# Staff food safety training record

Markdown copy of https://everlongapps.com/cheflog/guides/staff-training-record

> In short: UK law requires food handlers to be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to suit the work they do. It doesn't require a particular certificate. Record each person's induction, courses and refresh dates: inspectors ask about training when they score confidence in management. Don't write down health details; if you use a fitness-to-work check, record only that it was done.

Updated 6 November 2026. By Everlong, the maker of Cheflog.

Download: [Staff food safety training record (PDF)](https://everlongapps.com/assets/cheflog/files/en/staff-food-safety-training-record.pdf)

## What the law asks

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, as it applies in Great Britain, says food handlers must be supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity, and the people who run the food safety procedures must be trained in them. A Level 2 food hygiene certificate is a common way to show it, but not a legal must.

## What to record for each person

- Name, role and start date
- Induction: the date and what it covered
- Courses and certificates, with the date and the provider
- When a refresher is due
- A signature from the person and the manager

## Induction checklist for the first day

- [ ] Handwashing: when, how and where
- [ ] Reporting illness: no work with open food, normally for 48 hours after diarrhoea or vomiting stop
- [ ] Clean clothing, hair tied back, no jewellery with food
- [ ] Raw and ready-to-eat food apart: boards, knives, storage
- [ ] Allergens: where the matrix is and who answers customers
- [ ] Fridge, cooking and hot holding checks, and how to record them
- [ ] Cleaning schedule and clean as you go

## No health data on the record

A training record is about what people know, not about their health. If you ask staff to confirm they are fit to work after an illness, note only that the check was done. Cheflog works the same way.

## Questions
### Is a Level 2 food hygiene certificate a legal requirement?
No. The law requires training or instruction that fits the job. A Level 2 certificate is a common way to show it, and many inspectors expect it for people who handle open food.
### How often should food hygiene training be refreshed?
The law sets no interval. Many businesses refresh every three years, and sooner when duties or the menu change.
### How long must staff stay away after diarrhoea or vomiting?
The FSA's guidance is that they should not work with or around open food, normally for 48 hours from when symptoms stop naturally.

## Sources
- [Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, as it applies in Great Britain](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2004/852/annex/II)
- [SFBB diary: staff training record (PDF)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69c53da423fcbcd838a6f780/fsa-sfbb-diary-training-record_0.pdf)
- [Fitness to work: guidance for food business operators (Food Standards Agency)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fitness-to-work/fitness-to-work)


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This page is general information, not legal advice. Limits in the templates are a starting point: check them against your own food safety plan and ask your local authority if you are unsure. Cheflog and Everlong are not connected to the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland or any other authority, and nothing here is approved by them.
