Sanitation Operator

This course walks plant-level operators through the basic sanitation principles in a food manufacturing facility. In the Foundations module, participants learn about basic hygiene and safety, food safety and manufacturing standards, cleaning and sanitizing in a manufacturing facility, and zoning, inspection, and sanitation standards.

The course includes 2 chapters:

• Sanitation Operator Foundations
• Sanitation Operator Specialized

In the specialized chapter, participants are exposed to information on how to clean systems and techniques to follow, how to clean external facilities, and the 5S principles. Quizzes and knowledge checks are inter-spaced throughout the course, and each chapter has a built-in assessment.

The course stresses communication with peers and supervisors and highlights the critical role of a sanitation operator in food manufacturing.

Learn:

• The importance of cleaning and sanitizing of food manufacturing production lines, equipment, or facilities for safe food production
• Basic sanitation principles, and specialized information on sanitation practices
• The role of sanitation in food safety and protecting the health of our consumers
• The importance of asking for help if they are unsure of a procedure or activity in the plant
• Communication and documentation between co-workers, supervisors, other departments, and other shifts (hand-offs) within a food manufacturing facility
• Hygienic zoning, including the importance of transition zones and maintaining tools and equipment within hygienic zones.
• The chemical, physical, and biological hazards in the food industry
• The importance of preventing and eliminating the potential contamination of food manufacturing facilities and equipment
• Harborages within food manufacturing facilities and on food manufacturing equipment requiring special attention during cleaning
• Challenges niches and harborages present in producing safe food for consumers
• Risks associated with allergens in a food manufacturing facility
• Risks pests bring to a food manufacturing facility
• Importance of following an SOP and an SSOP
• How to store, handle, and apply common cleaning and sanitizing chemicals
• Importance of proper personal protective equipment (PPE) when using hazardous chemicals
• Importance of the proper disassembly, reassembly, and operation of equipment during cleaning
• The 7 steps of wet and dry cleaning of equipment and the surrounding area
• Why some types of production line equipment have “clean-in-place” systems
• What is meant by a “clean-in-place” system
• How to operate a “clean-in-place” system
• The concept of Clean-Out-of-Place (immersion and manual) techniques
• The necessity of maintaining the exterior and grounds immediately surrounding a food manufacturing facility