“The following is a customer friendly summary of the Hill Brothers Chemical Company Quality Assurance Management Program. If further or specific information regarding our program is necessary, please contact your local Hill Brothers representative.”
It is the purpose of Hill Brothers management to produce the highest quality of product which meets or exceeds the requirements of industry codes and the expectations of our customers. Adherence to these policies and procedures will provide assurance that all products submitted to our customers conform to product specifications and requirements.
Our quality policy encompasses operational and quality factors pertinent to the correct processing of our products in our plants. Extensive training has assured that all the individuals responsible are acquainted with our state of the art Quality Management System.
It is with this system that we will meet the expectations of our customers. It is Hill Brothers policy to apply and enforce the system to all articles and materials received, manufactured, distributed, and repackaged by Hill Brothers Chemical Company.
This system will provide personnel and customers of Hill Brothers with a description of company policy for maintaining an effective quality assurance program. In an effort to further assure that our quality program exceeds industry standards, we have periodical inspections by outside evaluation services, such as the International Code Council – Evaluation Services (ICC-ES) and NSF International.
Our Program
E ach and every product manufactured by Hill Brothers Chemical Co. conforms to formula or a published product specification, which sets forth all pertinent characteristics of that product. These requirements may include specifications provided by the customer, and agreed to by Hill Brothers. All responsible parties will be familiar with and understand all product specifications, formulas, and manufacturing processes. These specifications shall be the minimum standards by which the product quality is evaluated, and no product will be offered for sale unless it meets specification.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
SOP for raw materials, repackaged products, in-process materials, and finished products manufactured by Hill Brothers, along with acceptance criteria will be furnished by R&D and approved by the QCC. The SOP must include all required tests and criteria to consider the products to be in compliance. Any deviations and adjustments to the formulas must be approved by the Facility Manager and the Director of R&D. Formulas and SOP for each manufacturing process and test procedures are kept current and on file.
All personnel performing QC tests will be trained and demonstrate competency in performing such tests. Quality control training records of all Hill Brothers personnel will be maintained on file.
In-Process QC
Testing may be required at various points in time before, during, and after the manufacturing process to determine compliance to the product specification. The manufacturing SOPs specify the required in-process testing as well the final product inspection requirements. Testing protocol is specific to each product established and approved by the QCC. At the discretion of the Facility Manager, either the manufacturing operator or laboratory personnel may perform testing on the specified materials. Test results determine whether the product meets specifications, or that corrective action is necessary. If test results determine that adjustment is necessary, the operator makes the necessary adjustment and retests the product until specifications are met.
Final Product Inspection / Traceability
Every Hill Brothers product is tested for quality prior to being packaged and released for sale. Retain samples are kept for a minimum of one year and Quality Control Production Reports (QCPR) for a minimum of two years . A QCPR supplied by R&D and approved by the QCC will be available for every product manufactured or repackaged by Hill Brothers. QC tests are listed on the QCPR, and must be approved by R&D and the Facility Manager. The batch or lot of finished products will not be packaged until a QCPR has been completed in its entirety.
Equipment
The production operator and Lab technician insure that all equipment used for production and product quality testing is maintained in good working condition and is regularly calibrated. Any deficiencies in any part of the equipment process that can interfere with product quality are corrected immediately and reported to the Facility Manager.
The adequacies of testing and inspection equipment used by the in-house quality assurance team are confirmed by our annual inspections. Inspection or calibration tags on the equipment reinforce the fact that these inspections are regularly conducted. Records of equipment calibrations and inspections are kept on file.
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