SS SOP

A standard operating procedure (SOP) tells staff exactly how to carry out a task: how to operate a machine, clean a room, gown or take a sample. In a GMP plant the current, approved version of each instruction has to be available to the people doing the work, and old versions must not be used. The practical way to do that is to keep the SOP at the point of use, next to the machine or in the room where the task is done.

An SOP stand is the holder that keeps that document there. Loose papers taped to walls or left on benches get wet, dirty and lost, and they are hard to clean around. A stainless steel stand gives the document a fixed place, keeps it readable and protects it, while the stand itself can be wiped down with the rest of the room.

EU GMP Chapter 4 asks for instructions that are clear, uniquely identified, approved and easy to check, and for systems that stop outdated documents being used. A dedicated stand at each point of use makes it easy to see that the right document is there and to swap it when a new version is issued.

Our SOP stands are made in SS 304 in a matt or mirror finish, sized for A4 documents. The SOP stand with flaps is a floor stand with a round pipe column and a heavy, anti-skid base; its A4 plastic flaps hold several documents, protect them from dust and spills and can be angled for easy reading. The wall-mounted SOP stand has keyhole slots for mounting, three horizontal rods that hold documents neatly and a base tray that stops them slipping. We also make folder type SOP holders.

Choose the type by where the document is read. A floor stand suits open areas and machines where there is no wall nearby; a wall-mounted stand keeps floors clear in change rooms and corridors; a folder type holder suits longer procedures that are read page by page.