6. Contamination control
How to control metal sharps
Risk assessing and controlling metal items such as knives, blades and wires
The standards
This article is written to meet the following sections of the Standards:
| BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 | 4.9.2.1 Sharps control |
| BRCGS Packaging Issue 6 | 4.9.2.1, 4.9.2.2, 4.9.2.3 Sharps control |
| BRCGS Agents & Brokers Issue 3 | Not applicable |
| BRCGS Storage & Distribution Issue 4 | 6.1.6 Knives and other tools |
| FSSC22000 Version 5.1 | No specific clauses |
| IFS Food Version 7 | No applicable clauses |
| SQF Edition 9 | 11.7.3.7,11.7.3.8 Metal control |
The requirements
Procedure
There must be a procedure for the management of sharp metal items used in product handling areas, this includes:
- Knives.
- Cutting blades.
- Needles.
- Wires.
The procedure must include:
- The identification of sharp metal items.
- That a risk assessment must be carried out of all sharps metal items to determine the required controls.
- The implementation of controls where there is an identified risk.
- Condition-based checks at frequency determined by the risk assessment.
- Corrective action procedures, including investigation of lost items.
- How sharp metal items must be stored to reduce the risk of damage.
- How sharp metal items will be issued, logged and returned.
- How loss must be reported and how replacements will be issued.
Risk assessment
A risk assessment must be carried out of all sharp metals to determine how often the condition-based checks on each item must be carried out.
The objective is to assess the:
- Likelihood of damage.
- Likelihood of the damage contaminating the product.
The higher the risk, the more frequent the check must be. Where there is a high-risk of both damage and contamination of the product, the item must be checked daily, as part of the start-up or shift checks.
Metal tools
Only business approved metal tools may be used in product handling areas.
Tools must:
- Not be left out when not in use.
- Be stored in a secure and designated place (e.g. a locked toolbox).
- Only be used for the purpose for which they were designed, following procedure.
All other sharp metal items and metal tools, which are not designed for use in product areas, must be stored away from the product and locked away to prevent unauthorised use.
Snap-off blades are not allowed.
BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9
There are no relevant changes.
Contamination control
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Hello,
I have a question regarding sharps control – it is necessary to assign people’s names to a knife each time it is used? Currently, each time the knife is removed from the lockbox to be used, it is signed out to a specific person to allow for better control.
This is certainly good practice, but it can result in excessive admin.
Hi Sam
Given that the knife is being issued out from the lock box, then yes – it needs to be issued to a particular person. How long it’s issued for – is up to your business to define. It can be signed out of the lock box for the full shift minus the breaks, so that it only needs to be recorded twice (depending on how many times they go for a break).
Kassy
Hi, thanks for this useful article.
One question – why is it necessary to have a unique ID number to prove that a knife is a new knife?
Hi Gwynfor
Because otherwise, how can you prove that it’s not the origainal knife?
Thanks,
Kassy