It was a seemingly simple question from my external auditor: “Are these foreign matter management controls part of an overall integrated approach?” Party-face on, my brain started racing. “Well actually, no. The controls are in place because some standard or another prescribed them.” It was a great question. “Because the standard said so” was not a great answer. Drats.
Having all the component parts of foreign matter control, but without overarching principles to guide business decisions is not ideal. What would be better is a holistic approach.
In people safety, the “hierarchy of control” is a simple philosophy which is used to ensure that risks are managed at the most effective level possible. It is easy to explain and communicate. It supports change management and decision making. How would that philosophy look if it was applied to foreign matter controls?
Listen in to hear the story of how a great question from an auditor started the journey of using a health and safety tool to develop an integrated foreign matter management PRP in the food industry.