Inspections, Compliance, and Enforcement

The IFSS Basic Level Inspections, Compliance, and Enforcement course provides knowledge, skills, and abilities related to ensuring regulatory compliance through inspection and enforcement activities.

• Goal: Participants will be able to recognize compliance activities as they relate to the safety of human and animal food programs.

• Scope: Topics in this course include Foundations, Jurisdiction, Inspection Classifications, Inspection Tools, Inspection Techniques, Pre-Inspection, Inspection Process, Post-Inspection, and Enforcement Measures.

Course Objectives:

Foundations

• Define relevant terminology,

• Recognize the relationship between inspection, compliance, and enforcement,

• Recognize laws, regulations, and codes pertaining to your job function,

• Recognize procedures pertinent to your job function,

• Recognize the scope of responsibilities for regulatory agencies, and

• Define the purpose of education and outreach.

Jurisdiction

• Recognize jurisdictional authority to conduct regulatory activities,

• Differentiate the roles of regulatory agencies, and

• Identify examples of agency collaboration.

Inspection Classifications

• Recognize examples of different types of inspections.

• Differentiate between a routine and non-routine inspection, and

• Differentiate between team inspections and joint inspections.

Inspection Tools

• Recognize how information technology is used during an inspection,

• Identify reference materials,

• Define the purpose of inspection forms,

• Identify examples of inspection equipment,

• Identify examples of outreach material, and

• Recognize guidance documents related to inspection duties.

Inspection Techniques

• Recognize examples of professional demeanor,

• Recognize the importance of interviews,

• Recognize interview techniques,

• Recognize observation skills,

• Recognize the importance of accuracy in documenting findings, and

• Identify conflict management techniques.

Pre-Inspection

• Identify pre-inspection activities,

• Recognize the relevance of previous inspection reports, 

• Identify equipment checks necessary for the inspection, and

• Recognize if resources are available.

Inspection Process

• Recognize activities to initiate an inspection,

• Identify activities performed during an inspection, and

• Identify activities performed during an exit interview.

  Post-Inspection

• Identify examples of report requirements,

• Identify report writing skills,

• Recognize examples of compliance strategies, and

• Identify report submission timeframes.

Enforcement Measures

• Identify examples of available enforcement options,

• Recognize re-inspection timeframes,

• Recognize enforcement timeframes,

• Recognize options to bring a facility back into compliance,

• Recognize legal protections related to enforcement, and

• Define progressive enforcement.

Duration: 

Unit 1: Foundations – 30 minutes

Unit 2: Jurisdiction – 25 minutes

Unit 3: Inspection Classifications – 15 minutes

Unit 4: Inspection Tools – 30 minutes

Unit 5: Inspection Techniques – 30 minutes

Unit 6: Pre-Inspection – 15 minutes

Unit 7: Inspection Process – 25 minutes

Unit 8: Post-Inspection – 20 minutes

Unit 9: Enforcement Measures – 30 minutes