Packaging and Labeling Work Instruction Example

What packaging and labeling involves

Packaging is the last step most customers see. A part made perfectly and then shipped with the wrong label, the wrong count or the wrong lot number is still a customer complaint, and in regulated industries it can be a recall. The typical failures are mix-ups rather than defects: a leftover label from the last order, two similar part numbers on one bench, a label printed from an old template, or a carton that holds one part fewer than it says.

That is why a packaging instruction centers on four controls. Line clearance removes everything from the previous order before the next one starts. A label check compares every printed label with the work order and the approved label master. Counting proves the quantity. Reconciliation proves that every label printed was either used or destroyed, so none can end up on the wrong box later.

Which rules apply

Customer packaging specifications often set the carton, dunnage, label layout and barcode format. GS1 standards cover many barcode formats, ISO 780 covers handling symbols such as “this way up”, and medical device makers have specific labeling and packaging controls under FDA’s Quality Management System Regulation, covered in the FDA QMSR guide. The work instruction does not restate these. It names the specification for the order and makes the packer check against it.

Example: Final Packaging and Labeling, Finished Fittings

Example This work instruction is for Example Manufacturing Co., a fictional maker of hydraulic fittings. Quantities, weight limits and label fields are example values, not recommendations. Use the values in your own customer packaging specification and procedures.

Download this example (.docx)

Tools, materials and PPE

• Work order and customer packaging specification
• Approved label master for the part and customer
• Label printer and handheld barcode scanner
• Counting scale, verified at the start of the shift
• Bags, cartons and dunnage named in the packaging specification
• Safety knife with retractable blade; cut-resistant gloves

Steps

1. Clear the line. Remove every part, label, carton and document from the previous order from the bench, printer and scrap bin area. Sign the line clearance box on the work order.
   Key point: Nothing from the last order left anywhere on or under the bench, including the printer output tray.
   Reason: Most labeling errors are leftover labels or parts from the previous order.
2. Check the order and the label. Print one label. Compare part number, revision, customer part number, quantity, lot number and date with the work order and the approved label master.
   Key point: Check field by field against both documents, not against memory. If anything differs, stop and call the lead.
   Reason: A label template or order entry error copies itself onto every carton if it is not caught on the first label.
3. Print the labels for the order. Print the number of labels the order needs (example: 12 cartons + 1 pallet label). Write the number printed on the work order.
   Key point: Print only what this order needs. Do not print spares.
   Reason: Spare labels are the ones that end up on the wrong carton later.
4. Count the parts. Count each carton’s quantity on the counting scale, 50 pieces per carton (example value), or by hand for small quantities.
   Key point: Re-sample the piece weight on the scale for every new lot.
   Reason: Piece weight changes between lots, so an old sample weight gives a wrong count.
5. Pack to the specification. Bag the parts, place them in the carton with the dunnage the specification calls for, and seal the carton.
   Key point: Threads and sealing faces protected; no part loose against the carton wall.
   Reason: Damage in transit is a nonconformance at the customer even if the part left good.Safety: Cut away from your body with the safety knife. Cartons over 18 kg (example value; use your site limit) need a two-person lift or a lift aid.
6. Apply and verify the label. Apply the label in the position shown in the specification. Scan the barcode and check the scanned value matches the work order.
   Key point: Label flat, unwrinkled, not across a seam. The scan must read on the first try.
   Reason: A barcode that will not scan stops the customer’s receiving and may be rejected.
7. Second-person check. A second trained person checks one carton per pallet layer: label against work order, count and pack. They initial the work order.
   Key point: The checker must not be the packer.
   Reason: An independent check catches errors the packer repeats on every carton.
8. Palletize and wrap. Stack cartons per the specification with labels facing out, stretch wrap the pallet and apply the pallet label.
   Key point: Respect the stacking limit and handling symbols on the cartons.
   Reason: Overstacking crushes the bottom layer and labels facing in cannot be checked at shipping.Safety: Walk forward around the pallet while wrapping. Keep clear of forklift traffic lanes.
9. Reconcile the labels. Count labels used and labels spoiled. Destroy spoiled labels in the label bin and record the counts on the work order.
   Key point: Printed = used + destroyed. If the numbers do not balance, the order does not ship until the difference is found.
   Reason: A missing label may be on the wrong carton.

Acceptance criteria

• Line clearance signed before the first label was printed.
• First label checked field by field against the work order and the label master.
• Every carton holds the order quantity (example: 50 pieces) and passed the second-person check.
• Every barcode scans and matches the work order.
• Label reconciliation balances: printed = used + destroyed.

How to adapt this example

Copy the steps into the blank work instruction template, or edit the .docx above. Start from your customers’ packaging specifications and your label system, then use the method in how to write a work instruction to fit the steps to your bench.

• If you pack for several customers, keep the method in one instruction and the customer details in each packaging specification.
• Set the second-person check frequency from your risk. Regulated or high-mix lines may check every carton.
• If you sample cartons for an audit check, size the sample with the AQL sampling calculator and your sampling plan.
• Add photos of the correct label position and dunnage to a visual work instruction.
• Link the final check to your final inspection checklist so packing never starts before inspection is complete.
• Mark printed copies of the instruction as uncontrolled with the PDF watermark tool, so only the current revision is trusted.

Common mistakes

• No line clearance between orders. Clear and sign before every order, including the printer tray and scrap area.
• Printing spare labels “just in case”. Print what the order needs and reconcile every label.
• Checking the label against the last carton instead of the order. Check the first label against the work order and the label master.
• Reusing an old piece weight on the counting scale. Take a new sample weight for every lot.
• The packer checks their own work. Use a second trained person for the verification step.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. GS1 General Specifications, GS1
2. ISO 780, Packaging — Distribution packaging — Graphical symbols for handling and storage of packages, ISO
3. 21 CFR Part 820, Quality Management System Regulation, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
4. ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems — Requirements (clause 8.5.4, preservation), ISO

See also

• How to write a work instruction (Work Instructions pillar)
• Blank work instruction template (.docx)
• Final inspection checklist
• AQL sampling calculator
• Visual work instruction template
• CNC machine setup work instruction example
• Torque sequence work instruction example
• MIG welding setup work instruction example
• Cleanroom gowning work instruction example