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SQF1188

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 02:14 PM

In the SQF Code it doesn't specifically state that formal training has to be done for internal auditing but all individuals performing audits must be documented on training. As SQF Practitioner I know I can train others on auditing because I've done and been doing audits but how can I prove that I'm trained to be doing them myself without taking a formal training course or buying materials on internal auditing? I'd like to do a lot of our audits but I'm afraid the auditor might disagree that I'm trained in auditing if there's no formal training. How do other people go about saying they are trained for internal audits without formal training?



esquef

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 02:38 PM

The guidance for Edition 7.2 states:

 

 

For internal audits to be effective, staff conducting internal audits must be trained in internal auditing techniques, information gathering and objective observation. This training need not be "formal" training provided by an external source.

 

 

In the past our SQF auditors have allowed Internal Audititor traning to be provided by whomever is in control of the process. This is tyically the SQF Practitioner. The important sentence is "This training need not be "formal" training provided by an external source.

 

I'd suggest simply putting together a PowerPoint presention that provides a fairly detailed description of your interal auditing program, specifically touching on procedures and responsibilities, tips on conducting a successful internal audit, why internal auditing is important to your company, etc.Make sure that your training is documented, and if you want to validate the training perhaps a short quiz is in order.


Edited by esquef, 28 July 2014 - 02:39 PM.


SQF1188

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 03:31 PM

The guidance for Edition 7.2 states:

 

 

For internal audits to be effective, staff conducting internal audits must be trained in internal auditing techniques, information gathering and objective observation. This training need not be "formal" training provided by an external source.

 

 

In the past our SQF auditors have allowed Internal Audititor traning to be provided by whomever is in control of the process. This is tyically the SQF Practitioner. The important sentence is "This training need not be "formal" training provided by an external source.

 

I'd suggest simply putting together a PowerPoint presention that provides a fairly detailed description of your interal auditing program, specifically touching on procedures and responsibilities, tips on conducting a successful internal audit, why internal auditing is important to your company, etc.Make sure that your training is documented, and if you want to validate the training perhaps a short quiz is in order.

 

But as the SQF Practitioner how can I train myself to do audits? I guess the real question is how do I prove that I'm trained myself? Is writing a procedure and doing training through a powerpoint enough proof to say I understand and can train others on internal auditing? I just know from previous audits with a different company that this has been an issue when the practitioner does audits and the auditor says "well you trained everybody but who trained you?" I guess if anybody has any guidance documents on internal audit training that they know are available that could be proof enough that I learned from an outside source.



esquef

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Posted 28 July 2014 - 03:56 PM

As the SQF Practitioner you really can't audit your Food Safety Management System as that would be a conflict of interest. Your job is to put together the audit team and orgnanize the auditing process. You assign members of your internal audit team to conduct the actual audits, then it should be your job (or a delegate assigned by you) to address non-conformities when the auditors report to you on the audit results. If the non-coformance is more severe than an opportunity for improvement I'd recommend the way to proceed is to use your CAPA (Corrective Action / Preventive Action) system to ensure that for all recorded non-coformaties identified by the internal auditors  corrective action are assigned to an employee who has authority to make necessary corrections by an agreed to deadline, and the corrections are verified as being effective by the SQF Practitioner.  



Miss Tammy

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Posted 01 August 2014 - 12:59 PM

Put together a list of your credentials....past experience, on the job training, responsibilities, etc.  I do not have formal training either, but this works for me. 



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Posted 09 September 2014 - 11:15 PM

In my view (ISO 22000 lead auditor), this situation is a little bit like being able to trace back an operational thermometer to a calibrated standard.  The persons conducting internal audits must be competent in carrying out that task.  The reference point in this case will be the person training the internal auditors, and if that individual has no recognised credential (not calibrated to a standard), then one must question the competency of that system.

 

Sometimes you can put the situation into clarity by thinking about how your company would defend itself in court, if the prosecution alleged that the internal auditing program was not competently deployed, instead being carried out by a group of well meaning but experienced individuals, and "Miss Tammy" and "esquef" suggests what that could look like.  (Just getting on my soapbox for a moment, I think this is a key reason why most of the HACCP programs I've seen need so much work.)

 

Of course the problem with all of this is that such a situation (where there is no credentialed reference point) could be difficult to defend, especially when the prosecution also points out that there was also available a number of training programs that would give the trainer (you) the credential you need, but were not taken.

 

It's kind of what Clint Eastwood said.  "You feeling lucky?"



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