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USDA Professional Standards Training – FoodSafetyForSchools.com

We have over 30 years of experience working with school districts in California. Fidelity Safety and Training LLC is a member of the California Schools Nutrition Association,  National Environmental Health Association, and Conference for Food Protection. We offer training in food safety, kitchen safety, food allergen safety,  forklift safety, HACCP, and HACCP program development. Other USDA Professional Standard Training is also available.  Contact us for more information or a no-obligation quote.

Food Service Training Requirements for Public Schools (PDF)
Training Matrix For Food Service Employees (PDF)
USDA Professional Standards Training Topics (PDF)

Certified Professional Food Safety Manager

Most states require each school food facility that prepares or serves unpackaged food to have at least one person certified as a Certified Professional Food Manager, also known as ServSafe® or Food Protection Manager. The exam we offer is ANSI/ASTM Accredited and approved nationally. Certification is good for five (5) years in most states.

You may send your employees to one of our regular in-person course locations or attend a course at one of our host district locations or host a course at your district. There are discounts for groups and for hosting a class for neighboring districts.

Our in-person class is typically 3.5 to 4.0 hours, and then allow up to two hours for the certification exam.  This program is 5.0 hours of USDA Professional Standard hours.

Please contact us if you have any questions or would like a quote.

Food Allergy & Gluten-Free Training

Food allergies affect about 2 percent of adults and 4 to 8 percent of children in the United States. Each year in the U.S., it is estimated that anaphylaxis to food results in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths.

Online and instructor-led training is available.

Our course is a food allergy and gluten-free training course for school food service employees in primary and secondary school settings. 1 in 13 school-aged children has a food allergy, and schools must understand how to keep children with special dietary requests safe. Because it is designed with the child in mind, the course helps schools better serve children with food allergies, celiac disease, and food intolerances by teaching staff how to recognize symptoms of an allergic reaction and have a cafeteria set-up that will help prevent these reactions from occurring.

Please contact us if you have any questions or want to schedule a course.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

This rule implements a legislative provision that requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) to develop a school food safety program for the preparation and service of school meals served to children. The school food safety program must be based on the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) system established by the Secretary of Agriculture. The food safety program will enable schools to take systematic action to prevent or minimize the risk of foodborne illness among children participating in the NSLP and SBP.

If you are looking for a HACCP program or need the required training, please contact us for more information.

Online Training

Fidelity Safety & Training offers a wide range of online safety training courses for owners, managers, and employees looking to keep their customers, employees, and profits safe. These courses offer all the content and quality of traditional classroom training programs without the expenses and time.

For more information or to view our course catalog. > > >

Food Handler/Worker Card

The exam and certificate are ANSI/ASTM Accredited, and the certification is good for three (3) years in most states. (Note: CA Public and private schools are exempt from the CA Food Handler Card requirements. However, if you would like your staff to receive basic food safety training and a certification card, this is a good option.)

This program is available online in English or Spanish for $9.95 each.  This program is 2.0 hours of USDA Professional Standard hours.

We can also conduct in-person training, but it does not include an exam or certificate.

Click here for more information, or contact us for a quote.

USDA Professional Standards Training

Professional Standards for school nutrition professionals are a key provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA). The final rule, published on March 2, 2015, requires a minimum of annual training hours for all state directors of school nutrition programs, state directors of distributing agencies, school nutrition program directors, managers, and staff. Required training topic areas will vary according to position and job requirements.

Types of training available include:

  • Food Safety (food manager, food handler, general food, and hygiene safety)
  • Civil Rights
  • Lifting, backs, and kitchen ergonomics safety
  • Bloodborne pathogens and disease control for food service employees
  • HACCP
  • School garden safety
  • Custom programs

Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.

Warehouse Forklift Operator Training and Certification

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) has issued training requirements for forklift operators and drivers of other industrial trucks. The new rule spells out detailed training requirements for operators of “powered industrial trucks,” which are defined as “mobile, power-driven vehicles used to carry, push, pull, lift, stack, or tier material.” These include equipment such as high-lift, pallet, and forklift trucks.

To comply with Cal/OSHA, CCR T8 3668(b)(3), employers must ensure that site and specific equipment training is provided for each employee operating a forklift. “Training shall consist of a combination of formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, videotape, written material), practical training (demonstrations performed by the trainer and practical exercises performed by the trainee), and evaluation of the operator’s performance in the workplace.” After formal instruction, each participant must be evaluated at their workplace on a site-specific, equipment-specific forklift.

Our certified forklift training program helps workers reduce the risk of injury or death caused by forklift accidents. This training program is designed to ensure compliance with the Cal/OSHA forklift regulations.

What is included:

  • An experienced and professionally trained/certified trainer
  • Classroom presentation (2-3 hours)
  • Review of applicable Cal/OSHA and ANSI/ITSDF standards
  • Opportunity to ask questions
  • Written exam
  • Operator handouts and sample forms
  • The performance or practical operation skill practice and evaluation (10 to 30 minutes per operator)

Operators are also required to be evaluated every three years. The evaluation consists of observing the forklift operator during normal operations to determine if the operator performs safely. Second, ask pertinent questions or provide a written exam to ensure that the operator has the knowledge or experience to operate a truck safely. In some cases, because of the danger or complexity of the operation, the extent of the change in conditions, or the operator’s need for additional skills, the evaluation will need to be lengthier and more detailed.

We offer group training (not individual training) and certification at your place of employment on your lifts statewide. Contact us today for more information on group training or for a no-obligation quote.

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