In previous posts I have analyzed the context of ISO 22000: 2018 standard, from information that International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) itself uses to present both management system standards, in general, and this particular standard on its website.
I have already analyzed the introductory elements, such as the Prologue of the standard and its Clauses
Introduction, 1. Objective and
field of application, 2. Normative
references, 3. Terms and definitions, and ending with the complementary elements, such as Bibliography and the informative
Annexes of the standard.
However, before we going into the text of the standard, that is, of the normative elements that make up
the technical body of ISO 22000: 2018 standard, which are those that comprise Clauses 4 to 10, I would like to present to you some general
comments, which I hope will help you better understand these requirements and your way of applying them.
I will start by commenting that both this standard and the others that ISO has issued regarding management systems, identify practices that are used by some organizations, generally leaders in their areas of competence
and that are considered as references of the "state of the art" in matters of management. Those practices have not been invented by ISO technical committees, although they are presented, analyzed and voted
on to form part of these standards. Similarly, it is important to mention that when a requirement is included in an international management system standard, it is because it is considered that it will
generate a greater benefit than the cost that it may represent for an organization to comply with it. None of these requirements is in a standard in order to make life
difficult for organizations, their managers, their staff or you.
Therefore, we should consider that if an organization decides that it is going to implement a standardized
management system, as in this
matter, on food safety, it is very
important that its managers and key personnel understand the value and
importance of each one of the requirements, know, understand and apply them correctly, in order to generate that
value and achieve the expected benefits of the application of the entire management
system.
For starting with the establishment of a food safety management system, for example, it is very important that we
understand that with the application of all the requirements that are included in ISO 22000: 2018 standard, it is intended to establish and control, by an organization that produces food, a system that allows
it to manage
the safety of that food. However,
unlike what many people believe, the standard does not require that a management
system be made up or "invented",
but rather that is expected for any organization to have a management system in place and within that, are identified and
controlled. all the elements that the standard establishes as requirements, since it is considered that by applying all the applicable requirements of the standard, confidence is generated in the way in which the organization manages the safety of the food it supplies.
I am not intending confuse you with this apparent tongue twister, but
rather I want to reinforce the concept that organizations, before attempting to establish a food safety
management system (FSMS), in
accordance with ISO 22000: 2018, should have
in place a management system that allows them to control all the key activities
for them. We may visualize this management system as follows:
For this, they must have a series of support elements, such as those
referring to their strategic planning,
within which they would establish their mission, vision and general
objectives; those referring to its tactical and operational
planning, its organization, its specific objectives, tactical and operational
plans; its documented technical support, among designs, manuals, procedures,
instructions and its support of documented evidence or records. Under this
documentation consideration, the management system can be viewed as follows:
Now, if from this system we develop a food safety management system, each element of the system should be adapted in accordance with the different requirements of ISO 22000: 2018 standard, so we could visualize it as follows:
As you can see, in this figure we find the food safety management system documentation fully integrated into the general
documentation system.
If you have read some posts in this blog referring to the context of some management system standards, including ISO 22000: 2018, it is important that you can differentiate between the meaning of the “context of a standard”, which as we have seen
are the preliminary and non-normative complementary elements of the same, that
is, they are not requirements, with the meaning of the “context of an organization”, which are the set of factors, both internal and
external to it, that are going to impact, in a favorable or unfavorable way, in
the achievement of its objectives, and are referred to in this Clause 4
of the standard.
In the same way, in order to start this analysis, we must remember what
is indicated in the Introduction Clause, that although it does not establish any specific requirement, it informs us something that we must always take
into account, and that is that in this standard the following verbal forms are used:
Likewise, it clarifies that information identified as "NOTES" is presented as a guide for understanding or
qualifying the corresponding requirement.
Now that I begin the analysis of the various clauses that contain requirements, which make up the normative body of this ISO 22000: 2018 standard, as I mentioned previously, we find that Clause 4, the first of this group, which is called "The
organization and its context", is made up
of four subclauses, which are the following:
If you do not have a prior knowledge of ISO 22000: 2018, it is not hard to imagine that when you access the text of those clauses that contain requirements, you would be feeling a bit discouraged, because you probably could not understand some of the requirements presented there, and perhaps none of them. That is why it is recommended that you prepare yourself to obtain sufficient knowledge about what a food safety management system is and about this standard in particular, either from a leader within your organization, who could have the knowledge and patience to instruct you, or through a training course that provides you with this knowledge and some experience in your analysis, so that you can understand those requirements, and from there, establish the elements in your food safety management system, allowing you to properly meet those requirements.
