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Food Safety Week – Focus on Food Hygiene Training

Food Safety Week – Focus on Food Hygiene Training

by | Jun 17, 2021 | Food Safety, Health and Safety, News

14th June to 20th June is Food Safety Week, and as anything related to food immediately grabs my attention, I was interested in finding out more. This led me to think about why Food Hygiene Training is so important and what the Food Hygiene ratings mean.

We all know that when we go for a meal or get a takeaway, that the establishment tends to post their ‘food hygiene’ rating on a sticker on the door or window (and if you’re anything like me, you won’t eat there if they’re rated below a 4 or 5) but how many of us know what the Food hygiene ratings represent and what the venue must do to score highly?

The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

The Food Hygiene Rating scheme was established by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to rate food businesses within the UK based on their safety standards and hygiene levels. It applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland with Scotland having their own system, the Food Hygiene Information Scheme.

Government advice states that all premises must ensure that:

  • food is safe to eat
  • they don’t add, remove, or treat food in a way that makes it harmful to eat
  • the food is the same quality that they say it is
  • they don’t mislead people by the way food is labelled, advertised, or marketed
  • they keep records on the traceability of food and show this information on demand
  • they withdraw unsafe food and complete an incident report
  • they tell people why food has been withdrawn or recalled, for example by using a leaflet or poster
  • they display your food hygiene rating (if they sell food directly to the public)

Food Hygiene Rating Sticker

When a new business supplying, selling or involved in the consumption of food opens, an Environmental Health Officer is sent by the Food Standards Agency to inspect the premises and they will award a Food Hygiene Rating reflecting the standards of food hygiene found on the date of the inspection by the local authority. The food hygiene rating is not a guide to food quality and are ranked from 0 – 5 (see below).

  • 5 – hygiene standards are very good
  • 4 – hygiene standards are good
  • 3 – hygiene standards are generally satisfactory
  • 2 – some improvement is necessary
  • 1 – major improvement is necessary
  • 0 – urgent improvement is required

Food Safety Inspections

At the Food Safety Inspection, the Environmental Health Office will check the following things:

  • how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored
  • the physical condition of the business –including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities
  • how the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training, and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future

To achieve a Level 5 rating, businesses must meet all the criteria above. If they do not achieve this rating, the Environmental Health Officer will explain the actions they can take to improve their Hygiene Rating in the future.

The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer.

Many organisations like to undertake training to help them achieve and retain the Level 5 rating such as our Achieving Food Rating Level 5 Training Course.

Food Hygiene Training Courses

Food Hygiene Training for Employees

In addition to ensuring that the standards of their establishment meet Government requirements, by law food business operators must ensure that all food handlers employed by them receive the appropriate supervision and training in food hygiene.

Training must be relevant to the area they work in and will enable them to handle food in the safest way. Employers can offer a formal training programme or informal training, such as on the job training or self-study.

Many organisations choose to use online training courses for their staff training for the following reasons:

  • Online Food Hygiene Training is quick and easy to access
  • Employees can complete their training at a time to suit them
  • Employees receive a certificate at the end of their training.
  • Here at REALSENSE, all our courses give access to our unique Learning Management System Activbase which will also log all staff training records so that employers can monitor staff progress and always ensure staff compliance.

Our courses include Level 1 Food Safety training course and Level 2 Food Safety for the Catering, Retail or Manufacturing industry.

 

How do I know which training is most suitable for my employees?

LEVEL 1

Level 1 Food Safety Training is for all staff who work in a food production or retail business and who handle wrapped or low risk foods. This training covers the basic requirements of food hygiene and safety such as:

  • Food safety legislation
  • Contamination and potential hazards
  • How to keep work areas clean
  • Personal Hygiene

This course would be suitable for check out staff, those handling food in a warehouse, waiters or waitresses and other roles that deal with low risk or wrapped food.

LEVEL 2

Level 2 Food Safety Training is the most in-demand course for employees involved in the handling, preparation and serving of food. In addition to the areas covered in the Level 1 training, the Level 2 course:

  • Provides users with an advanced awareness of the dangers arising from poor food safety
  • Gives a thorough understanding of the relevant law and legislation
  • Makes learners aware of their legal responsibility when handling food
  • Ensures learners have a detailed knowledge of how to control and prevent contamination and risk.

The Level 2 course is used in many environments, including (but not limited to) restaurants, pubs, hotels, takeaways, supermarkets and retail environments, mobile food trucks, hospitals, schools, nurseries and by food and drink manufacturers.

