference between cleaning and sanitation:  cleaning means making it look nice, sanitation means killing the germs.