Storage Facilities Procedure

Define storage requirements and responsibility by risk

Technical or quality management establishes the storage-control approach and defines risk-based requirements for storage conditions, segregation and handling. It also determines the requirements for temperature control and controlled-atmosphere conditions, defines monitoring frequencies and control parameters for specialised environments, and confirms that the resulting controls are sufficient to maintain product safety and quality.

Operations management implements those requirements in storage areas and manages routine application of segregation, handling, stock rotation and temperature monitoring. Engineering management is responsible for the capability of storage equipment and temperature-controlled systems and supports the functionality and maintenance of monitoring and alarm systems. Senior management provides the resources, infrastructure and equipment needed for effective storage control, while employees are required to follow the applicable controls and report unsuitable conditions, equipment failures or deviations that may affect product safety or quality.

Control storage and handling to maintain material condition

Storage facilities are required to remain suitable for the materials held within them, with defined environmental conditions, protection from contamination and prevention of damage providing the basis for control. Storage areas are kept clean, and the procedure requires materials to be stored off the floor and away from walls so that contamination and cleaning risks are reduced.

Handling and stacking arrangements are controlled to maintain product integrity, including stacking heights, configurations and handling methods. Where chilled or frozen materials move between temperature-controlled areas, transfer duration and handling conditions are controlled so that product temperature remains within defined limits during movement.

Segregation is applied where necessary to address physical, microbiological or allergen cross-contamination and taint uptake. Technical management determines when segregation is required from the relevant risk, and operations personnel maintain the defined physical separation in storage.

Protect packaging and part-used materials

Packaging storage is controlled to prevent contamination and maintain traceability. Separation from raw materials and finished products is applied where appropriate, with the need for segregation determined by contamination risk and reflected in the storage layout.

Part-used packaging is protected before it is returned to storage by covering, enclosing or otherwise safeguarding exposed material. It is also clearly identified so that it remains traceable and can be distinguished for subsequent use, with traceability maintained through the relevant FSQMS procedure.

Monitor temperature-controlled storage for timely intervention

Temperature-controlled storage environments must be capable of maintaining product temperature within defined limits. Monitoring arrangements are set so that movement outside those limits can be detected in sufficient time for intervention before product safety, legality or quality is affected.

Automated temperature monitoring with alarm functionality is the preferred approach, providing continuous monitoring where it is used. If an alarm is triggered, operations personnel investigate the cause immediately and take action to restore temperature control, with escalation where product may have been affected. Monitoring devices are maintained so that storage temperatures are measured accurately and reliably.

Where automated monitoring is not in place, the procedure requires a manual monitoring system. Manual temperature checks are carried out and recorded at intervals that do not exceed four hours. Technical management confirms that the monitoring frequency is adequate, taking account of how quickly a temperature deviation could occur and the time needed to take corrective action before product is affected.

Define and monitor controlled-atmosphere storage

Where controlled-atmosphere storage is used, technical management defines the environmental parameters needed to maintain product integrity together with the monitoring methods and frequencies. The monitoring arrangement is intended to identify deviation from specified atmospheric conditions in time for action to be taken before product deterioration.

Operations personnel operate the environment to the defined requirements, address identified deviations to restore the specified condition and maintain records of the storage conditions. Engineering personnel keep the associated equipment and control systems functional and capable of maintaining the required conditions.

Protect materials stored outside before factory entry

External storage is controlled to protect materials from contamination and deterioration and to ensure that only suitable items enter internal areas. Protective measures may include covering, containment or elevation, with the required level of protection based on the material and the environmental risks present.

Before an item that has been stored outside enters the factory, operations personnel check its suitability. The procedure identifies visible cleanliness, absence of damage and protection from contamination as acceptance criteria. Items that fail those criteria are rejected or managed as non-conforming.

Apply FIFO or FEFO and control shelf life

Stock rotation applies to raw materials, intermediate products and finished products using first-in-first-out or first-expiry-first-out as appropriate to the material type. Where FIFO is used, materials are selected in order of receipt or manufacturing date so that older stock is used before newer stock.

Materials must also remain within their prescribed shelf life. Product or material specifications define the applicable shelf-life limits, and expired or out-of-life materials are not selected for use. Material identified as unsuitable is controlled through the Non-Conforming Product Control Procedure.

Respond to unsuitable conditions and review control performance

The procedure contains defined responses where storage control is lost or found to be unsuitable. Operations personnel adjust the facility or relocate materials to restore a suitable storage state. Corrective actions arising from unsuitable storage conditions are managed through the corrective and preventive action process, and affected materials are controlled through the non-conforming product process.

Technical management reviews monitoring results and deviations to confirm that storage controls remain effective. The evidence generated can include temperature and manual-check records, controlled-atmosphere records, corrective-action and non-conforming-material records, and stock-rotation or stock-control records.

A storage-control procedure within the wider FSQMS

Within the Food Industry Hub FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite, this procedure connects storage requirements with document control, record completion and maintenance, corrective and preventive action, non-conforming product control, traceability and training and competence. Those interfaces keep the current storage requirements, operating evidence and response to deviations aligned with the wider management system.

For technical, quality, operations and engineering teams, the procedure provides a developed framework for defining suitable storage conditions, applying them consistently and maintaining evidence that storage controls remain under review.