Through various posts on
this blog, referring to ISO 22000: 2018 standard, and food safety management systems, I will try to present to
you relevant information so that those requirements of can be better
understood.
In a curious way, as I have
mentioned in some other post, this Clause 4, the one which I begin
this analysis, is characterized by being the least understood and the worst
applied of all the clauses that make up this standard. For this reason, I will
try to explain to you in this blog what, from my point of view, is the correct
way to read, analyze and understand all the clauses and requirements of this ISO 22000: 2018 standard, and in particular this Clause 4, so you can correctly
understand the elements of a food safety management system required by this standard.
At this point, however, I
am going to give you two tips so
that you can better understand the broad concepts and requirements established in the
aforementioned standard:
1) Do not focus, initially, on a particular food product. You better focus on
the organization that makes
that product.
2) Identify and clearly understand what a control measure for a food
safety hazard is.
As for the first tip, I can tell you that generally, when people
approach to read this standard for the first time, they do so thinking that they are going to find
direct indications of how achieve safe food products, particularly in the one (s) that they obviously have a personal interest.
However, if you read the requirements of this standard, bearing in mind
particular food products, it will be very difficult for you to understand any requirement, since all of them are established towards
elements for an organization management
and control and not considering any particular food product.
Regarding the second advice, it is important that you bear in mind that
the application of most the requirements of the ISO 22000: 2018 standard lead an organization to plan, establish, operate, maintain and improve
the control measures on its current and potential safety hazards, with the aim
of preventing, eliminating or reducing them to an acceptable level. All the
differential part of the food safety management system from other management systems is based on the application of these control measures by the organization.
I will tell you that both this particular standard, as well as the others that ISO has issued in the area of management
systems, identify practices that are applied by certain organizations, generally leaders in their areas of competence
and that are considered benchmarks of the "state
of the art" in management. These practices are not developed or
invented by ISO technical
committees, although they are presented, discussed and voted
on by these technical
committees for their inclusion in those standards. Similarly, it is important to mention that when a
requirement is included in an international standard it is because it is considered that its compliance will generate a
benefit greater than the cost that it may represent for an organization. None of these requirements are included in a standard just to make a more complicated life for organizations, their officers and managers, their staff, neither for you.
Therefore, we must consider that if an organization decides implementing a management system based on a standard, such as this one for food safety, it is important that its managers and key personnel understand the
value and relevance of each of the requirements, know them, understand them and apply them correctly, to generate that
value and achieve the expected benefits of the establishment and operation of
the entire management system.
With the intention of preparing to start the analysis of the different sub-clauses derived from Clause 4. Context
of the organization, it is
important that we consider that understanding the “context of an organization” is a process that determines the factors that influence the purpose,
objectives and sustainability of an organization. It considers internal factors such as the values, culture, knowledge
and performance of the organization. It also considers external factors, such as the legal, technological,
competitive, market, cultural, social and economic environment. The mission, vision, policies and objectives are examples of the ways in which the purpose of an organization can be
expressed.
In addition, part of this process for understanding the “context of the organization”, consist in
identifying its stakeholders and understanding their needs and expectations
about the performance of that organization. This concept of stakeholders extends beyond a customer-only approach,
as it is important to consider all relevant stakeholders, which are those who
pose a significant risk to the sustainability of the organization if their needs and expectations are not met. Organizations define which results are necessary to provide
relevant stakeholders to reduce such risk.
Organizations must attract, recruit, and retain the support of the relevant
stakeholders they depend on for their success.
For the correct identification of the organization's relevant factors and stakeholders, this Clause 4 indicates that the scope of the food safety management system is identified
and described, and that FSMS is
established, implemented, maintained, updated and continually improved.
Author:
Ernesto Palomares Hilton
Comments
Post a Comment
Nombre:
País:
Comentarios: