The producers of packaging require an effective management system in place for issues related to safety, quality, hygiene, hazards, risks, and controls. The BRC Packaging Issue 7 Documentation Kit is a structured pack of editable documents that will help companies establish their packaging safety management system as well as get BRC certified.
The BRC Global Standard for Packaging and Packaging Materials offers a structure for companies which provide packaging materials to manufacturing industries and retailers. The main requirements of the standard include hazard and risk management, technical management, contamination control, and science of product safety.
What Is the BRC Packaging Issue 7 Documentation Kit?
The BRC Packaging Issue 7 Documentation Package comprises pre-written and editable documents based on the requirements of the BRC Packaging Standard Issue 7. These documents are available in MS Word Editable Format, enabling you to edit the documents according to your process, product, departmental, and operational needs.
Rather than writing the entire document from scratch, your organization can start with the samples and templates of the documents to develop your own BRC Packaging Documentation System.
BRC Packaging Manual
The BRC Packaging Manual is a general template for the packaging management and safety systems in the organization. The BRC Packaging Manual is able to outline the procedures of the organization, the responsibilities, policies, controls, and methods for fulfilling the requirements of BRC.
The document kit contains 15 editable manuals which offer organizations a base from which they can build the required BRC packaging documentation.
Product Safety Policies
Product safety policy statements provide evidence that management is concerned about the provision of safe and controlled packaging manufacturing operations. This toolkit contains 7 product safety policies that could be customized depending on organizational activities and needs.
Such policies may prove useful in setting directions for staff members and involving management in the system development process.
Mandatory BRC Packaging Procedures
The procedures state how these vital functions are planned, executed, monitored, and controlled. The documentation kit includes twenty compulsory BRC IoP procedures on vital aspects of the packaging management system.
The page also includes procedures and documentation relating to aspects such as preliminary assessment, prerequisite programs, hazard assessment, HACCP plan development, control of non-conformities, corrective actions, and action plans.
Procedures play a key role in helping employees know what is expected of them.
SOPs and Work Instructions
SOPs and work instructions offer guidance to employees undertaking certain tasks. The package contains 43 SOPs, which include sanitation and other operational controls.
This is because SOPs and work instructions can be customized depending on the production process undertaken by an organization.
HACCP and Hazard Management Documents
Identification of hazards and risk assessment is an important aspect of packaging safety. It is important that the organizations identify possible hazards and implement proper control methods in order to handle the situation.
The set comprises of 15 HACCP documents together with other relevant documents related to hazard identification, initial review, prerequisite programs, and HACCP planning. This set of documents may serve as a basis for establishing site-specific product safety approach.
Product Safety Assessment and Culture
The package of documentation also contains 9 files on product safety assessment and 5 files on product safety culture. Such documentation can assist companies in taking into account product safety aspects at all stages of activities and setting up responsibilities and practices for developing a safety culture.
Blank Formats, Exhibits and Process Apprsoaches
Recording documents plays an important role in showing that the procedures are followed. The documentation kit consists of 75 blank formats, which organizations can customize and use as per their requirements for maintaining records.
Additionally, there are 12 exhibits and 11 process approaches in the documentation kit. They will provide further information that will help in creating the packaging management system at BRC.
The advantage of having editable formats is that organizations can customize fields, roles, activities, and other elements according to their operations.
BRC Packaging Audit Checklist
Preparation for auditing involves more than documentation. There is the need for verifying if the processes are in place.
The package has a clause-wise BRC Packaging audit checklist and questionnaire with over 900 audit checklist questions. The questions may help in reviewing the system and identifying areas needing improvement prior to a certification audit.
Usage of an audit checklist will also help the various departments understand the requirements in their activities.
Benefits of Using BRC Packaging Documentation
A structured documentation kit can provide several practical benefits:
- Saves time during document preparation
- Provides editable manuals, procedures, SOPs, and formats
- Helps organize BRC Packaging requirements
- Supports hazard and risk management activities
- Provides templates for maintaining records
- Helps establish consistent operational processes
- Supports internal audit preparation
- Helps identify documentation and implementation gaps
- Allows documents to be modified according to organizational requirements
The documents on the referenced page are provided in editable Word format, allowing users to modify the content and create documentation appropriate to their own organization.
How to Use the Documentation Kit Effectively
A pre-fabricated documentation package must be considered as an initial step but not an alternative to the real understanding of processes within the organization. Each piece of documentation should be evaluated and adjusted in accordance with the type of products, materials, machinery, manufacturing process, risks, responsibility, etc.
Also, staff should be trained in procedures and working instructions. Documentation should be kept proving that control measures are applied.
Internal audits and management review may be conducted to find gaps and improve the system.
Conclusion
The BRC Packaging Issue 7 Documentation Kit is a comprehensive collection of manuals, product safety policy, required processes, SOPs, HACCP documentation, risk assessments, product safety culture documentation, blank templates, approaches to processes, and audit checklists. This package of documentation resources could be used by packaging companies to arrange their documentation and be better prepared for BRC Certification.
Certification Consultancy offers BRC Packaging Issue 7 documentation services using manuals, procedures, SOPs, forms, HACCP documentation, and other audit-related documentation tailored to your needs.
