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PHIS Sanitation 

04-05-2019 

Sanitation 

PHIS Documentation Workshop 

Objective: IPP should apply their knowledge of agency’s policies & regulations 

for SPS and SSOP and document findings in PHIS 

PHIS Task: SPS Verification Task & pre-Op and Operational SSOP Tasks 

General Instructions 

You will need to schedule and document the appropriate SPS verification task 

and SSOP tasks that are necessary for completion of this workshop. You will 

work through this workshop as a group (two or more members per group). 

Please elect a group leader. The leader should monitor the time and work of the 

group, ensuring the group‘s discussion is focused, timely, and involves each 

person in the group. Each member of the group should document the answers to 

the workshop questions in their own workshop course materials. 

Each group will answer the questions at the end of each scenario in the 

workshop. The class will complete PHIS Verification Part 2. After completing 

this instructor-led hands on learning module, each person will log back into 

his/her computer and enter the inspection results from this workshop using the 

appropriate task(s). 

In plant scenarios 

1. As you are proceeding through Open Beef’s carcass cooler to conduct a 

HACCP verification procedure, you observe heavily beaded condensation 

forming on the underside of two carcass rails, their support structures, and 

the concrete ceiling in the vicinity. There are at least 20 carcass sides 

hanging below the underside of each rail. You see condensation dripping 

from the underside of one of the rails onto at least three carcass sides. 

Answer the following questions. 

a. Do you need to gather additional information in order to assess this 

situation? Explain your answer. 

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PHIS Sanitation 

04-05-2019 

b. Based on your observations, and any additional information that 

you have gathered, is there SSOP noncompliance? 

c. If there is an SSOP noncompliance, what regulation(s) would be 

pertinent? 

d. Would you issue an NR? 

e. If yes, document your findings in PHIS. 

2. Yesterday you performed a routine Operational Sanitation SOP Review and 

Observation task in the Second Processing Department and you saw a 

department supervisor holding two white plastic shovels in his hands. You 

know that in this facility plant management considers white plastic shovels 

as product contact equipment. Each shovel had a QC Hold tag attached to 

its respective handles. The supervisor explained to you that a QC technician 

had found both product shovels on the floor of the icehouse anteroom. You 

are aware that the anteroom is a high traffic area of the Further Processing 

Department. The QC technician had tagged the shovels and notified the 

supervisor about the situation. The supervisor then gave both shovels to a 

production employee and instructed the employee to take the shovels to the 

designated equipment wash area. Soon afterward, the supervisor verbally 

reassured you that he had the situation under control because he had 

checked on the shovels and they were being washed. He also advised you 

that he had determined that no product had been affected and that he 

planned to reeducate all ice house personnel in the proper handling of white 

shovels. 

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PHIS Sanitation 

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Today, you review the establishment’s operational sanitation SSOP records 

from the day before for that area and you determine that the incident 

regarding the white shovels was not documented. 

a. Is this a regulatory noncompliance, and if so, what regulations are 

pertinent to the situation? 

b. Would you issue an NR? 

3. You are performing a routine Operational Sanitation SOP Review and 

Observation task. As you prepare to enter the formulation kitchen, you 

observe a pallet containing boxes of raw frozen product placed outside the 

formulation kitchen entrance door. One of the boxes on the top row of the 

pallet has been damaged and the cover is torn open. Upon closer 

inspection, you observe that several pieces of wood are present inside the 

box, in direct contact with the product. You observe the box and the pallet of 

product and determine that there are no establishment controls in place. 

You initiate a regulatory control action and retain the box of product. You 

verbally notify the establishment management of your findings. You then 

issue an NR, to address the contaminated product. 

Establishment’s corrective action: The contaminated product was placed 

in the inedible barrel. No other boxes on the pallet appeared to be affected. 

Because the pallet was not yet in the formulation room, the formulation 

supervisor had not yet had the opportunity to examine the pallet or take 

control. A new procedure has been instituted and employees trained to 

control damaged boxes both in the freezer warehouse and in the production 

facility. 

a. Do these corrective actions meet the regulatory requirements? 

b. If not, what requirements were not met? 

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4. You are assigned to Open Beef, a large slaughter and fabrication 

establishment. You randomly select the equipment and utensils and 

dressing rooms, lavatories, and toilets sanitation performance standards. 

You decide to verify these regulatory requirements in the fabrication 

department and the men’s restroom between the two fabrication rooms. 

Several employees are cutting beef carcasses into retail cuts in one of the 

large fabrication rooms. You check the hand wash facilities to determine if 

they meet the regulatory requirements. You notice that one of the two 

handwash sinks in the room is out of hand cleaner. 

a. Has an insanitary condition been created? Please explain your 

answer. 

b. Has product been contaminated as a result of this situation? Please 

explain your answer. 

c. What immediate actions, if any, should you take? 

d. Is there noncompliance with the SPS? 

When you check the men’s restroom, you find a toilet backed up and

evidence that it has overflowed onto the floor (human waste residue on the 

seat and side of the toilet bowl, soggy soiled toilet paper, and soiled water 

on the floor around the toilet bowl). 

e. Has an insanitary condition been created? Please explain your 

answer. 

f. Has product been contaminated as result of this situation? Please 

explain your answer. 

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PHIS Sanitation 

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g. What immediate actions, if any, should you take? 

h. If you took immediate action, what regulations gave you the 

authority to take that action? 

i. Is there noncompliance with the SPS? 

j. If yes, document finding in PHIS. 

5. You are the GS-9 IIC assigned to a small establishment that slaughters beef 

and processes miscellaneous beef cuts, ground beef and cooked sausages. 

Over the last three months, you and relief inspection personnel have 

documented multiple, recurring SSOP noncompliances for direct product 

contamination from condensation forming on overhead structures and 

dripping onto product. You have also repeatedly documented SPS 

noncompliances for failure to prevent rodent harborage and entry into the 

establishment. You have issued three more NRs (since the relief inspector’s 

last visit) for heavily beaded condensation found in multiple non-production 

areas. You have kept your Frontline Supervisor informed of the recurring 

nature of the situation and also discussed this with plant management 

during the weekly meetings. 

What actions would you initiate at this time if you determine further 

enforcement actions are necessary? 

Inspection Methods 13-5