RSPH Level 4 Food Safety
& Hygiene Course

Next Course Dates

Course Description

A 5-day course leading to the RSPH Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety and Hygiene. An intensive course designed to provide managers in the food and drink industry with detailed and up-to-date information on food safety theory and practice.

Video Overview

Play Video: Auditing Refresher Course

Duration

5 days

Who Should Attend?

Managers within the food and drink industry with at least a Level 3 Food Safety & Hygiene qualification or equivalent.

Entry Requirements

It is highly recommended that candidates complete the Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety & Hygiene (or equivalent) or can demonstrate considerable industry experience before embarking on this advanced level course.

Homework

Homework may be required during the course.

Course Delivery / Format

Classroom

Delivered face to face at our training centre in Skipton, North Yorkshire UK.

Directions to our training centre

Remote

Delivered Live and online so you'll require a computer and Internet connection

Full details and logging in information given before the start of the course

Course Structure & Content

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of this qualification is to provide an in-depth knowledge of food safety and food hygiene. It concentrates on the need for programmes and procedures to be properly drawn up, introduced and monitored to ensure full compliance with the legislation. Holders of this qualification will have the appropriate knowledge and understanding of food safety to develop and implement food safety management systems.

Qualification / Assessment

The examination consists of two papers, taken approximately two weeks after the course.

• Paper one consists of twenty questions to be answered within 2 hours.
• Paper two consists of one of five controlled assignments to be completed within 2 hours. The assignments may be viewed prior to the examination. Candidates can opt to answer a question paper relating either to catering or manufacturing.
• All questions on both of the papers must be answered.

Course Fee

All course fees are payable in advance.

Course fee includes:

• Course binder and notes
• Textbook:  ‘Hygiene for Management’ (Sprenger)
• Lunch and refreshments*
• RSPH examination fee and certificate

* Classroom courses only

Understanding the RSPH Level 4 Food Safety & Hygiene Course

Who is this course for?

The RSPH Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety & Hygiene course is an intensive advanced level course for managers within the food and drink industry – whether that be in Manufacturing or Catering. It is ideally suited to those who have already achieved a Level 3 food safety and hygiene qualification and have considerable industry experience either as a supervisor or manager in their chosen field.

What does the training cover?

As you might expect, this course gives delegates an in-depth understanding of food safety and hygiene. It provides detailed and up-to-date information on food safety theory and practice and is structured in such a way that by the close of the training, delegates will have the appropriate knowledge and understanding to be able to develop and implement their own food safety management systems.

The first day begins with an introduction to food safety management. This includes elements such as Plan, Do, Check, Act, the role of the manager, food safety policy, developing culture, communication and audit and reviews. There is also a section on management failures in food poisoning.

Microbiological hazards and controls are examined in detail, including bacterial growth curves. There is also a deep dive into types of bacteria and their requirements for survival, toxins and their control, microbiological contamination and cross-contamination and information about food poisoning investigations.

Day two covers physical, chemical and allergenic food hazards and controls. Also included is the management of cleaning and disinfection: terminology, technology and Clean in Place as well as how to verify the effectiveness of cleaning programmes. The day concludes with the management of training, with elements such as the identification of training needs, training methods and training aids. Barriers to learning are discussed and the importance of learning evaluation and record keeping.

Storage and temperature control is essential to food safety. Day three covers all aspects, including ambient, chilled, frozen, wrapping and packing, stock control and date marking. Control measures for thawing, cooking and reheating, cooling, temperature monitoring and validation are also covered. The next topic is food preservation - food spoilage, principles of preservation, different ways of preserving food, cook/chill and cook/freeze and sous vide.

The section on the management of personal hygiene includes its importance, legal responsibilities, sources and causes of hazards from staff, hand hygiene, PPE and hygienic practices. It is necessary for managers to know the protocols around reporting illness and fitness for work as well as monitoring. The training is also concerned with the design and use of equipment and premises. From the principles of design, facilities and the storage and disposal of waste to the manager’s role in the maintenance of design standards and equipment.

Food safety and hygiene legislation and the manager’s role in food complaints kick off Day 4. There is then an in-depth section on pest management which includes types of food pest and how they contaminate food, signs of rodent/insect activity, bird pests and their control and how to select a pest contractor.

Although this training concerns food safety, a section on HACCP is included, since the two are so closely related and knowledge of HACCP is essential for an effective food safety management system.

The RSPH Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety & Hygiene course concludes with the examination of food safety management systems. Food Safety Standards such as GFSI and the BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety are discussed on day 5, as well as food fraud and food defence systems, traceability and incident management plans. The trainer also spends time priming delegates for the forthcoming exam with a session on examination preparation and technique.

Training delivered by food safety experts

The RSPH Level 4 Food Safety course is delivered by Verner Wheelock’s expert food safety trainers who all have several years of industry experience at a senior level. Exercises throughout the 5 days help consolidate the learners’ understanding of the subject. In addition, the trainer includes real-life examples to help explain key points. Sometimes the course is delivered by more than one trainer which allows the attendees to benefit from an even wider range of experience. Delegates are encouraged to engage with the trainer and fellow delegates and ask food safety questions relating to their line of work.

Assessment and certification

To give plenty of chance to revise and whilst the information is still fresh in their minds, we recommend that delegates take the course examination two weeks after the close of the course. The examination itself comprises two written papers:

1. Paper One has twenty questions which must be answered within two hours.
2. Paper Two comprises two sections, each with five questions the answers for which must relate to the delegate’s own workplace and operations.

The delegates will have already completed a Workplace Description which will accompany their completed examination papers.

As with our Level 3 Food Safety & Hygiene course, delegates can choose whether to take an examination focusing on manufacturing or catering/retail. To gain a pass, delegates must score at least 50% on both papers. For a distinction, 80% or higher must be achieved on both papers. Successful candidates will receive the RSPH Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety & Hygiene (Catering or Manufacturing).

When and where does the course take place?

Delegates have the option of attending the courses either in person or remotely. Courses are scheduled regularly throughout the year and can be found on our latest training calendar. Whichever way you choose to attend, the training starts promptly at 9.30am and generally finishes at around 4.30pm.

Verner Wheelock’s training centre is located in Skipton, North Yorkshire, close to the rail and bus stations and town centre. For those travelling some distance, there are several hotels and guest houses nearby – see our accommodation list for details. Face-to-face delegates receive refreshments and lunch each day.

Remote attendance is via Zoom. We ask that delegates log on to the training session early to allow the training to start at 9.30am.A course binder containing notes is provided for all delegates together with a book to accompany the course.

The training is also available as an in-house course, which can be delivered remotely or at your own premises on a date convenient to you. This can be a more cost-effective option if you have 5 or more staff to train.

Taking the next step

The RSPH Level 4 Food Safety & Hygiene course is the most advanced food safety course offered by Verner Wheelock. We also offer HACCP training up to Level 4 and a selection of specialist courses such as Root Cause Analysis, Enabling a Positive Food Safety Culture and Legal Labelling which are extremely useful for managers within the food industry.

When and where does the course take place?

The FDQ Lead Auditor course can be attended either face-to-face or remotely via Zoom. Face-to-face training takes place at Verner Wheelock’s training centre in Skipton, North Yorkshire, close to the rail and bus stations. All courses begin promptly at 9.30am and finish at around 4.30pm each day.

The latest course dates can be found by viewing our training calendar. For those attending in person lunch, and refreshments are included in the course fee. A course binder containing notes is provided for all delegates.

FDQ Lead Auditor is also available as an in-house course. This is a cost-effective option if you have five or more staff to train.