We provide courses specific to the Catering, Manufacturing and Retail industries and can help ensure that all industries achieve Food Hygiene Safety Compliance.

For a free trial of any of these courses or for more information, please get in touch.

Level 1 Food Safety (Catering) Training

Level 2 Food Safety for Catering Training

Supervising Food Safety Level 3 Training

Achieving Food Hygiene Rating Level 5 Training

 

Pride Month 2021 – The Importance of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Workplace

Pride Month 2021 – The Importance of LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in the Workplace

by | Jun 15, 2021 | Health and Wellbeing, News

June 2021 marks Pride Month, with celebrations and parades taking place around the world.

We can all show our support in different ways, including by educating ourselves and those who work with us.

Pride Month is celebrated every year as a tribute to those who were involved in the Stonewall Riots of 1969. On 28th June of that year, a gay club in Greenwich Village, New York, was raided by Police. The raid of club – The Stonewall Inn – led to rioting by staff, local residents and gay rights activists and as the riots progressed, this became a catalyst for the birth of the gay rights movement in the United States and around the world. The message was clear – protestors were demanding the right to be open about their sexual orientation and live a life free from prejudice.

After years of lobbying and other discrimination laws being passed, The Equality Act (2010) was agreed. The Act was introduced to legally protect people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. Amongst other things, the Act states that that no individual must be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. So, whether you’re gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual, discrimination at work is unlawful and employers have a legal obligation to protect all their staff, avoid discrimination and provide a working environment that is free from prejudice.

Despite this, inclusion is still not a given and almost one in five LGBTQ staff have been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues due to their sexual orientation. Clearly, there is more to be done and additional steps that organisations can take to help raise staff awareness regarding the inclusion of LGBTQ staff in the workplace. Below we share some examples of actions you can take this Pride Month and beyond to help create a working environment that is free from prejudice whilst demonstrating respect and inclusivity towards your LGBTQ Staff.

Know your staff

Be aware of the assumptions you make and be mindful of all people’s feelings. Staff who feel valued and accepted are happier and more productive. Take some time to learn about LGBTQ issues and gender identity and show your support for awareness days and support the local LGBTQ Community during Pride Month.

LGBTQ+ Policies and Procedures

An organisation’s policies and procedures should be relevant and easily accessible, and staff should be confident in implementing them. Ensure your policies explain how you as an employer support the LGBTQ staff in your organisation and take discrimination seriously. A clear Anti-Harassment and Bullying Policy should be made available to all staff and your policies on parental leave, benefits and so on should all be written inclusively.

Educate Your Staff About LGBTQ+ Equality

Ensure your business culture promotes equality and diversity and that all staff understand the behaviour that is classed as discrimination. The LQBTQ community can still face stereotyping and have assumptions made about them so try to ensure you use inclusive language in all communications and help your employees recognise that LGBTQ is an important part of your organisation’s values.

LGBTQ+ Training

Organisations that offer LGBTQ+ Training in the workplace alongside other Equality and Diversity training immediately demonstrate their commitment to inclusion and ensure that all their staff have access to the relevant information needed to create a fully inclusive workplace that is free from prejudice. If training is recorded through a learning management system, employers can keep track of their employees’ progress and quickly identify additional training needs.

REALSENSE have carried out extensive research to determine what employers can do to ensure they deliver a more inclusive workplace and we can provide your organisation with all the information you need.

Our powerful LGBTQ Awareness online training course covers:

  • Gender and Sexual Orientation Terminology
  • Law and Legislation, Harassment and Victimisation
  • Prejudice and Discrimination
  • Benefits of an Inclusive Environment
  • Assessment – employees taking this training course will complete an assessment to ensure that they understand the course content and to demonstrate their increased awareness of issues.

Let us help you to support your staff

You can find more information about our LGBTQ Awareness online training as well as our other HR and employment courses here. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us to discuss your needs, or just to ask for advice or support with the best way to train your staff.

 

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 – News, Views, Hints and Tips

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 – News, Views, Hints and Tips

by | May 10, 2021 | Coronavirus (Covid-19), Customer and Partner News, Health and Wellbeing, Product News

This Mental Health Awareness Week, REALSENSE are proud to play our part in removing the stigma around mental health issues in the workplace and be involved in starting conversations about mental health and the things in our daily lives that can affect it by offering free access to our Mental Health Awareness Online Training Course, developed with our partners Zentano (See free code information below).

