6. Contamination control
How to control metal sharps
Risk assessing and controlling metal items such as knives, blades and wires
This article is written to meet the following sections of the Standards:
BRCGS Food Safety Issue 8 | 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 |
Scope
There be a procedure for the management of sharp metal items used in product handling areas, including:
- Knives.
- Cutting blades.
- Needles.
- Wires.
Only company approved metal tools may be used in product handling areas.
All other sharp metal items and metal tools, which aren’t designed for use in product areas, must be stored away from the product and locked away to prevent unauthorised use.
Snap-off blade knives aren’t allowed.
Sharps procedure
There must be a procedure which details:
- 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’s an identified risk.
- Condition-based checks at a 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 condition-based checks must be completed.
The objective of the risk assessment is to define the likelihood of any damage contaminating the material.
The higher the risk, the more frequent the check must be.
Metal tools
Metal sharps must not be left unattended when not in use, but instead should be stored in a secure and designated place. Locked toolboxes or even a locked shadow board type box on the wall is a great idea.
Staff must be trained to only use metal sharps for the purpose that they were designed. For example, they mustn’t use a knife for levering off a lid, or trying to fix something if it’s intended use is to open sealed boxes.
Issuing metal sharps
It’s important that only formally issued items are in use, in product areas. This means that you need to issue each piece and mark it with an identification code before you do.
When an item is then taken out of use, you need to update your register and check sheets to reflect this.
And, make sure you don’t reuse identification codes – they need to be unique. For example, if you have a knife in goods in, which is code 0001. Don’t replace it with another knife with the same ID. Because if you do – how do you prove that the new one, is in fact new?
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