How to get staff on board with hairnet compliance?
Started by Mmmm_food, Oct 31 2012 06:52 AM
Hi
I work at a low risk beverage company where our current policy is that hairnets are only required in a few areas based on risk. This is difficult to manage and not being followed by staff so we are planning to move to a blanket approach where everyone must wear a hairnet in all production areas.
We are expecting a lot of resistance to this change; does anyone have ideas on how to promote it positively and get people on board?
Thanks for your help
I work at a low risk beverage company where our current policy is that hairnets are only required in a few areas based on risk. This is difficult to manage and not being followed by staff so we are planning to move to a blanket approach where everyone must wear a hairnet in all production areas.
We are expecting a lot of resistance to this change; does anyone have ideas on how to promote it positively and get people on board?
Thanks for your help
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I suppose you could be draconian and make it a condition of employment.
My suggestion would be to implement and conduct training on GMP's. Define the reasons why hair coverings are required and the consequences to the business if they are not.
Easier said than done, I suppose, but hair coverings are basically universal in the food and beverage industries.
Marshall
My suggestion would be to implement and conduct training on GMP's. Define the reasons why hair coverings are required and the consequences to the business if they are not.
Easier said than done, I suppose, but hair coverings are basically universal in the food and beverage industries.
Marshall
If there is resistance to hair nets, probably best not to mention anything about beard / moustache covers at this time...
Shave all of their heads.
No seriously we always had low, medium and high risk and operators were not required to wear hairnets in the low risk area. In the end we went blanket. It has to come from the top and be backed by education and discipline.
It was the same for safety shoes.
Regards,
Simon
No seriously we always had low, medium and high risk and operators were not required to wear hairnets in the low risk area. In the end we went blanket. It has to come from the top and be backed by education and discipline.
It was the same for safety shoes.
Regards,
Simon
Hello,
I remember those days. It took about a year, the CEO walking the floor with a hairnet correctly worn, sharing the customer complaints that involved hair being pulled out of mouths, walking around with a pocket full of hairnets to be handed out on the spot when needed, and amazingly... dealing with people's fashion issues about wearing hairnets. Some folks shaved their heads but then it started to grow in and it became how much stubble is too much stubble. We ended up making the shaved smooth folks wear a hairnet.
We made it one of the rules to be followed 2 months after the above stuff began.
positives? they come in different colors and really help on those days when the coif just isn't up to snuff!
good luck!
mz
I remember those days. It took about a year, the CEO walking the floor with a hairnet correctly worn, sharing the customer complaints that involved hair being pulled out of mouths, walking around with a pocket full of hairnets to be handed out on the spot when needed, and amazingly... dealing with people's fashion issues about wearing hairnets. Some folks shaved their heads but then it started to grow in and it became how much stubble is too much stubble. We ended up making the shaved smooth folks wear a hairnet.
We made it one of the rules to be followed 2 months after the above stuff began.
positives? they come in different colors and really help on those days when the coif just isn't up to snuff!
good luck!
mz
Hello,
I joined a company a few months back. They did not use hairnet at all or some of those they use to keep the same hairnet for one week. I implemented the same "hairnet everywhere". I was strict on that for a couple of months I was keep telling them training them and now everything is OK.
I had some people that did not like at all and tried to avoid the hairnet thus I spoke with the HR and we agreed to an informal warning just to make them be "afraid" of loosing their job. So every time that I was observing them without hair net they had to report to the HR (not the best way but it worked very fast).
Wish you good lack.
Athanasios Dolias
I joined a company a few months back. They did not use hairnet at all or some of those they use to keep the same hairnet for one week. I implemented the same "hairnet everywhere". I was strict on that for a couple of months I was keep telling them training them and now everything is OK.
I had some people that did not like at all and tried to avoid the hairnet thus I spoke with the HR and we agreed to an informal warning just to make them be "afraid" of loosing their job. So every time that I was observing them without hair net they had to report to the HR (not the best way but it worked very fast).
Wish you good lack.
Athanasios Dolias
In one of my previous jobs we had a changeover in Quality managers. The new manager decided after some time, while we were preparing for FFSC22000, to change some of the GMP's due to changing our food safety certification.
He proposed the changes to the GMP's, which were minor, and the reasons that the changes had to happen. Some of these things were beard nets covering the whole mouth up to the mustache, hairnets completely covering the ears, etc. We had used hairnets and beard nets for years but we had a great deal of push back.
The first thing you must have is manager commitment. If you want to institute an across the board policy on hairnets you need to make sure that all of management is going to follow the rule too. Have them start to wear hairnets in that area before you even tell the employees. Make it obvious to the employees by walking in to that area with a hairnet on without going into any other area (if you can).
Some push back will happen no matter what approach you take.
First explain to your employees why there needs to be a change. If you have a food safety program in place try to find some verbage out of it to back up your position.
