Cleaning Crew Training

The individual contribution of everyone involved in cleaning and sanitation is essential to the overall success of a sanitation program.

Job-specific training is the process by which cleaning and sanitation crew members are:

• Made aware of why correct completion of their individual tasks is so important to food safety
• Informed of their individual roles and responsibilities Instructed how to carry out those tasks correctly.

Begin training by emphasizing the relationship between proper cleaning and sanitation and the hazards that can cause foodborne illness. This may include an overview of biological, chemical and physical hazards associated with the food being packed/processed as well as the various methods and chemicals used for effective cleaning and sanitation. Employees must be able to easily connect the relevance of what is being presented to the jobs they are being asked to do.

Each piece of equipment and/or sanitation task should have a comprehensive, but simply stated, list of procedures that must be followed for cleaning, sanitation, and inspection of walls, equipment, food contact surfaces, utensils and floors (a Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure or SSOP). Training should review these procedures as they relate to the employees being trained. Throughout the training, employees should understand that their contribution to the cleaning and sanitation program is critical to the safety of the food product.

Training should also include proper mixing, use, handling, and storage of cleaning and sanitation chemicals; use of personal protective equipment (PPE); and where to find and how to read Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

• Explain how to complete the required documentation and its importance to food safety.
• Each employee must have easy access to all written SSOPs that are applicable to his or her roles and responsibilities.

Training must not be restricted to new employees. Established employees, including managers and supervisors, should also receive ongoing training at least annually or when there are changes to the cleaning and sanitation procedures. It is important that backup personnel also receive the same training for tasks they might be required to perform on a fill-in basis.

Training Delivery

For training to be credible to employees, it should be delivered by qualified individuals who have practical experience in cleaning and sanitation. Trainers should also be able to relate their knowledge/experience to the specific learning needs of individual trainees.

Adults learn best when the learning approach is participatory, problem-centred and relevant to their immediate circumstance. Skills and information that are immediately applicable to the job are most often remembered. Encourage active participation in training sessions by drawing on the trainee’s experience. Listen and respond respectfully to trainee questions and concerns.