MSU Extension Agrifood Safety

Phil Tocco, MSU Extension Educator

It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The same is true of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). A visual or graphical SOP can show a worker exactly how you want to have something done. Visual SOPs are particularly useful if you need to overcome language barriers or issues with literacy. The visual SOP below covers the main points of cleaning a piece of equipment. 

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Note that there’s still a lot of writing on the picture, but it SHOWS a worker exactly what needs to be done and how the grower wants the machine to look when the worker is done. The most important part of a visual SOP is that it is posted close to where the actions are carried out. In the case of the visual SOP in the picture, a poster was made of this and hung on the wall immediately to the back of the machine. Particular SOPs that work best in visual form include, handwashing SOPs, storage SOPs for equipment and tools, a visual representation of clean vs. dirty food contact surfaces, and possibly how to best carry a ladder. Try crafting a visual SOP for a job like cleaning for your workers this season. You might see an improvement in getting the results you’re looking for.