Recordkeeping
Accurate recordkeeping is essential in assuring your treatment system is working as intended. Records provide proof that critical limits are being met, and if problems do occur, records provide a paper trail for the corrective actions that were taken as a result of a deviation. In addition, records make up an indispensable component of monitoring, allowing for trends to be tracked and adjustments to be made before there is a loss of control within the treatment system. This allows for continuous improvement to a farm’s overall food safety program.
Records must be kept for the following activities:
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Monitoring
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Corrective actions
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Verification activities
• Validation to support established critical limits (i.e., scientific studies, EPA registration)
• Training for individuals responsible for monitoring and implementing corrective actions
Monitoring records should include the following information:
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Form title
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Farm name and location
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Time and date
• Water use identification (i.e., fields and commodities applied to)
• Actual observation or measurement at the time observed
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Critical limits
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Operator’s signature or initials
• Date of review and reviewer signature or initials
It is important to avoid common mistakes when completing records by establishing the following practices:
• Record actual observations, i.e., do not provide a check-mark where actual data monitored (e.g., temperature or free chlorine concentration)
• Include a signature or initials of the individual completing the record
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