Lack of proper Loading Dock questions
We are in an old building (1967) and are constrained by our property to put in an adequate loading dock. Right now, we have a 20' roll up door, that is closed off with a specialty screen door when product is not being loaded or unloaded. I know the code states that the dock area should have a "bump stop" type dock, to where when a truck is being loaded or unloaded, it essentially seals off the opening. We cannot do that.
So, as of now, our program states that door is to be closed at all times, unless product is coming in or out. When trucks are being loaded, finished product, in boxes, and bags, are brought right outside the door, quickly, door is closed, and basically it is loaded in the parking lot. This reduces the amount of time the door is actually opened, as opposed to them bringing product out pallet by pallet and waiting on the truck to be loaded.
We have done a risk assessment, have the bug lights in place on sides of the doors.
What else am I missing to make this acceptable? Or will it be a minor NC no matter what I do?
What standard are you audited against? They should explain what they need
You will need to do a risk assessment to see if pests, birds, ground critters, etc. are able to access your dock.
"I know the code states that the dock area should have a "bump stop" type dock, to where when a truck is being "
I am not familiar wwith a specific SQF reference on this and since the word should is used above it is not a requirement. SQF does not prescribe a specific type of assembly at the dock.
with that said can the company not install a lifter gate inside the building so that trailers can be backed up to match up to the roll on gate - that would allow a truck to back up and be almost flush with the building. And their trailer floor would match the height of your lifter gate.
"I know the code states that the dock area should have a "bump stop" type dock, to where when a truck is being "
I am not familiar wwith a specific SQF reference on this and since the word should is used above it is not a requirement. SQF does not prescribe a specific type of assembly at the dock.
with that said can the company not install a lifter gate inside the building so that trailers can be backed up to match up to the roll on gate - that would allow a truck to back up and be almost flush with the building. And their trailer floor would match the height of your lifter gate.
I'm curious about this too.
SQF Ed9 is clear about a bunch of different options one can use to deter pest ingress (11.1.5.2), including:
External doors, including overhead dock doors in food handling areas used for product, pedestrian, or truck access, shall be designed and maintained to prevent pest ingress by at least one or a combination of the following methods:
i. A self-closing device;
ii. An effective air curtain;
iii. A pest-proof screen;
iv. A pest-proof annex;
v. Adequate sealing around trucks in docking areas.
BRCGS Issue 9 (4.4.8) simply says:
That's absurd. What about the door gap when employees enter and exit?
If you have no questionable pest activity then that's your risk assessment.
Back in my consulting days, had a customer who grew too quickly and ended up occupying two warehouse spaces next to each other. One warehouse space was where they kept their raw and finished goods (all spices) and the other warehouse was where they did all the milling and blending. They would bring the material between buildings using forklifts, just ramping down from one building to the other. Each rollup for the ramp was on a quick open/close mechanism, air curtains were in place, and they used strip curtains to boot. Additional fly lights were at each side of the door, along with tin cats obviously. SQF auditors the two years I was on-site for their audits never loved the setup, but the fact the lights were monitored by an independent PCO and showed no trending of insects at higher frequency near that door helped. The process for moving a pallet between the buildings was done by an "outdoor only" forklift to prevent concerns about a forklift carrying junk into storage areas from the parking lot.
Long story short, SQF auditors won't like this setup for loading/unloading trucks. But if you take good steps to mitigate risk and show some type of extra monitoring around that area (documented in SOP and records), then you can justify and defend it as a necessary issue with your building.
Like jfrey123 and Marshenko call out as long as you have taken steps to mitigate pest and filth problems, and your pest control and other monitoring programs don't indicate any unacceptable trends, you can get by with less than ideal loading doors. The code is not rigidly prescriptive on this subject.
We have a ground level garage door as the main loading dock in one of our older facilities that opens directly onto a street, and it passes inspections. With an air curtain, light and physical traps, and good monitoring it met all the technical requirements for SQF.