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Employee Education

Introduction: Certified managers are responsible as stated in the current Rhode Island Food Code for the food safety training of all employees. Developing and implementing a food safety training program is critical to maintaining an environment in which all reasonable efforts are taken to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. The final report of an FDA Ad Hoc Committee on Training stated that "80% of all foodborne illness can be traced to a procedural problem due to the actions of employees who either did not know or understand the value of using designated procedures to keep food from becoming contaminated" ( McSwane, Rue, Linton, 1998). Employees need: Knowledge of what is expected of them Motivation to do the right thing at the right time A work environment that encourages and rewards correct food safety behaviors Motivating Employees The key to motivating employees to want to learn requires an understanding of the adult learner. Adult learners, to learn, must be emotionally comfortable with the learning situation. This includes not only the physical setting (size of the room, temperature, and lighting, etc.) but also their readiness to learn. Below are listed adult education principles that can serve as a guide in developing and implementing training programs: Motivation to learn is critical. Adult learners need to feel they will benefit from the training. Adults retain what is relevant to them and what they need to do their job. If they see where they will apply the information, they will be motivated and learn better. People learn in different ways and at different speeds. People learn best by doing which includes active participation in the learning process. Adults will learn best if a variety of training material is used. Everyone does not learn the same way. Use a variety of methods of presenting material, which provides different ways to learn. Reinforce learning by praise and rewards. The employee who is praised and/or rewarded for applying what they have learned may give incentives to other employees to improve their knowledge. Treat adult learners with respect. There is no such thing as a "dumb" question. If more information is needed, perhaps the meaning was not clear. Adults embarrass easily and need positive feedback to overcome feelings of inadequacy. Short sessions (15-60 minutes) are most effective. Vary the method of presentation so learners will not be bored. Learners like feedback on their ability to apply what they have learned. Evaluate and inform learners of their progress. Know the level of understanding of the adult learners and present material they can easily understand. When employees know what is expected and how to do it, the usual result is satisfactory performance. Developing a Training/Education Plan Training is a planned series of events including sharing information and opportunities to put shared information into practice. It usually includes five phases. In phase one the learner sees and accepts training. Phase two focuses on acquiring knowledge-learning what, how and why. In the third and fourth phases the learner learns to do, receives feedback, practices what is learned and succeeds. Phase five focuses on the learner performance on the job. He knows what is expected and how to do the job. Positive rewards and achievement, as well as reinforcement of correct performance, are also part of this phase. The first step in the development of a training program is to determine the training needs. In order to determine the training needs, the manager must understand what skills and behaviors are required to perform the job. This is called a task analysis. A task analysis is simply looking at the job to be done and dividing it into small tasks. These tasks are then listed in the order that they should be performed. All employees need to know and apply specific food safety principles in their work. They should be able to demonstrate the following food safety competencies/tasks: Demonstrate the double handwashing procedure and state when it must be used. Show how to correctly clean and sanitize a food contact surface. Show how to cook hamburgers, chicken, fish, turkey, etc. and verify that the end temperature and time is correct according to the Food Code. Show how to cool food safely. Describe how to make a safe salad. Describe how leftovers are handled. List the "hazards" and controls associated with her new job. Describe how to monitor each hazard control to assure that it was done correctly. List criteria for purchasing and handling food served as purchased. Show how to transport, hold and serve food hot and cold. This list of expected behaviors/competencies now becomes the training outline. This outline should include competencies that are required of workers by the Food Code as well as those expected by the employer. The manager also needs to know the level of knowledge/practice of the expected behaviors/competencies. Once the topics to be presented in the training sessions have been determined, the next step is to determine time, location, method, length of the training sessions and the resources to be used. Passive learning is one of the least effective training methods. Examples of passive learning are lectures, slides, videos and flip charts. Sharing information about food safety principles does not insure that the principles will be put into practice. People most often will only remember 10% of the material that was presented through passive learning. Passive learning combined with demonstrations may insure that the principles presented are put into practice. These sessions should be short and to the point. The training will be even more effective if the employees have an opportunity to demonstrate to the manager their mastery of the food safety principles. For example if the training topic is "handwashing", first review the steps for the double handwash using a visual to illustrate, then have the employees partner and actually observe each other washing their hands. Today, there is a wide variety of training resources available to the manager. They include numerous books, pamphlets, videos, home study courses using CD-ROM and other computer-assisted learning programs. The training method and materials selected should be based on the literacy level of the employees. The training material should be accurate, factual and up to date. It should be attractive, using eye catching visuals, which makes the information presented memorable. Evaluation of any training session is critical. It is important that the manager know if the method and materials chosen have had an impact on food safety behaviors. Evaluation can provide feedback to both the employee and manager as to the effectiveness of the training. It can also help determine the content of future training sessions. Remember to keep in mind the adult education principles when planning and implementing training sessions.   Training Resources There are numerous sources for training materials. Many national organizations offer a wide variety of resources specifically designed for the foodservice worker. The websites listed below will guide you to a variety of training materials available from government agencies and private industry and trade associations. Books Jones, Julie Miller. Food Safety. St. Paul, MN, Eagan Press, 1992 Loken, Joan, K. The HACCP Food Safety Manual. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1995. McSwane, David, Nancy Rue, Richard Linton. Essentials of Food Safety and Sanitation. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 1998. ServSafe Coursebook, First Edition. Chicago, IL, Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association, 1999. Web Sites http://www.foodsafety.org is a compilation of food safety database information from government, consumer and public health organizations. http://www.usda.gov is a site that includes current food safety information from USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and listings of food safety curricula available through the USDA Agricultural Library. http://www.ificinfo.health.org is the site for the International Food Information Council which provides information on a variety of current food safety issues. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/ is the site for the FDA. This includes information like the most current model food code and the "Bad Bug Book". Works Cited 1. Daves, William. How to Teach Adults. Manhattan, KS, The Learning Resources Network. 1984. 2. McSwane, David, Nancy Rue, Richard Linton. Essentials of Food Safety and Sanitation. Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall, 1998. 3. ServSafe Coursebook, First Edition. Chicago, IL, Educational Foundation of the National Restaurant Association, 1999. Revised 6/00 University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Food Safety Education