The document provides suggestions for effecting positive cultural change around food safety in the workplace. It recommends that leaders clearly commit to food safety through policy and procedures, involve staff in planning and issues, and encourage participation by promoting open communication and rewarding good practices. Regular review of performance data and feedback can then help maintain and improve the food safety culture.
The document provides suggestions for effecting positive cultural change around food safety in the workplace. It recommends that leaders clearly commit to food safety through policy and procedures, involve staff in planning and issues, and encourage participation by promoting open communication and rewarding good practices. Regular review of performance data and feedback can then help maintain and improve the food safety culture.
The document provides suggestions for effecting positive cultural change around food safety in the workplace. It recommends that leaders clearly commit to food safety through policy and procedures, involve staff in planning and issues, and encourage participation by promoting open communication and rewarding good practices. Regular review of performance data and feedback can then help maintain and improve the food safety culture.
The document provides suggestions for effecting positive cultural change around food safety in the workplace. It recommends that leaders clearly commit to food safety through policy and procedures, involve staff in planning and issues, and encourage participation by promoting open communication and rewarding good practices. Regular review of performance data and feedback can then help maintain and improve the food safety culture.
Below is a list of suggested activities and actions to effect a positive cultural change in your workplace.
Use and adapt
them to cater for your specific needs.
1. Commit to food safety
Create the climate for change
Clearly show that you believe food safety is a top priority. Show your commitment through your personal and business practices.
Leadership
Develop a Food Safety Policy for your business and put it into action
Have clear food safety procedures that are visible to staff and visitors
Make food safety a priority of your business by featuring it on your website or social media page
Report on food safety in the business and share with all team members together with actions to be taken on issues
Show enthusiasm and interest in food safety
Be ready to act on food safety issues when they are raised and explain your actions
Workplace environment
Include your staff when planning ways to raise the importance of food safety in your business
Understand the food safety risks in your business and explain them simply to staff
Explain to staff and other why food safety is important to you and your business
Walk around your business, talk to staff and find out what their food safety concerns or issues are
Monitor customer/consumer feedback and share this with all team members
Data collection and assessment
Document the food safety risks in your business and review your documents regularly
Check that control measures are put in place and are working as planned
2. Get involved
Start shaping the culture.
When supervisors and managers are actively involved in food safety, workers are more likely to get on board. They will follow procedures willingly and be more confident to raise issues that could be important to food safety. You can help
1/3 improve everyone’s attitude by leading by example.
Leadership
Lead by example! Show your team members how you expect them to behave.
If your workers are required to wear personal protective gear, you should too Openly follow food safety procedures Take part in food safety training
Set goals for the food safety culture you want in your business (including attitudes and behaviours) and regularly check progress against these goals
Formally communicate your focus on food safety to everyone involved in your business by regularly communicating with emails and team meetings.
Make sure supervisors all use the same approach to food safety when working with their teams
Workplace environment
Help with identifying hazards in the workplace and developing food safety procedures
Put systems in place to communicate food safety (both upwards and downwards in the business). Remember listening is as important as talking
Hold regular presentations (formal or informal) to talk about food safety
Give regular feedback about the food safety practices in your workplace and help improve them
Staff knowledge
Include information on ways to communicate with management about food safety issues and ideas (e.g. Plans and inductions)
Communicate the importance of food safety in different ways so everyone can understand the message (e.g. Through talks, emails, posters, videos and practical demonstrations)
Relationship with regulators
Take advantage of your regulator’s knowledge and experience when they interact with your business - ask for their advice on how best to make improvements
3. Encourage participation
Build the culture.
You can improve the culture in your workplace by encouraging others to get on board with your approach towards food safety. This can include the way you speak about food safety, respond to issues and involve others in thinking about and acting on issues.
Workplace environment
Promote an open, positive environment to dealing with concerns
Talk to your managers and staff about food safety practices
Make time to attend meetings, site visits and training and actively contribute to your business’s food safety management practices
Walk around your business and speak to your staff about food safety
Regularly reward your workers’ contributions and give prompt feedback on safety issues
Act on feedback, or give reasons why you didn’t
2/3 Staff knowledge
Schedule regular paid time for workers to talk about and act on food safety issues. This could include:
Developing food safety procedures
Maintaining tools and equipment Making changes to the workplace that promote food safety Refreshing their knowledge of good hygiene practices
Inform new staff of the health and hygiene practices and procedures you have in place
Have a formal way of quickly and easily raising and resolving potential food safety issues (eg. Verbally, or through a form/email template)
Reward and recognise good food safety practices in a few different ways (eg. Spoken and written encouragement, awards and opportunities for promotion)
Relationship with regulators
Join your regulator or employer association’s food safety network or leadership program and learn from others who are facing the same issues
4. Review your performance
Build the culture.
Once you have set things in place to achieve a good food safety culture in your business, you will need to regularly check your systems and activities to make sure your improvements are working and are maintained.
Workplace environment
Be aware of what’s happening on the ground, including activities carried out internally or by contractors
Encourage your workers to report food safety incidents - and learn from these
Take a personal interest in staying up to date on food safety
Staff knowledge
Encourage staff to seek advice as needed from experts (either within or outside the business) about how best to manage food safety risks to build their knowledge
Encourage staff to provide feedback on food safety training they have received to identify any gaps or inconsistencies
Appoint a food safety coach from within the business, for other team members to approach
Data collection and assessment
Include food safety in your business planning and make sure you consider food safety during times of change
Share testing data and analysis and other food safety-related information with your workers; for example, customer complaint trends, allergen testing (if applicable)
Review your safety performance and issues reports, and act on any emerging trends before a problem comes up
Address any problems when they are identified from reviewing performance
Relationship with regulators
Review and act on feedback in your audits and consult with your regulator on anything that you’re not clear on
