Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 FSSC 22000 – The Foundation for Food Safety Certification 22000 EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency BRC – British Retail Consortium 12. Are you a US-based processor with employees who do not speak English as their native language? Or do you have plants in various countries with employees speaking multiple languages? 13. Do you have a problem with tools getting lost, misplaced or used inappropriately? 14. Must your facility meet certain sanitation standards? If you answered YES to any of the questions above, your processing facility is a strong candidate for color-coding. Color-coding can be particularly helpful for: 1) maintaining strict work zones, 2) reducing the risk of pathogens, allergens and other foreign contaminants affecting their operations, or 3) minimizing miscommunication throughout a facility’s processes. Guidance for implementing your program. Once a facility has determined color-coding is a positive decision, care should be taken in implementing a color-coding system that makes sense. Here are some tips for assuring a well-implemented color-coding system: 1. Keep it Simple After you’ve identified the hazards and the Critical Control Points that can benefit from color-coding, make sure you make your color assignments as simple and logical as possible. A good rule of thumb is to assign only one color to each zone. Make sure the colors you select make sense in relation to your process. It’s also a good idea to check the avaialbility of colors in the tools you need before finalizing your plan. This will allow your operation the greatest flexibility. 2. Be Consistent Once you’ve made logical color assignments, consider where the color should be applied to assure the process is followed properly. Consider your material handling, tubs, machinery, labels, plant signage, storage closets, employee clothing and floor markings. Key items within a particular zone or Critical Control Point should be identified with the appropriate color to assure consistency. Be sure your documentation at each point of use is also consistent with the paperwork used by your Quality Manager and Purchasing Department, so you can more easily determine when color-coded work items have been misplaced, lost or stolen, and items can be re-ordered with greater ease. 3. Communicate the Program Once you decide to implement a color-coding program, be sure you also have a communication strategy for how the program will rollout to your employees. Most processing facilities already have guidelines for how to communicate changes in processing procedures. It’s often recommended to meet with shift employees first, and then communicate the program to all employees. It’s considered a best practice to include details about your color-coding program in your operation’s
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