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Corrective
Actions & Preventative Measures
December 2006
What are Corrective
Actions? Corrective actions
are the steps taken to correct a deviation or problem when it occurs.
They are the steps taken immediately to correct the problem and then prevent
it from reoccurring (preventative measures). Always address the following
four areas when completing a corrective action:
1.
Product
- Has any product
been affected?
- How much product
has been placed on hold?
- Is microbial testing
required to ensure product safety?
- What happened
to the product? Was the product released? When was it released? Was
it disposed of? Reworked?
2.
People
- Was the deviation
a result of personnel error?
- Have any personnel
become contaminated?
- Are they required
to change gloves, smocks, etc.?
- Is training required?
3.
Equipment
- Has any equipment
been contaminated?
- Has it been cleaned
and sanitized prior to use?
- Is affected equipment
isolated as to not contaminate any other products or equipment?
4.
Area
- Has affected area
been isolated?
- Has area been
cleaned and sanitized before use?
- Has the area been
roped off to prevent personnel flow through it?
Ensure that you have
addressed all four areas when completing the corrective action. If one
area was not affected by the deviation, indicate so (e.g. no product affected
or NPC - no product compromised).
What are Preventative
Measures?
Preventative Measures
are the steps taken to prevent the deviation from reoccurring. HACCP
is a preventative approach to food safety, making preventative measures
a key component of the HACCP system. Examples of preventative measures
may include but are not limited to:
- Retraining of personnel
– rarely the sole preventative measure;
- Increasing monitoring
and/or verification;
- Modification to
equipment to prevent problem from reoccurring (e.g. condensation problem,
increase air flow in area);
- Review of written
programs for accuracy;
- Reassigning tasks
to a different position;
- Reviewing other
aspects of the program to ensure that same problem does not exist in
other areas.
For more information,
contact:
Kelly Bettschen
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Phone: (306) 933-7173
E-mail: kbettschen@agr.gov.sk.ca
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