22 replies to this topic

[kconf]

Hi all,

In a low risk facility - are employees required to change when using restrooms? 

[kfromNE]

Do employees wear smocks or anything like that while working on the production floor? 

[Setanta]

They should not wear their protective clothing in to the rest rooms

[kconf]

No smocks. OSHA won't permit loose clothing. Everyone wears a uniform. Visitors get a smock over their "street clothes". 

[MDaleDDF]

we are low risk, employees wear uniforms, and they wear them in the rest room, outside for breaks, etc.   Never had an auditor mention it once in 15 years.

[kconf]

So just like us? Uniforms everywhere, no smocks. Right? 

[SQFconsultant]

1

[jfrey123]

"Low risk" can lend a lot of leeway in these discussions.  If it's a distribution facility only, or we're talking about the warehouse employees who only handle sealed packages/cases, I understand only using uniforms and not prohibiting them from a restroom.  If they're handling exposed food, I think you're increasing risk unnecessarily by allowing employees to wear their production wear in a bathroom.

[Dorothy87]

 

 

interesting... 

 

They should leave coats on hooks prior visiting toilets, same for canteens. 

I can argue this for Warehouse as long as food products are fully closed. 

 

 

[Gilles]

There is nothing in the BRC that states that you must remove clothing.

 

Best thing to do is make a risk assessment.

[Dorothy87]

There is nothing in the BRC that states that you must remove clothing.

 

Best thing to do is make a risk assessment.

 

BRC issue 9 

 

7.4.1 The company shall document and communicate to all staff (including agency and temporary

personnel), contractors and visitors the rules regarding the wearing of protective clothing in specified work areas (e.g. production areas, storage areas). This shall also include policies relating to the wearing of protective clothing away from the production environment (e.g.removal before entering toilets, and use of canteen and smoking areas).

 

 

[Gilles]

 

BRC issue 9 

 

7.4.1 The company shall document and communicate to all staff (including agency and temporary

personnel), contractors and visitors the rules regarding the wearing of protective clothing in specified work areas (e.g. production areas, storage areas). This shall also include policies relating to the wearing of protective clothing away from the production environment (e.g.removal before entering toilets, and use of canteen and smoking areas).

 

 

 

Sorry, you are correct. I was to quick with my previous answer.

How we have it is that the working cloths are not protecive clothing as they arent in the technical sence, just a tshirt and trousers.

[jfrey123]

Sorry, you are correct. I was to quick with my previous answer.

How we have it is that the working cloths are not protecive clothing as they arent in the technical sence, just a tshirt and trousers.

 

 

Out of curiosity, why are employees required to change into your company's t-shirt and trousers instead of just wearing their own?

[Scampi]

No smocks. OSHA won't permit loose clothing. Everyone wears a uniform. Visitors get a smock over their "street clothes". 

 

FYI that is nonsense        what do you think meat packers wear????

[Scampi]

Out of curiosity, why are employees required to change into your company's t-shirt and trousers instead of just wearing their own?

 My employer has a similar policy-----it's so the production floor looks professional  (but i think it's nonsense)

[kconf]

FYI that is nonsense        what do you think meat packers wear????

So is BRCGS! But I have to follow everyone's rules, right? 

 

Out of curiosity, why are employees required to change into your company's t-shirt and trousers instead of just wearing their own?

So that they are not bringing foreign contaminants into production. 

[kconf]

Sometimes I think the whole "food safety" thing is nonsense. They make you change to go into restroom, while a pizza maker at a restaurant can sport his rolex, no hairnet, beardnets...lol 

[G M]

Sometimes I think the whole "food safety" thing is nonsense. They make you change to go into restroom, while a pizza maker at a restaurant can sport his rolex, no hairnet, beardnets...lol 

 

 

I'd have to find the study for the exact numbers, but foodservice and home cooks are several times more likely to contaminate the food they handle than commercial workers because they regularly do not follow best practices that are demanded of us.  When people get sick though, everyone still wants to point fingers at the commercial manufacturers even though we're the least likely segment of the food chain to have actually caused it.

 

I take that situation not as an excuse for us to do less, but an explanation for why foodservice and others should be held to higher standards.

[SQFconsultant]

Sometimes I think the whole "food safety" thing is nonsense. They make you change to go into restroom, while a pizza maker at a restaurant can sport his rolex, no hairnet, beardnets...lol 

I've been in the food, hotel and restaurant industry for over 40 years and after all this time I think we could easily get rid of all the certifications, go back to common sense, set up basic food safety management systems like I used to audit before I became one of the first SQF Auditors.

 

As a new owner of a food company we have no intention of pursuing any GFSI scheme and I always thought SQF was great, however SQF and all the others have become albatrosses around the necks of owners and employees - so many incredibly dumb things are built into the requirements - personally take me back to 1980 when I worked as a chef for Hilton International and a corporate chef came in and said - hey guys, we need to take a close look at doing a food safety system - yup that's where it all changed. yes, nonsense indeed.

[Setanta]

Sometimes I think the whole "food safety" thing is nonsense. They make you change to go into restroom, while a pizza maker at a restaurant can sport his rolex, no hairnet, beardnets...lol 

 

I think a lot of that comes from if you are at a restaurant and that chef makes something for you; you can address and hair, jewelry or other issues right then and there. When you buy something at the store, if may take months before you eat it. Even if you get a foodborne illness, you probably have some record of eating there. 

 

BUT I do agree, some of the additions to 'Food Safety' are questionable at best.

[jfrey123]

Sometimes I think the whole "food safety" thing is nonsense. They make you change to go into restroom, while a pizza maker at a restaurant can sport his rolex, no hairnet, beardnets...lol 

 

I used to have this thought too, how kitchen staff at restaurants have different and relaxed standards compared to my facilities.  Then someone pointed out that a commercial food manufacturer is creating thousands to hundreds of thousands of servings daily/weekly and can affect a population far greater than a restaurant kitchen. 

 

Finding a hair at a restaurant is easily traced back to a lack of a hairnet and affects that customer.  Finding hair in commercially produced products indicates a lack of control over adulteration and often leads to finding other contaminations that put public health at risk.

[Scampi]

So is BRCGS! But I have to follow everyone's rules, right? 

 

So that they are not bringing foreign contaminants into production. 

 

 

So what would OSHA have your employees wear instead? 

[kconf]

We have a company provided uniform that complies, just no loose clothing for production workers.