Code of Practices (CoP) Certification Scheme - MPOB

This audit promoting sustainability, food safety and product quality. Document and Standard Operating Procedure Guidelines for CoP Auditing of Palm Oil Mills :-

1. Weighbridge (manager/office staff)
   1. Yearly calibration and certification.
   2. Weight discrepancy ex-mill and delivered weights (out).
   3. Fresh fruit bunch (FFB) purchases consignment chits (in).
   4. FFB weighing record.
   5. CPO weight ex-mill and delivered weight (out).
   6. Weighing of sludge oil (out) sales.
   7. Weighing of EFB –sales.
   8. Weighing of bunch ash (out).
   9. Weighing of incoming items (in).
   10. Palm kernel ex-mill sales (out).
   11. Palm kernel shell ex-mill sales (out).
   12. Palm kernel mesocarp fibre sales.
   13. Weighing routine cleaning.
   14. Weighbridge maintenance electronics / mechanical.
   15. Load cell damage by lightening / others.
   16. Others.
2. Approach Road and Hopper Apron and Hopper (supervisor)
   1. Approach road washing.
   2. Approach road – surface repair.
   3. Cleaning of side drains.
   4. Hopper of side drains.
   5. Hopper apron cleaning.
   6. Hopper apron re-surfacing.
   7. Hopper cleaning identifies bays cleaned.
   8. Hopper bottom loose fruit recovery.
   9. Hopper maintenance – mechanical / electrical.
   10. Corrosion of structural steel visual observation (maintenance).
   11. Hydraulic / pneumatic system overhauls (maintenance).
3. Fresh Fruit Bunches Grading (office/manager)
   1. Grading operators office inspection log (upkeep).
   2. Grading documentation (list documents).
   3. Record of analysis (actual).
   4. Record of rejected bunches (estimates).
   5. Quality assessment (visual).
   6. Others (list).
4. Cage Filling / Sterilization (supervisor)
   1. Cages filed at hourly interval with details on level of filling / overfilling, etc.
   2. Changes pushed into sterilizer numbers at hourly interval – time in/time out.
   3. Hourly sterilizer temperatures.
   4. Sterilizer pressure chart (already installed).
   5. Record of sterilization regime change based on quality of crop, e.g. regime 1 – overripe crop – 50 min cycle.
   6. Breakdown data, e.g. no steam supply – boiler shut down. Digester full – press breakdown – causes.
   7. Defects noted like – steam blowing at door, pressure gauge faulty the report.
   8. Inadequate safety in working area, e.g. slipping (due to oil) flooding of work area, etc. Should be recorded.
   9. Safety warning notices in key areas, if missing should be recorded and manager notified.
5. Threshing and Pressing (supervisor)
   1. Thresher cleaning report.
   2. Sterilizer bunches elevator breakdown record.
   3. Overhead hoist operating hours.
   4. Fruit conveyors, elevators weekly inspection reports (maintenance).
   5. Digester level and shutting down data when empty.
   6. Digester temperature and level.
   7. Digester liner renewal interval / dates (maintenance).
   8. Digester blades renewal interval / dates (maintenance).
   9. Press cone pressure and kWhr.
   10. Press screw / cage renewal interval with new weight as well as worn out ones (maintenance).
   11. Crude oil dilution data.
   12. Press operation, date, number of presses operating on/off time with operating hours.
   13. Press cleanliness – who cleaned and when.
   14. Defects report data (defect reported to supervisor).
   15. Press station general inspection data including, gutter, conveyors, pump, etc. A complete inspection must be made in every shift and observations recorded. In a book from which supervisors can extract data for writing his shift log.
   16. Shift take-over log. How the condition was when taken over.
6. Oil Station (supervisor)
   1. Cleaning of the station by each shift operator.
   2. Tank level (a) C.S. tank (b) sludge tank (c) pure oil tank per shift.
   3. C.S Tank temperature (once/shift).
   4. Vacuum readings (once/shift).
   5. Palm oil pump pressure and temperature.
   6. Sludge centrifuge – shutting down due to chokage – data (when and why).
   7. Purifier / decanter operating hour, shut down data.
   8. Storage tank temperature.
   9. C.S tank differential head (oil skimmer level and sludge level) (onces/shift).
   10. Defects log – observed during shift.
7. Nut Station (supervisor)
   1. Press cake condition – moisture level comment by touching.
   2. Condition of nuts in polishing drum – fibre attachment.
   3. Nut breakage in press cake – observation / comments.
   4. Nut cracking broken kernel by quick analysis / shift comments.
   5. Hydrocyclone / clay bath kernel loss quick analysis – comments.
   6. Kernel losses in shell – quick analysis comments.
8. Effluent (supervisor)
   1. Oil in sludge underflow.
   2. Oil in sterilizer condensate.
   3. Oil in de-oiling tank.
   4. Oil in final effluent.
   5. Fat oil recovered and recycled.
   6. Comments by operators.
   7. Defects noted.
9. Effluent Digestion(supervisor)
   1. Temperature of cooling pond.
   2. Oil content in cooling pond estimation (high/low/overage).
   3. BOD of cooling, anaerobic, aerobic and final discharge.
   4. COD of cooling, anaerobic, aerobic and final discharge.
   5. Observation defect, etc.
10. Boiler House / Power (supervision)
    1. Boiler operational log – hourly reading start with water level gauge tested temperature, pressure, flow rate etc.
    2. Blow down record.
    3. Shut down record.
    4. Turbine receiver data log – load, pressure, oil tempt, tank, safety valve lifting etc. (separator record).
    5. Flue gas continuous analysis chart (Ringelman chart).
    6. Flue gas 3^rd party analysis (yearly for others).

