Food safety culture intervention – a worthwhile new year’s resolution
The beginning of the year is a psychological water shed. According to the Cambridge dictionary, a watershed is an event or period that is important because it represents a big change in how people do or think about something. Something about a new year, makes us want to think differently about things, make a fresh start.
So it is the perfect time to plan a food safety culture intervention.
January is usually preoccupied with planning activities for the rest of the year, or at least the next quarter. Hygiene refresher training, internal audits, food safety team meetings and more. So why not plan some food safety culture activities too? Here are some ideas.
1. Vision and policy review and team share
Our company vision should provide a unifying direction for us all. Now would be a good time to take it out again, discuss it with senior management (who are responsible for the vision) and then share with the team again. In explaining the vision, why not get the team to create a poster or collage to demonstrate their understanding of the vision? Post these in the canteen for a couple of weeks to share this enthusiasm.
2. Schedule communication
Have you got a food safety newsletter campaign going? Why not start one to communicate key information in a creative way? You can share important statistics like internal audit results, complaints, compliments, and some interesting food safety information. Why not link this to practices at home and encourage employees to take the newsletter home to share with their families?
3. Review documentation and changes that may have taken place in the company
The end of the year can get crazy, and changes can slip through that should be formalised. Make sure you have checked all the bases and updated documents. Involve the team in these changes.
4. Resolve to include the team in more food safety activities
Do you handle the food safety audits on your own? 2022 is the year to change this. Schedule other department managers to accompany the external auditors, participate in internal audits so they can see first-hand what is required.
5. Review your training
If you have been conducting induction and hygiene training the same way for years, then this year is the year you should spice it up a bit. Surprise employees by doing it differently. Why not get them to present the training? What about a skit to demonstrate training requirements? Short video clips from each department or a song? Anything to keep your colleagues engaged and interested.
So, the thing about new year’s resolutions is that they often fail. We do not apply ourselves consistently and our enthusiasm fizzles out. That is why we are here to encourage you to continue every week. Think of us as your own personal food safety culture coach. We got you and we know that you can do this.
