In short
- What the rule is
- Category one and category two businesses must appoint a food safety supervisor who holds a certificate issued in the previous five years (clause 11).
- Who it applies to
- Every business the standard covers, appointed before it carries out a prescribed activity.
- What you need to do
- Name a supervisor, or several to cover your hours and sites, check the certificate's issue date, and keep a copy where you can show it.
- What this does not require
- Food handlers do not need the supervisor's certificate, and no particular training provider is required.
What the rule says
Clause 11 of Standard 3.2.2A requires a business to appoint a food safety supervisor before it carries out a prescribed activity. The supervisor must be reasonably available to advise and supervise each food handler while that activity happens.
The supervisor's certificate must have been issued within the previous five years. The five years run from the date the certificate was issued, not from the date the person was appointed. The Standard itself says the certificate comes from a registered training organisation.
WA Health names the units it accepts. The main one is the skill set SITSS00069, made up of SITXFSA005 and SITXFSA006. SIRRFSA001, HLTSS00061 and SITSS00051 are also accepted. This list is WA Health policy rather than words in the Standard, so another state may differ.
Who it applies to
Both categories under Standard 3.2.2A. The duty sits with the business, not with the supervisor personally.
By sector: Restaurants and Bars, Hotels and Clubs
What it looks like in practice
Name the supervisor in writing and make sure staff know who it is. One person may not be enough: a kitchen open seven days, or a business with several sites, may need more than one supervisor to be reasonably available through its hours.
Guidance, not law
WA guidance treats an absence of more than about a month as calling for a replacement supervisor. WA also expects the certificate to be produceable at the premises, which is why most venues keep a copy on site. The Standard itself names no storage form; what must be demonstrable is the appointment.
Watch the issue date on the certificate. A supervisor needs a new certificate before five years pass from the issue date of the current one.
What you are not required to do
- The Standard says reasonably available, not present at every moment. What that means for your roster is a question for your environmental health officer.
- Food handlers do not need the supervisor's certificate. They need training or matching skills and knowledge under clause 10.
- No particular training provider is required, as long as it is a registered training organisation and the units are ones WA accepts.
Doing it in Hospitality Shield
Upload the supervisor's certificate to your venue's documents in Hospitality Shield. Enter the issue date and the five year expiry is worked out from it.
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Asked about this rule
How long is a food safety supervisor certificate valid?
The Standard requires a certificate issued within the previous five years. The five years run from the date the certificate was issued, not from when the person was appointed.
Can one supervisor cover two venues?
The Standard asks that the supervisor be reasonably available to advise and supervise. Whether one person can do that for two sites depends on the sites and the hours; WA guidance notes that several supervisors may be needed across shifts or sites.
Which course do I need in WA?
WA Health accepts the skill set SITSS00069 (units SITXFSA005 and SITXFSA006), and also SIRRFSA001, HLTSS00061 and SITSS00051. This is WA policy. Check the current codes before you enrol.
What if our supervisor leaves?
A supervisor has to be appointed before any prescribed activity, so appoint a replacement. WA guidance treats an absence of more than about a month as calling for one.
Sources
- Standard 3.2.2A Food Safety Management Tools, Federal Register of Legislation
- Food safety supervisor, Food Standards Australia New Zealand
- Food safety supervisor, WA Department of Health
- Regulatory Guideline 7: food safety supervisor certification requirements, WA Department of Health
- Guide for food businesses on Food Safety Standard 3.2.2A, WA Department of Health
General information about the rules in Western Australia. It is not legal advice. Your local government's environmental health officer decides how the rules apply to your premises.