The following records to be maintained by the executive staff :

1. Record of the training of all personnel in the mill including the senior staff, clerical staff, non-clerical staff and process workers.
2. Minutes of meetings held with trade union.
3. Safety meeting record and action taken.
4. Minutes of meetings with plantation executives.
5. Minutes of meetings with other crop suppliers.
6. Comments by regulatory bodies, e.g. DOSH,MPOB,DOE etc. Log book.
7. Process log book, laboratory records and any other records.
8. Water treatment records (third party test results).
9. Any other record.

The creation of standard operating procedures (sop) - some tips
Factors to be considered :-

1. Safety aspects like safety shoes, ear plugs, helmets etc.
2. Cleaning requirements .
3. In case of incidents, the procedure to follow.
4. Reporting the findings or station data, losses etc.

Example of standard operating procedures (sop)

Weighbridge

1. System boundary. Procedures for FFB reception, oil despatch etc.
2. Calibrated yearly by Department of Weights and Measures. A copy of certificate must displays outside weighbridge. Operator to remind on expiry date.
3. Weighbridge operator minimun requirement : SPM, computer literacy, training certificate issue by mill manager.
4. Loading into cages is a careful operation involving the loading of the correct number of bunches so that bunches is level with the top edge of the cages and at the same time fruits shall not spill out to the ground from the chute during filling.
5. As far as possible all cages shall have the same weight of FFB so that it is easier to estimate the weight of cages not processed. lf by any chance fruits happen to spill on the ground they must be re-covered as soon as possible and put back in the cage.
6. If any cages or the hopper door mechanism are found to be needing repair this must be noted down and the supervisor notified.

Sterilization

1. Ensure that all mechanisms associated with safety of personnel are free from defects and they are operational by actually testing them.
2. Ensure the regulatory approvals are in place and the expiry date and registration number clearly stamped on each sterilizer.
3. Do not get into a sterilizer for hooking detached hooks unless the following procedure is strictly followed. All sterilizer doors must have a ring welded on to it so that a chain can be attached to it with other and locked o similar ring welded to a column.The operator who goes into the sterilizer must keep the key in his possession. In addition,a prominent signboard must be displayed in front of the sterilizer with the words, DO NOT CLOSE DOOR-OPERATOR INSIDE. The supervisor also must station himself or his trusted assistant in front of the sterilizer for the entire duration of the time the operator is inside. If the operator does not exit from the sterilizer must assign another person to go inside and investigate. This special SOP must be displayed in front of the sterilizer and no compromise must be allowed to make it simpler.
4. The interior of the sterilizer must be free from bunches, fruits and other contaminants
   that could obstruct the condensate discharge. This will be treated under routine cleaning.
   . The sterilization regimes catering for the three types of crop namely overripe, under-ripe and ripe must be established and used when necessary. The sterilization peaks should not be
   allowed to reduce to zero pressure during blow down operation as this will result in wastage of steam. The sterilization programme should not cause the individual peak pressure to drop to zero. A reasonable pressure drop is no more than 60% of the peak as by then most of the air would have blown out. The sterilizer condensate should be continuously bled through a by-pass line installed parallel to the main condensate pipe. This is to evacuate the air
   released from bunches when they are subjected to prolonged heating within the sterilizer.
   

Bunch Lifting / Transfer and Threshing

1. The operator must check the bunch tipper frame foundation to rule out the possibility of the tipper breaking loose from the foundation and its condition must be logged every day. If defective this must be reported to the supervisor.
2. The duration of the tipper rotation for complete bunch discharge must be established and number of cages tipped hourly logged with comments if there are discrepancies arising from lack of fruits or machinery breakdowns.
3. In the case of cage hoist, ensure that the regulatory approvals are in place. The expiry date must be clearly stamped on the hoist control car or the body where it can be clearly seen. If about to expire remind the manager.
4. Make weekly inspection of the drum, endless chain joist (I-beam), other wear parts and log the condition as accurately as possible. If worn out dangerously, report the finding to the manager.
5. Ensure that no personnel stand under the active zone of the hoist when it is in
   operation.
6. Provide sirens during the hoist movement so that personnel standing underneath
   can get out of the way. Ensure that all the safety instructions
   are displayed in Prominent areas.

Fresh fruit bunches hopper operation

1.