October 2015

No-Shave November is almost upon us, and the more enterprising of your male workers may already be getting a jump on the hairy annual holiday. Every autumn the Movember Foundation challenges men to forego the razor in recognition of men’s health. It’s a great cause and an excellent way to raise awareness, but an influx of moustaches and beards can pose some issues for workplace sanitation.

The General Provisions of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations — otherwise known as the FDA's "good manufacturing practice" standards — devotes an entire section to the subject of personnel. The section largely concerns cleanliness standards for staff at plants that manufacture, pack, or even just hold food.

You need to maintain a clean, sanitary workplace — especially if you operate a food production or storage facility. Apart from obvious compliance concerns, adequate sanitation has tangible benefits; numerous studies have shown a link between facility cleanliness and overall staff productivity.

In April of 2015, Southern ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell announced an emergency recall of all of its products after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a listeria outbreak linked to the company's products. Ten people became sick as a result of the contamination; three died. Across three facilities suspected of spreading the infection, FDA inspectors observed a string of sanitation failures that allowed the deadly bacteria to thrive on production equipment.