GL-OM-10 · Sharp Metal Control & Needle Management
Scope
Scope: Covers the end-to-end control and management of needles, sharp metal items, breakable tools, and related metal contamination risks across production and warehouse areas.
Purpose: Ensures sharp metal and needle-related risks are prevented, controlled, traceable, and properly contained to protect product safety and prevent metal contamination.
Owner: DMR owns and coordinates the Sharp Metal Control & Needle Management process, with MR responsible for training and tool controls, QA for warehouse controls, and Vendors for production-floor needle and sharp-metal controls.
Applies to: Applies to MR, QA, and Vendors working on Good Manufacturing Processes (GMP) within Order Management.
Requirements
-
R1 — MR — Train all employees on metal safety procedures
-
R2 — MR — Do not bring items such as paper clips, staples and pins into the production areas and this must be checked by the administrative staff
-
R3 — QA — Remove metal parts on trims, cartons, files and cards arriving at the warehouse in the trim warehouse and placed in the metal waste box
-
R4 — MR — Sign frequently used tools such as scissors, tweezers, thread-cleaning guns and tape cutters out on an inventory form and controlled
-
R5 — MR — Secure all scissors to the machine tables and keep metal tools not in use in a locked cabinet
-
R6 — MR — Keep screwdrivers and machine tools in the maintenance room, access controlled and all tools issued recorded
-
R7 — Vendor — Fix in the cutting room the marker to the fabric by heat; needles or pins must not be used, and if metal clamps are used their quantity must be defined and controlled
-
R8 — Vendor — Keep machine tables and drawers free of metal; only the needle in use may be on the machine and new needles must be kept in a locked cabinet
-
R9 — Vendor — When a needle fragment cannot be found, stop the machine, search the surrounding area and the machine, sweep the floor with a metal sweeper and pass all products within 2.5 metres through the metal detector
-
R10 — Vendor — Only carry broken needle issue, replacement and reporting out by the authorised Needle Police
-
R11 — Vendor — Track cutting machine blades in the same way as sewing needles; unusable blades must be recorded and kept in a locked area
-
R12 — Vendor — Replace a needle only when all parts of the broken needle have been found, and attach the parts to the Broken Needle Tracking Form
-
R13 — Vendor — If the fragment still cannot be found, inform QA and Sustainability management, place the products in the Quarantine Box and archive all findings for at least 2 years
-
R14 — Vendor — Where hand needles etc. are required, issue the items daily against signature by the "Needle Police" and collect them back at the end of the shift
-
R15 — Vendor — Also apply the same procedure to kimble needles and similar breakable sharp tools
Used in
Tutorial
This training video supports the Sharp Metal Control & Needle Management process. It does not replace the numbered steps.
Loading video…
Exam
Exam for the Sharp Metal Control & Needle Management process. Take it after you finish the process article, including the tutorial video.
| Pass mark | Expected duration | Attempts |
|---|---|---|
| 80% | About 10 minutes | 1 (one attempt per person) |
Pass mark 80%. 10 single-choice questions, one point each.
Your name and score are recorded and count towards the leaderboard. You have one attempt, so finish the article and the tutorial before you start.
Watch the tutorial video above to 100% to unlock the exam. The questions appear here once your progress is complete.
Changelog
Changelog
| Date | Changed by | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-12 | Order Management | Training video added and exam published. |
| 2026-09-30 | Order Management | Converted from process to guideline (GL-OM-10). |
| 2026-09-15 | Order Management | Added related process references. |
| 2026-09-11 | Order Management | Article Added |