Training and Supervision of Food Handlers

Today, I want to talk about training and supervision of food handlers.

It is a legal requirement that all food handlers are supervised, instructed, and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities. The purpose of food safety training is to ensure that staff know how to produce safe food.

Responsibilities

Management should ensure that sufficient resources are available for training employees and that training needs are reviewed periodically. It is important that the company’s requirements for training of staff are met.

At a site level, the manager, supervisor or head chef should ensure that when employees are inducted into the business, they receive training in food safety, including personal hygiene. Site level management should ensure that food safety standards are monitored and staff are retrained where necessary. On the job, practical training will also be required. Records of all training should be kept.

What type of training should be undertaken?

Induction training

As part of inducting new staff, they should receive information about basic food safety and hygiene principles. This should be before they start work. They should also be provided with some ‘personal hygiene and food safety rules’ to read and sign. These ‘rules’ should be determined by the company in line with their requirements. This is good practice as it helps to communicate to employees the standards that are required of them and the responsibilities they have.

Here are some examples of the rules and responsibilities that a company may require of food handlers:

• Arrive at work clean, keep yourself clean and wear clean protective clothing, including an adequate head covering. Long hair must be tied up and secured so not to pose a risk of contamination.
• Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly (using anti-bacterial soap). This includes: before starting work, before handling food, after using the toilet, after handling raw foods or waste, after every break, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, and as often as possible during the day.
• Report any illness to management.  Tell your supervisor before commencing work if you have diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, nausea, fever, jaundice, infected skin, nose or throat infections, or if someone living with you has diarrhoea or vomiting.
• If you fall ill at work, leave the food handling area immediately and inform your manager/supervisor.
• Ensure cuts and sores are completely covered with a waterproof, high visibility dressing.
• Avoid unnecessary handling of food.
• Do not smoke, eat, chew gum or drink in a food room and never cough or sneeze over food. 
• Nail varnish and false nails must not be worn.  Nails must be kept short and clean.
• Jewellery must not present a risk of contamination. Only a plain wedding band is acceptable.
• Outdoor clothing and personal effects must not be brought into any food areas.
• Do not prepare food too far in advance of service/sale.
• Keep high-risk food either refrigerated (i.e., below 8°C but preferably between 1 – 5°C) or piping hot (i.e., above 63°C).
• Keep the preparation, handling and storage of raw and cooked/ready-to-eat food strictly separate.
• When cooking food, ensure the centre temperature reaches 75°C for at least 30 seconds (or equivalent).
• When re-heating food, ensure it gets piping hot and reaches a core temperature of at least 75°C for at least 30 seconds (or equivalent).
• Clean as you go.  Keep all equipment and surfaces clean and disinfected. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using cleaning products. Ensure food contact and hand contact surfaces are thoroughly disinfected/sanitised.
• Follow any food safety instructions either on food packaging or from your manager/supervisor.
• Food allergy can kill. It is important you always give correct information about the ingredients in food. If you don’t know, check with a senior member of staff and if you can’t find out – say so.
• If you see something wrong, tell your manager/supervisor

Hygiene awareness instruction

Site management including head chefs, managers and supervisors are generally responsible for training staff to follow safe food handling practices and that each member of staff knows the safe methods to follow for the tasks they are required to undertake. This will generally include ‘on the job’ training.

Formal training

It is good practice for food handlers to receive formal training in food safety and hygiene. While there is no legal requirement for a food hygiene exam to be undertaken or a certificate to be held, a formal food hygiene certificate is an effective way of demonstrating that an adequate level of training has been provided and that a staff member has understood the training. For most food handlers, training to Level 2 in Food Safety and Hygiene would be appropriate. Staff who are responsible for the development and maintenance of HACCP-based Food Safety Management procedures are required to be trained in the HACCP principles.

If a business opts to use a third-party to provide training, which many businesses do, then the business needs to ensure that third-party training and training materials align with the business’s food safety management system. Additionally, company-specific training should be provided for any elements that are not covered in a third-party training course.

Refresher training is important as things can change and people can forget. Whilst not a legal requirement, formal food hygiene training should ideally be refreshed every 3 years.

When food handlers reach a supervisory level, consideration should be given to formal training to Level 3 in food safety and Level 4 for management.

Training requirements

It is essential that training provided to staff is relevant to the job role and clearly linked to food safety hazards and controls that apply to their job role and the tasks they are required to carry out. Training must be delivered in an effective way and it must be understood by each staff member. This is likely to mean that different styles of training are required to different staff members, as everyone learns in different ways.

Supervision and instruction

Supervision of food handlers is very important to ensure that food safety procedures are being followed, that food is being prepared safely and to ensure that training provided is effective. Instruction is also important to ensure that staff work safely and hygienically.

It should be noted that new or less experienced staff are likely to need more supervision.

Additional instruction and supervision will be needed following legislation changes or the introduction of new processes or equipment. For example, vacuum packing or sous vide cooking methods.

Site management including manager, supervisor and head chef should observe food handlers to ensure they are working in line with safe methods. Good performance should be rewarded by giving positive feedback.

Where observation identifies that staff are not following certain safe methods, then they must be trained again to ensure they understand why it is important to follow the procedures.

It is important to recognise that if managers, supervisors and head chefs do not receive adequate training themselves, then this is likely to undermine the supervision, instruction and/ or training of the staff they supervise.

Record keeping

It is good practice to keep records for all of the food hygiene training and instruction provided.