PREPARED BY:
Environmental Health
DATE:
June 15, 2023
SUBJECT:
Food Handler Training
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE
The Ontario Food Premises Regulation 493/17 requires all operators of food premises to ensure that there is at least one food handler or supervisor onsite who has completed food handler training during every hour in which the premises is operating. Food handler training and certification must be obtained from an Ontario public health unit or another provider that is recognized by the Ontario Ministry of Health, and in accordance with the requirements outlined in the Food Safety Protocol, 2019 and the Operational Approaches for Food Safety Guideline, 2019.
The number of infractions in which a certified food handler was not onsite, in the most two years, during a public health inspection in Windsor and Essex County (WEC) is summarized in the table below.
|
Year |
# of Infractions (No Certified Food Handler Onsite) |
|---|---|
|
2022 |
252 |
|
2023 (current) |
124 |
The Environmental Health (EH) department offers a free online Food Handler course, in English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic languages. There is also a Food Handler manual providing course material to help individuals prepare for the exam. The manual is available to in English and French that individuals can purchased for $10 and can be picked up at one of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit offices.
In-person certification exams are made available throughout WEC, in multiple languages, for a $10 fee. Individuals must register online to book their exam. A certification card is issued when a grade of 70 percent or higher is achieved and is valid for five years. This year WECHU has offered 28 exam sessions to date. An emerging challenge that the WECHU has identified are individuals registering to attend for examination, fulfilling one of the open spots, and not attending (average actual attendance is 72% of the available space). Based on this recent trend, we have adjusted exam registration capacity to ensure the classes are full at all times. We are also exploring opportunities to utilize larger spaces to accommodate more individuals at a time, that can be efficiently proctored with an efficient writer to proctor ratio.
DISCUSSION
In the fall, Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) will begin issuing fines to food premises operators who are non-compliant with the O. Reg. 493/17 requirement to have at least one certified food handler onsite during every hour in which the premise is operating. In accordance with (items 248 and 249) of the Provincial Offenses Act, charges will be issued for the total amount of $385 ($305 set fine, plus $75 victim fine surcharge and $5 fee) Schedule 41 Ontario Provincial Penalties O. Reg. 161/00: VICTIM FINE SURCHARGES under Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.33. In the months leading to this deadline, operators will be provided with education and appropriate notice of this upcoming enforcement action. The EH department will continue increase the number of exam dates available throughout WEC locations to satisfy any additional demand that arises.