Key Questions for Operators
- Do you follow your own rules? Are you a good role model?
- Is everyone accountable for food safety?
- Do you provide ongoing job training, job evaluation and job verification?
- Do you provide your employees with job requirements?
- Do you provide your employees with reference materials?
- Do you have a sanitation reward program for good food safety practices?
- Do you have committees developed for all departments?
Before you start training employees, it is important for you to set goals and objectives. Remember that your main objective is to provide your employees with proper skills, attitudes, and behaviors which are needed to provide safe food. Explain to your employees that in order to reach the main goal of providing safe food, there are skills they need to learn through job training.
Promote Your Training Sessions
Here are a few points to include when promoting your job training programs:
- Tell your employees what new knowledge or habits they will gain.
- Tell your employees the subject areas you are teaching.
- Tell your employees the methods of teaching you will use.
- Tell your employees the date, day and time of each training period.
- Tell your employees the names of those who actually will do the training and describe those trainers' backgrounds.
Be Focused
Avoid overloading employees with too much of a good thing. There is only so much information that a person can digest in one session.
- Keep training sessions short (1 hour or less).
- Keep training sessions informal.
- Keep the training focused on food safety.
- Try not to drift to other business matters.
Be Prepared
Trainers should:
- Understand why there are food safety procedures.
- Understand the scientific principles that serve as a basis for all procedures.
- Have all resource materials on hand.
Be Sensitive
- Speak in a language that employees understand.
- Be aware of cultural diversity (young, old, immigrants, different cultures, physically challenged). Remember -- we all are different.
- Respond to all questions.
- Make sure all employees feel comfortable asking questions. There are no stupid questions.
- Place value on employees' opinions and suggestions. Praise them for their contributions.
Be Interesting & Keep It Fun
- Make the training session more interesting by using a multi-media approach.
- Try using video, overhead projections, computers, handouts, posters or blackboards to present information.
- Try to incorporate games, such as the White Powder Game: Use ten different white powder substances, such as salt, sugar, cleansers, baking powder, boric acid, flour, baby powder, and cream of tarter. Label the bags one through ten. Provide employees with sheets listing the names of the powders with blank spaces next to them and ask them to write the number of the bag next to the names of the powders. The game teaches the importance of labeling everything.
Be Helpful
- Assign each trainee a mentor, someone who already has been trained in that particular area. We all could use a helping hand from someone who is more experienced in the workplace.
- Offer additional training and education as needed.
- Encourage independent training, such as seminars and classes at a local community college.
Merchandise Safety
Let your customers know that food safety is a priority. Often, restaurants participating in local, state, or national food safety training programs can receive customized brochures and certified seals for doors, menus, walls, and uniforms. For example, the International Food Safety Council provides operators with table tents, brochure holders, tray liners, and takeout packaging labels once the establishment has completed the ServSafe™ program and received the seal of certification.
Get Training Help from FSA
Food Services of America is proud to present our Foodservice Employee Training Program. The topics in the program address key issues in the foodservice industry and provide solutions for everyday challenges that operators encounter.
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