What training is required for the crisis management team?

Hi,

I've been reading posts and have been really useful so I'm posting today for the first time. I have my first SQF(Level 2) facility audit in 2 weeks and still lots of things to get done. I'm working on the Business Continuity Plan and I'm struggling with the training needed for the Crisis Management Team. Does it need to be an official training? has to be done by someone with specific qualifications? do you know if there is any online training for that?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

The crisis management team extends beyond the team with specific responsibilities mentioned in your plan (such as management).  You can learn about the theory of crisis management, but the most important factor is that every member of the organization is aware of and understands their responsibilities in the event of a crisis.  If possible I would arrange a short internal training course, this make take a little time, so in the short term at least you can issue everyone a copy and ask them to read it and perhaps even provide feedback on it.

Regards,

Simon

You can do a simple training on the policy itself.  Make sure you have a sign-in sheet for the training and that it is titled "TRAINING" vs. meeting.  Verify the information and procedures to be followed.  Then have each member sign off as trained and make sure you list the name of the training.  I had a nonconformance on this on my first ever SQF audit because while the crisis team had meetings and mock crisis, we did not put into the agenda of the meetings "Training."  I fixed it by conducting a training myself as the SQF Practitioner, reviewing procedures, confirming contact information and responsibilities. 

Is having a sign-in list for training enough to prove that the training took place? When do we need to prove that the trainees actually understand the knowledge as in recording quiz scores and when is a list of signatures enough?

If you are under SQF then you are to have the supervisor or trainer document that the trainees understood the training and it can be accomplished through a verbal quiz, written quiz or observation.  If you are training on Crisis Management then you can give a scenario to each person in the training and then ask them or have them write down what procedures he/she must do for that situation.  You can also have a drill and use the drill as visual observation that the trainees understood.

sv,

Go to the FEMA website, click on training icon and search for IS-0100.FDA. This is an ICS 100 class (free!), takes about an hour or so and is focused on incident/crisis management for the food industry. Knowledge based test (70% or better) and certificate provided on completion. My SQF auditor was pleased when I presented him with this as a training record.

Good luck on the Level II. If your GMP/GDP scores are good, you will do fine!

MH

Hi,

Thank you all for the answers. I passed the audit so now I can breathe. The auditor never asked me about the training, so I was lucky. I will do the training that Mark H suggests.

Thank you all

FANTASTIC! Once again, this is why I absolutely love this community of professionals. We just received a "Minor" on this during our Desk Audit last week and so I was wondering myself how to show "evidence/proof" of training. Not anymore!

Thank You,

JKRed