What does BRCGS say on maintenance?

Hi all,

Sorry for too many questions. What does BRCGS say on maintenance? We are a small confectionary and do not have much going on maintenance wise. We have records of showing air filters replace, lots of cleaning and sanitization records, air compressors service document, lubricants.

But as far as equipment maintenance, forklift, tanks, conche etc. are concerned, we have basically nothing. Where do I begin? Or can I get away with it? 

Thank you! 

Can you get away with it?

NO

Hi kconf,

I have outlined the key requirements you need to meet to comply with the BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9 section 4.7 Maintenance (there is an expectation for you to have documents and/or records appropriate to these requirements):

4.7.1

There shall be a planned preventive maintenance schedule or condition monitoring system which includes all plant, processing equipment and mobile equipment.

The maintenance requirements shall be defined when commissioning new equipment and reviewed after repairing existing equipment.

4.7.2

In addition to any planned maintenance programme, where there is a risk of product contamination by foreign bodies arising from equipment damage, the equipment shall be inspected at predetermined intervals, the inspection results documented and appropriate action taken.

4.7.3

Requirements for control of temporary repairs

4.7.4

The site shall ensure that the safety or legality of products is not jeopardised during maintenance and subsequent cleaning operations.

Maintenance work shall be followed by a documented hygiene clearance procedure.

Equipment and machinery shall be inspected by an authorised member of staff to confirm the removal of contamination hazards, before being accepted back into operation.

4.7.5

Materials and parts used for equipment and plant maintenance shall be of an appropriate grade or quality…

4.7.6

Requirements for control of engineering workshop

There are additional requirements for high-risk/high-care. I mention this in case you are making chocolate confectionary. ‘Examples of processes that require an ambient high-care processing area include the manufacture of chocolate from raw cocoa beans’. In this case section 8.3 Equipment and maintenance in high-risk and high-care zones is also applicable.

Kind regards,

Tony

it is doubtful you can get away with it.  If it can wear out, needs replacment, need oil or grease, needs adjustment or alignment, can rub or grind on other parts, etc.   It needs to be on a PM scheudle.  Anything that if not maintained could pose a risk to food safety needs to be on a PM.   The obvious issues are foreign material and lubricants.  However there can be microbial issues as well - HVAC, air compressor, water systems, etc.  Or pest issues from doors that are not maintained.   

All equipment, including the forklifts and other non-direct food equipment, should be on the PM schedule.  Start by making sure they are, then have the techs start PM'ing this equipment and follow the schedule going forward.

All other maintenance activities should be recorded on some type of form.  At my first plant, we had a single ol' timer with an animal name doing all the maintenance work.  He always fixed things as people called him over, rarely wrote anything up.  He didn't understand the importance of documenting his activities, and we took a hit for it in our SQF audit.  From then on out, he embraced his work order forms:  wouldn't even talk to people or touch equipment if they hadn't filled out a WO.  I would help him out each month by putting the PM forms for whatever equipment was due into his wall mounted inbox, basically showing him he has all month to figure out when to service such equipment.  As we prepped for the next audit, I showed him the maintenance binder I kept that now had a couple hundred records of what he had done that year.  He just kinda sat with a shocked grin on his face, told me "Damn, I guess I've been pretty busy this year."  SQF went much smoother that year, even though he forgot to take down his girly calendars in his maintenance shop when the auditor came in to inspect.

Thank you all for taking the time to comment.

Hi Tony, thanks. I am fairly new to the site and couldn't find a way to delete one. Is there a way?