12. Training and competency
Initial and induction training
How to ensure that all staff are sufficiently trained before working unsupervised
This article is written to meet the following sections of the Standards:
| BRCGS Food Safety Issue 8 | 7.1.1 Initial training |
| BRCGS Packaging Issue 6 | 6.1.1 Initial training |
| BRCGS Agents & Brokers Issue 3 | 5.1.1 Initial training and supervision |
| BRCGS Storage & Distribution Issue 4 | 8.1.1 Initial training |
| FSSC22000 Version 5.1 | No direct requirements. |
| IFS Food Version 7 | 3.3.2 Training before commencing work |
| SQF Edition 9 | No direct requirements. |
Induction
All staff must be appropriately trained prior to starting work.
Initial training is normally provided for staff in the form of an induction and should include:
- Training on the role that they’re to carry out, so they know what their responsibilities include.
- Company policies and procedures relevant to their role, including product safety control points.
- Awareness training; allergens, pests, product defence, right-product, right-pack.
- Inspection and testing procedures relevant to their role.
- General company rules, including site security and access procedures, clean-as-you-go and general cleaning principles.
- A basic introduction to hazard and risk management and awareness of company product safety control points.
- A qualification that’s equivalent to ‘basic food hygiene’ or Level 2 Food Safety.
New starters
When new staff join your team, you need to have a documented process for how you’re going to manage them. For example, are they going to be able to work alone? And if not, how will they be supervised while they’re in training? The most common way of doing this is to give new starters a buddy who looks after them.
You also need to define how long they’re able to work before they need to complete their initial training (induction).
Visitors
Visitors who have signed in don’t need to complete an induction, as they’re not to be left unsupervised. Where visiting contractors need to work unsupervised, they must complete an induction first.
Contractor induction
Contractors who are going to work unsupervised must complete a contractor induction, which provides them with sufficient training so that they can perform their contracted role.
A contracted provider may send different staff to carry out the required tasks. This means that each person will need to be inducted, and therefore this training must be tracked to ensure that only inducted contractors work alone.
Induction training materials
Where inductions are conducted using in-house training materials, these materials must contain document control information. The training materials must be controlled following the document management procedure.
Version controlled training materials must be available at audit, so the auditor can verify the training content that’s been delivered.
When training is completed using these training materials, the version control must be documented in the training records, so it’s clear which version of the training has been delivered.
External training
Where an external training provider is used to complete the basic food hygiene or Level 2 Food Safety qualification, then company specific information – such as colour coding and allergen policies for example, need to be provided as well as job-based training.
If a known training provider (like Techni-K) are used, then you don’t need to apply version control – as this is only needed for in-house training materials. It’s a good idea though, to have copies of the training specification for the course you’ve used. All reputable training providers will provide these. Our training specifications for our Food Safety & GMP training courses can be found on our website.
The training specification will provide the detail that your auditor is looking for – so that they can verify what the learners have been taught.
Basic food hygiene or Level 2 Food Safety?
All staff who handle product need to have completed a basic food safety course. This type of course was once called basic food hygiene training and then was superseded by Level 2 Food Safety.
Today, we think our Food Safety & GMP training courses for operatives are the new standard in this type of training. To find out more check out:
Surely within BRCGS V8 obtaining a qualification in “basic food hygiene” for food handlers is optional, as with “the following training options may be considered:” as opposed to “form of an induction and should include: A qualification that’s equivalent to ‘basic food hygiene’ or Level 2 Food Safety.” which indicates something entirely different to BRCGS.