Ask them to help you by coming on board with the team (Not sure if you have a HACCP team or Food Safety Team... but sometimes just saying Team works if you have a small company)
Afterwards go in and check up on it. Constant checking will be required. Carry a hairnet with you and hand it to them. I used to point at my chin if they needed a beard net on and they weren't wearing one. If they aren't wearing what they are required to wear when you walk around talk to them about it. Ask them if there is anything they don't understand or that you need to clarify.
No matter what don't waver in it. Don't let people just walk past you without it on others will see that and figure they won't need to either.
Personally I like being Draconian about it. Things I have said are "Those are the rules. If you don't like it the door is that way (points to the door)." However when we changed the rule to employees not being allowed to wear their outside hats in the plant anymore I was able to explain to a guy that I knew hunted why it was the new policy "How can we know you didn't go hunting with that hat on and get blood on it? That would be a food safety hazard. How do I know you didn't go mudding in a cow pasture in your 4 wheeler and get something on the hat?"
So you can get some flies with honey... some with a fly swatter. But between the two types you should get them all over time.
But it all comes back to manager commitment. That's why it's normally the first thing in a food safety standard. If you can't get the commitment of management to follow the food safety rules and punish those who break them then there is no point in even trying.
He proposed the changes to the GMP's, which were minor, and the reasons that the changes had to happen. Some of these things were beard nets covering the whole mouth up to the mustache, hairnets completely covering the ears, etc. We had used hairnets and beard nets for years but we had a great deal of push back.
The first thing you must have is manager commitment. If you want to institute an across the board policy on hairnets you need to make sure that all of management is going to follow the rule too. Have them start to wear hairnets in that area before you even tell the employees. Make it obvious to the employees by walking in to that area with a hairnet on without going into any other area (if you can).
Some push back will happen no matter what approach you take.
First explain to your employees why there needs to be a change. If you have a food safety program in place try to find some verbage out of it to back up your position.
Ask them to help you by coming on board with the team (Not sure if you have a HACCP team or Food Safety Team... but sometimes just saying Team works if you have a small company)
Afterwards go in and check up on it. Constant checking will be required. Carry a hairnet with you and hand it to them. I used to point at my chin if they needed a beard net on and they weren't wearing one. If they aren't wearing what they are required to wear when you walk around talk to them about it. Ask them if there is anything they don't understand or that you need to clarify.
No matter what don't waver in it. Don't let people just walk past you without it on others will see that and figure they won't need to either.
Personally I like being Draconian about it. Things I have said are "Those are the rules. If you don't like it the door is that way (points to the door)." However when we changed the rule to employees not being allowed to wear their outside hats in the plant anymore I was able to explain to a guy that I knew hunted why it was the new policy "How can we know you didn't go hunting with that hat on and get blood on it? That would be a food safety hazard. How do I know you didn't go mudding in a cow pasture in your 4 wheeler and get something on the hat?"
So you can get some flies with honey... some with a fly swatter. But between the two types you should get them all over time.
But it all comes back to manager commitment. That's why it's normally the first thing in a food safety standard. If you can't get the commitment of management to follow the food safety rules and punish those who break them then there is no point in even trying.
We had this issue a several of years back. Unfortunately, we needed to get dinged on a audit (NOT SQFor any GFSI level audit) in order for maintenance and warehouse to take this GMP seriously.
Once we actually lost points for something as simple as this, it was an easy sell. And made moving to SQF much easier.
S
Once we actually lost points for something as simple as this, it was an easy sell. And made moving to SQF much easier.
S
When I started in my current company about two years back there was only white tops (laundered by employee) and no white pants. First thing I changed is the uniform. I got external laundry to get the newly laundered two piece uniforms for all employees every day. There was resistance in the begining but i said that this is a customer requirement and we can not have operators on the floor with street uniforms where you are not sure when the clothes are washed or who has what kind of pets at home. I have also started two colours for hairnets in two different sections based on the risk levels so there is no cross contamination due to certain operators working in two area or operators from low risk area walking into high risk area.
MM
MM
Thanks for all the responses. I definately think having support from management is the key and will try the other suggestions too.
hi
me too had the same scenario few years back.
Best thing aware/educate the staff on importance of the GMP's rather than forcing.Also from top to bottom all have to practice the same (set an example)
me too had the same scenario few years back.
Best thing aware/educate the staff on importance of the GMP's rather than forcing.Also from top to bottom all have to practice the same (set an example)
For me it's a JFDI moment. Explain to people "look we tried the approach of having different rules for different areas and it didn't work. This keeps our customer happy."
Get the bosses on board and realise you will have to make an example of someone before it's all bedded in.
Get the bosses on board and realise you will have to make an example of someone before it's all bedded in.
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Which Training for warehouse staff?
New to this Board
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