Advantage Good Agricultural
Practices Manual
10.1 Training
Workers
can inadvertently cause a food safety hazard if they are not properly trained.
This
Good Agricultural Practice applies to:
All farms.
Worker:
Includes owner; family members; supervisors; full-time, part-time and
seasonal workers; and volunteers.
Benefits of training:
Well-trained
workers can improve productivity and generally need less supervision.
What
needs to be done
Provide appropriate training that impacts food safety
and make refresher training and training materials readily available.
How
to do it
Based on the "What Applies to My Farm?" worksheet,
identify training that is important to your operation for food safety.
- For each subject area, provide training that consists of:
- An explanation
of the food safety hazard
- Instructions on dealing with the food safety
hazard
- Roles and responsibilities
- What to do when something goes
wrong
Establish a training schedule
Make sure all
new workers receive full training if they don't already have the qualifications.
Make
sure experienced workers have refresher training at regular intervals.
Train
workers
Make sure all workers have a good understanding of expectations
for basic practices and agree to follow the practices.
Make these practices
part of the training program for all new workers at the start of employment. Make
refresher training available to all workers as required to ensure food, water
and packaging materials are not contaminated.
Evaluate training
Evaluate
workers' learning through questioning and discussion to determine comprehension.
Review
training needs and communicate to workers when:
- Incorrect practices
are observed
- A practice is changed or altered
Tips for effective
training
- Keep training sessions to one or two subjects, and train
more frequently.
- Have someone with experience in the subject deliver the
training.
- Encourage active participation by workers.
- Where possible,
choose training materials that use simple language and graphics.
In
general
Take advantage of existing training opportunities and training
aids? (e.g. videos, fact sheets, booklets, posters).
Good supervision ensures
that practices are followed.
Did you know?
People retain:
10% of what they read
20% of what they hear
30% of what they see
50%
of what they see and hear
70% of what they say as they talk
90% of what
they say as they do
Records to keep
Worker Training Record.
We have provided a record
template for your use in the Training and Support Tools section. A printable
version is also available. Or keep your own record that includes:
- Date of training
- Initial or Refresher Training
- Name
of trainer
- Name of worker
- Material covered
- Initials of
worker
Training opportunities
- Food Handler
Training Course
- Livestock Medicines Education Program
- Grower Pesticide
Safety Course
- First Aid training
- Environmental Farm Plan
- Nutrient
Management training
- Government and industry extension programs and courses
If you need an audit
Be prepared for the auditor to review:
Laws and regulations that apply
The
Pesticides Act, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 914 sets out requirements for certificates
for licensed exterminators, technicians and trainees and limits on what they can
do with certain pesticides. All assistants who handle Schedule 2 and 5 pesticides
under the supervision of a certified grower should have safety training approved
by the Ministry of the Environment. Landowners involved in pesticide application
as part of a business (e.g. farming) are also required to take a Grower Pesticide
Safety Course.
Other legislation to be aware of:
"New
Guidelines for Farming Operations," under the Occupational Health and Safety
Act, June 2006, specifies that the employer should instruct workers on safe handling
procedures and proper personal hygiene techniques to minimize contact with chemical
or biological hazards. While this is not directly required for food safety reasons,
many safe handling procedures impact on food safety, such as preventing cross-contamination.