Mental health problems in the workplace are common, with at least one in four employees experiencing issues with their mental health including anxiety and depression. According to the CIPD, early indications suggest that:

“the Covid-19 pandemic (and measures taken by government to control it such as lockdown and social distancing) will have a significant impact upon the mental health of employees. It is very possible that these mental health implications will be felt for many months or even years”.

In addition to this, over the last year, some employees have experienced bereavement, others may have had changes to their health such as long-Covid and the increase in employee reliance on alcohol and drugs whilst working from home has been well documented (See our previous article here).

It is more important than ever that employers help reduce the stigma some employees still feel regarding mental health and try to ensure that everyone feels comfortable and confident to openly talk about any problems they may be experiencing. Why not use this Mental Health Awareness Week to talk to your employees about how they’re really feeling?

How Can I Support The Mental Health of My Employees?

Workplaces should continuously strive to provide a mentally well workplace by promoting a work/life balance and by ensuring that employees take regular breaks and know who to ask for help when they need it. Reasonable adjustments should be made to reduce stress in the workplace and many employees might need more support than previously in post-pandemic times.

Managers and supervisors can benefit from Mental Health Awareness training to help them to understand how to help and support staff as a part of their ‘duty of care’ under the Health and Safety Act. Learning how to spot the signs of mental illness, stay mentally healthy and support others can also be a useful educational tool for all employees as a part of their health and wellbeing training.

Here at Realsense, we are delighted to work in partnership with Leadership and Coaching Specialists Zentano and together with Psychotherapist and Performance Psychologist Andy Flack, we have developed our Mental Health Awareness Training course for employers and employees to use within the context of Health and Wellbeing in the workplace.

Within the course, we offer support, hints and tips in addition to information and advice around mental health and support for employers to manage employee mental health in the workplace.

An example of our Hints and Tips for a Work/Life Balance is below:

Hints and Tips for a Work/Life Balance

At Work:

  • Set Manageable Goals
  • Be Efficient with Your Time
  • Ask for Flexibility If You Need It
  • Take Regular Breaks
  • Communicate
  • Be Kind to Yourself
  • End Your Working Day on Time

At Home:

  • Unplug your devices!
  • Don’t over-commit
  • Be Supported
  • Stay Active
  • Look After your Health
  • Prioritise Your own Well-being

Why is Mental Health Awareness Training Important?

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) “Globally, an estimated 264 million people suffer from depression, one of the leading causes of disability, with many of these people also suffering from symptoms of anxiety”.

A recent WHO-led study estimates that depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1trillion each year in lost productivity.

“Unemployment is a well-recognized risk factor for mental health problems, while returning to, or getting work is protective. However, a negative working environment may lead to physical and mental health problems, harmful use of substances or alcohol, absenteeism, and lost productivity. Workplaces that promote mental health and support people with mental disorders are more likely to reduce absenteeism, increase productivity and benefit from associated economic gains” explains the WHO-led study.

The World Health Organisation stresses that it is increasingly important that employers work towards PROTECTING mental health by reducing work-related stress factors, PROMOTING mental health by developing positive aspects of work and the strengths of employees and ADDRESSING mental health problems regardless of their cause. Mental Health Awareness training can help organisations to achieve all these things.

Within our Mental Health Awareness Training course, we use a simple model of the mind to understand mental health and explore the conscious and unconscious mind, our beliefs and their impact on mental health. The Mental health Continuum is explored including symptoms of various mental health conditions as well as the relationship between physical and mental health and the factors that may lead to mental health issues.

Throughout the course, learners will explore their own self-awareness and become aware of changes to look out for (behavioural, emotional, bodily and psychological changes). We introduce ways of maintaining good mental health with a focus on challenging thoughts and building resilience as well as including tips to deal with worry and information about supporting your own mental health and that of your employees.

The course includes a section specifically aimed at helping to support your mental health during the Covid 19 Pandemic as well as Tips to Manage Your Moods and Emotions.

This Mental Health Awareness week, why not make it a workplace priority to protect, promote and address mental health?

Mental Health Awareness Training Free Course Trial

If you or your employees could benefit from a free trial of our Mental Health Awareness Online Training course, please click on the link and use Promo Code RS-MHW-21 once the course is in your basket. No other purchase is necessary but please feel free to browse our website and contact us at sales@real-sense.com if there’s anything else we can help you with.