​Evaluating An Existing Color-Coding Plan

Even the most meticulously thought out and carefully implemented color-coding plans need to be regularly evaluated for success. The reason being is simple, your facility is likely not exactly the same as the day you implemented your color-coding plan. The introduction of a new ingredient, a new employee or simply the passage of time is reason enough to reevaluate the success of the plan you have in place. It is our recommendation that you keep this worksheet handy and complete the below checklist every six months.

Employ several members of your team, from various departments to answer the follow questions honestly. If any of these participants respond with the answer ‘Yes’ to any of the questions below, it’s time to take a close look at your plan.

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Color-Coding Plan Evaluation Questionnaire

Date of Current Evaluation _______

*Record below and mark your calendar for 6 months from now to reevaluate your plan. In the event of issues that needed to be addressed, we suggest you check in 3 months from now and again in 6 months.

Date of Next Evaluation _______

1. Have any allergens been removed or added since the date of your last evaluation?

[Yes] [No]

2. Have any geographical areas been added? Common examples include a new line, a new room or a new warehouse.

[Yes] [No]

3. Do you know of any employees that do not fully understand the plan?

[Yes] [No]

4. Is the plan well documented and is it clearly posted so all employees can see it regularly?

[Yes] [No]

5. Are there any new employees that have not been trained on the color-coding plan?

[Yes] [No]

6. Do you repeatedly have problems with tools “wandering?”

[Yes] [No]

7. Have you identified any problem areas in the time since you last evaluated your color-coding plan?

[Yes] [No]

8. Are there are any tools that are not working as they should or that need to be replaced? Are there any tools that you use on a regular basis that do not fit within your color-coding plan?

[Yes] [No]

9. Chat with another member of the facility - preferably someone in direct contact with production or sanitization work. Ask them if there is anything that could be better, or any problems they see with the current plan.

[Yes] [No]

10. Think back to previous issues addressed with your color-coding plan, have you encountered any indications that these issues need further attention?

[Yes] [No]

It is common for even the most organized and safety-conscious facilities to need to revaluate parts of their color-coding plan. If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of the above questions, take a close look at what question prompted that response. Oftentimes these problems can be solved with additional training and protocol, the purchase of new or additional color-coded tools or sometimes by adjusting your color-coding plan. If you are not sure of the best way to move forward, we encourage you to contact a team member at R.S. Quality Products as we are always happy to help our customers find the best plan for their team and facility.