SOP: Metal Detector Checks (Free)
SOP – Metal Detector Checks
A metal detector that isn’t challenged regularly is just an expensive tunnel. This SOP sets up the test-piece routine – what to pass through, how often, and what happens when it doesn’t reject.
SOPs only work if people actually read them. Train each operator, get the read-and-understood signature, and keep the language as plain as the job allows – this isn’t the place to show off vocabulary.
1. Document control
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Document title | SOP – Metal Detector Checks |
| Document no. | [QA-SOP-014] |
| Version | [1.0] |
| Effective date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| Prepared by | [Name / Title / Date] |
| Approved by | [Name / Title / Date] |
| Review date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
2. Purpose
To verify the metal detector reliably rejects contaminated product during production.
3. Scope
Covers all in-line metal detectors at [site name].
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Line operators / QA | Perform checks per this SOP; act on failures. |
| Engineering | Repairs and re-validates the detector. |
5. Materials and equipment
- Certified test pieces (ferrous, non-ferrous, stainless at validated sizes)
- Test product (clean packs) with test pieces embedded
- Metal detection log
- Reject bin with lock/controls
6. Safety precautions
- Keep test pieces accounted for – log them out and back in every shift.
- Never put test pieces into saleable product flow.
7. Procedure
Follow the steps in order. Steps marked [CHECK] are the ones people skip under pressure – don’t.
- At start of production, end of run, and at [frequency, e.g., hourly]: pass each test piece through the centre and edges of the aperture in test packs.
- Confirm the detector alarms and the reject mechanism diverts each test pack. [CHECK]
- Record the result for every test piece, every check – pass or fail, with initials.
- If any check fails: stop the line, quarantine all product since the last good check, and notify QA/engineering. [CHECK]
- Do not restart until engineering has fixed and re-verified the detector with all test pieces.
- Investigate the cause; QA dispositions the quarantined product (re-screen or dispose).
- Keep reject-bin product segregated and investigated – a real reject is a foreign-body incident, not just a log entry.
8. Records
- Metal detection check log
- Failure investigations and product disposition records
9. Revision history
| Version | Date | Change description | Changed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | [YYYY-MM-DD] | Initial issue | [Name] |
Approval and control
| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepared by | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
| Reviewed by (QA) | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
| Approved by | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
Keep completed forms for [Define retention period, e.g., 2 years beyond shelf life] at [defined location] – and make sure someone besides you knows where that is.