Week 38 Document Control - We’ve got SALSA sussed..!
We’ve got SALSA sussed..!
Week 38 Document Control
Document Control is one of those topics which is simple, if
you know how! Once you understand it, it’s just logical!
Document Control is just a system for controlling the most
recent version of a ‘Procedure’, ‘Work Instruction’, ‘Standard Operating
Procedure’ or ‘Record’ for example, is being used (not an old out-of-date
version).
For the purposes of SALSA, we need to put in a system so that
we can take care of Document Control.
There are three parts to it:
1.
A Document Control Procedure (to stating the
system you are going to use)
2.
The application of Document Control on each and
every document
3.
A Document Control Index
Let’s check out how to tackle
this one!
What’s coming next…
Week 39 Manufacturing
Specifications
Document Control - what do you need to show your SALSA
auditor?
Document Control Procedure
Document Control Index
All documents having document
control on them!
Document Control Procedure
The Format of your Document
Control
Your Procedure needs to state what
the ‘format’ of your Document Control is, on each document. It should be
standardised and in the same format for each document.
The SALSA Standard requirements
state the following:
·
Version Number – this changes every time you
update the document
·
Date of Issue – this is the date you put the
document into use
·
Person Responsible / Person Authorising
·
Page Numbers – always best to put in Page X of Y
format, then you know if there is a page missing!
Some Document Control systems divide
the ‘Author’ of the document and the person ‘Authorising’ it.
This can be important if you need
to go back and make changes, the person who wrote it in the first place would
be the person you would go back to, to get the document changed.
However, the Authorising Person, may
be a more senior person in the business, who needs to check that the document
is correct and appropriate, before authorising its use.
Below is an example of how
document control can be applied to each document (in a header or footer, so
that it shows on every page) …
Document Control Responsibility
You need to state who is
responsible for Document Control within your business on the Procedure.
You need to designate one person
who controls all of the documents and issues them for use. This is the
Authorising Person. This person will also be responsible for updating the ‘Document
Control Index’ when a new or updated document is issued. It is best practice to
log what the ‘changes’ or ‘amendments’ are on the Document Control Index.
You may have an additional person
who writes the documentation who is the Author. They send it to the Authorising
Person who issues it.
Document Control Index
All documents needs to be listed
on an Index.
The Index needs to state the ‘Document
Name’ (and any Referencing), the ‘Date’ of its issue, the ‘Version’, ‘Author’ and
‘Authorising Person’, along with the last ‘Amendment’ made.
Below is an example of a Document
Control Index.
Controlling ‘Hard Copy’
Documents
Many businesses decide to laminate
some documents and place them in the area in which they are used. This is a
great idea, such as:
·
CCP Procedures at the location the CCP is
carried out
·
Order of Changing Posters in the changing rooms
·
Personal Hygiene Rules in the changing rooms
·
Cleaning Instruction Cards in a cleaning folder
for staff to refer to
You need to make sure that you
rescind these ‘Hard Copy’ documents and replace them with the new ones when
they change.
Electronic Archiving of
Documents
Documents, when changed on the
computer, need to be ‘Archived’ first. Then the new version can be saved in the
current file, so that you can trace back all old versions of documents and the
changes that we made on them all. Don’t ever delete them!
See an example of an electronic
filing system below…
Document Retention Period
You need to add to your Document
Control Procedure, the document retention period timescale that you will keep
your records for. The SALSA Standard states that you must keep them for the
shelf life of the product plus one year. For example, if you shelf life is 1
year, then the record retention period is 2 years.
Ensure all of your paperwork is Archived
in an organised way, so that if needed, you can access the relevant records
easily.
A good system is to have Archive
Boxes, and state what records and the relevant dates are within the boxes, on
the outside of the box.
Now, hopefully, you should be well
equipped to deal with this one!
Please get in touch if you want to
ask anything, I am here to help as always! Be careful and stay safe!
Ruth
Ruthshawconsultingltd@gmail.com
07732
966 836
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